I knew going into a room filled with female cricket coaches and key figures from across women’s sport would be fascinating, but the Evolve Event hosted by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Metro Bank was completely awe-inspiring.
Thanks to The Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund, opportunities for women and girls in coaching have never been more accessible. Something we got to see first-hand ahead of England Women’s final IT20 at Lords.
As the England women took on their last match of the series against New Zealand, 10 Coach Developers and 20 aspiring Coach Developers were invited down to Lords Cricket Ground to discuss the ever-evolving women and girls’ game and the direct impact our roles have.
Simply put, a Coach Developer is someone who helps to upskill and ‘develop’ coaches within the game - a coach of coaches if you will – and this year has seen the highest number of women ever apply to be a part of the programme.
Our job is to connect with people delivering cricket across the country, helping them to grow their skills. In addition to this, increasing their understanding of how positively impacting the players they work with, sustainably fuels the game for years to come.
The Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund has, and continues to, directly increase the number of female ECB Coach Developers through talent identification, opportunity and support that will fast-forward their potential to complete the ECB Coach Developers training in full.
As we heard at the panel, research shows that having more female coaches encourages more women and young girls to take up sport, and it’s no different in cricket. That’s why our role is so important in supporting female coaches because the more girls we can get involved now, the more that will eventually come into coaching to inspire the next generation and so on.
The 20 female coaches that came along to the event have the ability to engage and inspire thousands more young girls and women to get into cricket. It’s amazing when you think about it! We all grow and learn so much from each other so being at an event where we can share stories, tips and bond over shared experiences is priceless.
Following the chance to chat and network, we heard from a panel of wonderful people across women’s sport including:
- Kate Marks - PhD Researcher at Leeds Beckett University and Centre for Social Justice in Sport and Society
- Sara Begg - ECB National Coach Developer and Master Educator for the International Cricket Council
- Tanya Martin – Head of Insight and Innovation at Women in Sport
- Tessa Whieldon – ECB Head of Female Participation
Their discussion was captivating. They detailed how everyone has a part to play in transforming and developing the women’s and girls’ game, whether we’re coaching recreational cricket or England’s Elite, we all have a part to play. What we do matters.
After the panel, we had more time to chat to those around us and it was so affirming and encouraging. Everyone had the same goal in mind - we want cricket to be a sport for everyone. It became a celebration of the diversity and the evolution of the women’s and girls’ game.
I left the day - having seen England finish their series unbeaten - feeling empowered! Like I could run a 100 miles without stopping, or inspire thousands of kids to pick up a bat and ball through the crucial Coach Developers’ network.
To hear from more Coach Developers, listen to Sara Begg on the Women’s Cricket Weekly podcast HERE.