Back to Where it Began

TWELEVE months ago Steve Waugh began his regional coaching clinics in Scone and the coaches were thrilled to return today to see the progress young local players had made.

Irish international cricketer Andrew Balbirnie giving advice to Nick Brooks at the Bill Rose Complex.

“It’s good to see what we taught them twelve months ago has stuck and many of them have moved up a grade in their cricket ranks, so they are absolutely getting with the program and you can see in a day a few tweaks and they get it,” said Simon Gould assistant coach of Randwick Petersham.

“We chose to come out to regional NSW because there is a lack of quality coaching for regional boys and they are so keen to soak up everything we say while we are here,” he said.

“There is real respect and they are all quietly confident, there is just a different attitude here they are very grateful and they really listen, they know we are only here for a short time, so they have lots of questions and are genuinely listening and implementing what we are trying to teach them,” he said.

“In the city often it is difficult because they are there with mates and larking around so it is difficult to keep them engaged, but here it is a very different feel and everything is welcoming, because they are grateful to see us here,” he said.

“Scone is definitely a place we’ll be coming back to every year,” Mr Gould said.

Since beginning in Scone last year, the Steve Waugh Coaching Clinics have grown and they are now looking to run clinics interstate.

There are day clinics, two day clinics, winter academies which run for five to six weeks and one on one coaching for children aged between 6 and 16.

Steve Waugh has a passion for coaching cricket in regional areas and so too do the coaches handpicked to conduct the clinics.

Coaches today included the head coach of Randwick Petersham, an Irish international, an opening bat and first grade captain and a junior international.

There are more clinics planned in the Upper Hunter including one in Singleton during late summer.