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Focus On Junior Cricket Development In The Lakeland Region

Simon Eves Appointed

The Bay of Plenty Cricket Lakeland region, consisting of the Eastern Bay of Plenty, Rotorua and Taupo, is set to focus on the development of the junior game in the 2018-19 cricket season.

Simon Eves has been appointed the BOPCA Lakeland Cricket Development Officer and will kick-start the development of the junior game in the region, in Term Four and continue next year in Term One of the school year.

BOPCA Cricket Manager Tai Bridgman-Raison says “The focus of the Lakeland Development role, is to increase participation in cricket at primary school level, by delivering the NZ Cricket suite of young player programs”. “The priority is to develop a strong junior base, which in time will filter through to the senior clubs”. 

Simon holds a NZ Cricket Level One coaching certificate and has experience coaching junior cricket in his time playing club cricket in Auckland, before his move to the Bay. He is a current junior club coach at the Te Puke CC and has delivered the Western Bay of Plenty cricket awareness program in August and September 2018.

The key component in the Lakeland junior development program is the NZ Cricket Superstarter program, which is an all inclusive skills based fun program for potential cricket players of all abilities. “It is an easy to understand set-up-and play method, for involving children in a range of fundamental development skills such as throwing, catching and striking the ball” said Tai.

Aimed at Year Four to Six students, the program consists of four modules of the fundamental movement skills of striking, throwing, catching and bowling the ball. At the end of each Superstarter program the youngsters receive a certificate to acknowledge their skill level achieved on the day.

An important follow-on attached to the Superstarter program is the Bay of Plenty Cricket regional cricket festivals, where the program graduates get to utilize their new-found cricket skills in fun competition.

The Eastern Bay of Plenty junior cricket festival will be held in Whakatane on Wednesday 21st of November, with up to a dozen schools expected to attend the day. Rotorua’s day out for aspiring cricket stars will be held at Smallbone Park on 6th November. 

Taupo has a two pronged approach to developing the junior game in the Great Lake region. Simon will run the Superstarter Skills program on a Fridays, before transferring to Owen Delaney Park, to deliver the Superstar Cricket Academy curriculum between 4pm and 5pm.

The highlight for the young players in the Taupo region is their BOPCA Carnival of Cricket, at Owen Delaney Park on the 8th November, which traditionally attracts up to two dozen school teams.