When a player’s self-confidence drops so will his sporting performances. What is more, a fall in a player’s self-confidence is frequently accompanied by increased stress and anxiety levels. An important coaching function is to help improve a player’s self-confidence in these situations. This is achieved through a combination of training and providing the player with the tools to better manage…

There are three key role-players at the heart of the psychosocial development of a child in the world of sport. The Coach The coach plays a pivotal role in the child’s development, and the best coaches design a unique development framework for the sportsperson concerned. While the development framework has many elements, and these may differ with different sporting codes,…

If one were to look at great captains over the history of the game, one need not look very far. Clive Lloyd of the West Indies, winner of the 1975 and 1979 Cricket World Cups; Ricky Ponting who led a dominant Australian team in the early 2000’s and a little closer to home Graeme Smith who has the most test…

Something I feel that is sorely missed in the world of cricket, is having a fast bowler running in for an over with the aim of scaring the batsman. I miss the days of watching the likes of Freddie Flintoff, Mitchell Johnson, Dale Steyn, running in and bowling a well-placed bouncer, forcing the batsman into doing something unconventional and making…