Tasmania University Cricket Club

Latest News (19th. June 2006)

Uni. unveil a new look coaching strategy for the forthcoming season.

Following a somewhat disappointing 2005/06 season (we only made two Grand Finals and lost them both) the committee and the coaching staff have recognised that a more holistic approach should be taken this year.

The 'senior' coaches will have much more involvement throughout the whole club from First Grade down to the Under 13's. No single 'senior' coach will have sole responsibility for a specific team - they will all have input to and spend time with all teams, both at training and on match days, in those age groups.

And now to the coaches -

Enrico Di Venuto is back for his eighth year as Club Coach. He will oversee the whole coaching strategy, down to the Under 13's and co-ordinate the Club's approach to ensuring that we can continue to develop players such as Tim Paine and Ben Hilfenhaus from an early age.

Reeks will have two major assistants this year:

Mark Blair has returned to Tasmania (and the TUCC) from W.A. where he was assistant coach at Claremont/Nedlands. Mark played for Uni. from 1991 - 2000 and will have attained his Level 2 coaching colours by the start of the season. He has tasted Premierships with the Club in 1992/3 and 1993/4.

Gavin Shaw is back for his third term as a coach after having played from 1984-1992 (and even 2005/06!). He won the First Grade batting averages on three occasions and his expertise in this area will serve us well again next year.

We will also have the support of Graeme Blundstone, Gregg Sharman and Brad Thomas in the area of specialised coaching.

All of these Uni. stalwarts of the past have the experience to instill in players of whatever age the essence of what the Club desires in them, both at training and on match days.

John Perry will again manage and assist Reeks, Mark and Gavin in coaching the Under 17's. His work with the team last year was outstanding. The Grand Final was always going to be a hard game given the traditional loss of players on that one day to the private school's version on the same day - with some luck and co-operation this may not be the case next season.

We hope to have two Under 15 teams next season. Paul Lovell, another former player (from 1980-1989) and again a member of Uni. Premiership teams, will manage and coach this age group. We are looking for a second manager for matches as, obviously, Paul can't be in two places at the same time! We're also looking for a few more players too. The teams will not be selected as an A and B team - they will be of a similar overall standard.

The Under 13 coach will be John Cherry. John took last year's very successful Under 12 Twilight team which appears to have some very promising youngsters in its midst.

This year's Under 12's will be taken by Manda and Sam Boxsell; the Under 10's are, at the moment, coachless.

The emphasis, especially in the younger age groups, will be on technique and skills. University is definitely not a club that sees winning Premierships or even matches at that age as having any cricketing importance whatsoever. What we do aim to achieve next season is an improvement in aptitude and enjoyment which will see the younger players have the ability to one day play First Grade and even higher.


[home] [latest news] [scores] [ladders] [players] [contacts] [history] [seasons highs] [halls of fame] [events] [stats] [scholarship] [links]