Communication with Parents

We recognise the important part parents play in the development of our young cricketers and are, therefore, keen to develop clear lines of communication with them.  At the beginning of our winter coaching sessions we brief parents and  players on what to expect and encourage them  to  discuss   any  queries  or   concerns with the coaches as they arise.  We also hold a session for the players and parents of each county squad prior to the season.

In 2008, the GACC asked all parents to complete a questionnaire for the second year running.  They were delighted that around 100 forms were returned and that the overall response was very favourable.  It’s clear we can’t please everyone all the time but it’s gratifying that we satisfy most of them most of the time!

Answers to the question: ‘Please name one thing you would like to see changed/improved’ broadly covered four areas:-

• Venues - Unfortunately we don’t have any of our own and are restricted to the days and times we can use them. Consequently, we have to put up with the lack of viewing opportunities (at Newport) and the late finish of a couple of sessions.

• Player numbers (especially U10/11) - Hopefully this was eased this year by the addition of a session at Ebbw Vale. None of our sessions had a player/coach ratio greater than 8:1.

• Coach approachability - We have tried hard to improve this but it is particularly difficult at Newport.

• Player development - Integral to our coaching process is the giving of regular verbal feedback to each player on his or her performance. We also hope our feedback at the end of this winter’s sessions, to those who haven’t made the final county squads, is valuable to each player’s development. Eleven players, at U12 and above, who started off the coaching in sessions in a support squad made it into the final county squads.

Child Welfare

The GACC takes its responsibilities for the welfare of the young people in its care very seriously.  All its coaches are subject to Criminal Records Bureau Enhanced Disclosures which are regularly updated.  Those coaches who work with our county squads also attend regular courses on first aid and child protection.

If a player is unhappy for any reason then parents are encouraged to discuss their concerns with one of the coaches in charge of the coaching session or county squad. 

If a parent has any concerns about how a child is being treated by a coach they should contact our Child Welfare Officer (Paul Morgan) on 07814 916936 or 01495 355643 (during working hours).

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Further Information

If you would like any further details on youth cricket in Gwent telephone our Cricket Development Officer, Steve Watkins, on 01633 644553 or 07788 710188 or contact us on our email address is gwentyouthcricket@btinternet.com or click the 'Contact Us' button at the top of this page.