As the club has grown to the point where we have the luxury of more players available than we can actually field, our policies have also evolved to cope with this situation.
Under 11 Tournament Selection Policy:
For tournaments where we can only field 1 team, we will select a team based on merit from the available players. We usually select our team and then see if people are available. If someone is not available, then we go to the next on our list and so on until we have a team.
We normally like to have a back up player or two. In Zuoz, we had 13 children with 11 on the field. In this case we employed a rotational policy of people missing out. It may turn out that not all players will miss a game (as was the case in Zuoz as we only played three matches and hence a possibility of only six players missing out on a match). In this case, we generally select players to miss out based on our assessment of merit. We try to avoid asking one player to miss out more than one match if there are others who haven’t missed a match.
From time to time, we may alter this approach, depending on the tournament situation. For example, if a game turns out to be more important (to the tournament outcome) or tighter than expected or if a game turns out to be less important (to the tournament outcome) or easier than expected.
It can be tough explaining to a child that they are missing out on a match where others have not when we are making decisions based on merit. We try to be open with the players while trying to avoid crushing their confidence. As coaches, we do expect parental support in managing this aspect of their child’s involvement in cricket. Wherever we can, we try to communicate with the parents the basis for the decision and discuss how to best manage the child’s expectations and emotions. As coaches, we have done this better in some cases than others and we too are seeking to improve with experience. But also, as parents, make yourselves known to the coaches and ask questions/discuss any issues you may have. Parents of selected players also need to keep in mind that the squad we have at the tournament represents who we think the best players are at that given point in time. There are other players who might have come to training just as many times and who might have put in just as much effort that we have not selected for the tournament. For parents of those not selected, please let us know if we can assist in explaining the respective decisions. With such a big group, it is hard for us to find the time to explain these issues on a one-on-one basis (as much as we might like to).
“Available players” means all players in our training squad. As you are aware, our training squad includes players from 6 years of age to 11. We select from this group of players the under 11 team. Generally, this means that the under 11 team is populated by 10 and 11 year olds but if there is an 8 or 9 year old that, on merit, warrants selection then they will be selected. When all the Swiss coaches came together earlier this year to pick the Swiss team, we all decided that there were some 8 and 9 year old players good enough to not only play for their club but also for Switzerland at under 11 level – a decision that we believe has been vindicated by their excellent performances.
At this level, age and ability usually go hand in hand, so our under 11 teams will be primarily made up of 10 and 11 year olds but if there is a good enough 8 or 9 year old (and we think that child is mature enough and strong enough to handle competitive, hard ball cricket safely), then we will pick that child, providing the parents consent.
Under 11 Tournament Playing Policy:
When we are playing tournaments, we normally have to adjust playing policy according to the rules of the tournament (typically set by the hosts). In Zuoz, we play the more conventional “if you're out you're out” match (which becomes more common as the children get older as this is “regular” cricket as played by under 11 teams most everywhere else).
Some tournaments are based on pairs cricket where two children bat a set number of overs regardless of whether they get out or not. While there may be some penalty for getting out or bonus for not getting out, every child gets to bat the same number of overs. In such matches, there is typically also an “everybody must bowl at least one over” rule. These sort of rules are commonly used when children are first playing cricket as their skills are not sufficiently developed to play regular cricket and we want everyone to have a go and get hooked on cricket. As players get older and have developed their cricket skills, we migrate them onto regular cricket which has more specialization etc.
In terms of batting when playing regular cricket, we select a batting order (from 1 to 11) on merit. All of the matches we play are of limited overs. In this form of cricket, players scheduled to bat further down the order may not get to bat in an innings or during the tournament (eg if the top order does really well and doesn’t get out). This is the case in Zuoz where a few children may not get a bat in any of the matches they played. While this may seem a harsh situation, it is the game of cricket and one that we have little control over (e.g. if the top order performs well and scores runs without getting out, opportunities further down the order will be limited). Again, it can be tough explaining to a child that is selected down the order why this is the case and while we try and be open and at the same time sensitive to confidence issues etc, we would appreciate and expect parental support in managing the child’s expectations and emotions.
We also select the bowling line up on merit. In Zuoz, with, for instance,12 overs per innings, one player could bowl a maximum of 2 overs. Coaches usually select who are thought to be the best bowlers to bowl two overs each with two other bowlers having an over each. Usually, the bowling order is flexed to suit the match/conditions but typically, one would open and close with our best bowlers.
Final Comments
All members of a team contribute to its success, whether they bat, bowl or field. While some kids are obviously more skilled than others, it takes 11 playing well to win a match. We are always telling the kids that matches are won and lost in the field and that while fielding is the less glamorous part of the game, it is equally if not more important than other aspects. Good fielding teams are usually winning teams. So, even if a child only fields for a particular match, their contribution is very important to the team’s success.
Of course, our training policy is different again. At training, our objective is to develop our players. Hence we give everyone batting, bowling and fielding time. Training performance is also a factor we use in selection. This is where we see if a batsman is applying good batting technique rather than slogging (which means they have a better chance at coping with the higher quality bowling they face at tournaments). This is where we see if a bowler in consistently pitching in the right area (as in tournaments, we are punished harshly for wides etc). This is where we see the commitment to good fielding (as this is often the key to winning tournaments).
Finally, please be assured that the coaching team is does its best to foster the game of cricket in Switzerland. We are all volunteers with busy “other” lives. We give a substantial amount of our free time to coach the children, attend training courses and organize events. We all do our best and do not profess to be perfect. But we do expect parents to be supportive of what we are doing and to help us to the extent that they can – whether that help be physical (e.g. packing up after training or a tournament - scoring, umpiring, helping with organization, finances etc) or whether it is mental (managing the children’s behaviour, their expectations, supporting the children and encouraging the coaches etc). In the end we all share the objective of wanting to provide a good environment for our kids to play a sport that they love and we are doing so in a constrained environment. Parents and coaches need to work together to achieve this objective.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact your child's team coach.