BCB President meet Youth Cricketers assures them of a bright future - Inter County Cap to be re-introduced

BCB President meet Youth Cricketers assures them of a bright future – Inter County Cap to be re-introduced

Apr 07, 2018 Sports

BCB Vice President Albert Smith (centre foreground) pose with the Players after the Meeting.

Newly elected President of the Berbice Cricket Board, Hilbert Foster, accompanied by Vice President Albert Smith and Senior Coach Julian Moore, met with forty Berbice Under-19 Cricketers as part of his Berbice wide meetings with Cricket Stakeholders and players. The meeting was held at the Albion Sports Complex on Sunday last and followed meetings in Lower Corentyne, Upper Corentyne, the Berbice Under-17 Team and Umpires Association. Meetings would also be arranged in the New Amsterdam/Canje and West Berbice areas as the Berbice Cricket Board seeks to keep Berbicians informed of the massive developments taking place in the Ancient County and listened to suggestions on how to develop the game.
Foster in a lengthy presentation assured the young cricketers that the Berbice Cricket Board only interest was the development of every player in Berbice inspite of race, creed, the areas they lived in or Clubs they play with. The Berbice Cricket Board, he stated would not only organise Cricket at all levels – Under-15, Under-17, Under-19, Under-21, Female, Intermediate, Double Wicket, Second Division and First Division but would also invest heavily in Coaching, Social Skills Seminars and Educational Programmes that would assist them to develop into well rounded individuals. Noting that only eleven cricketers make up a team, he urged the players to take their education seriously and to develop other skills off the cricket field. Foster informed the Under-19 Players that they were role models, mentors to Under-15 and Under-17 Players in the county and as such it was crucial for them to set a proper example for mothers to follow.
He advised them to Say Yes to Education, Religion and No to Drugs, Crime, Alcohol, Tobacco. He also advised the youths to avoid Nightlife and to always listen to the advice of Legends of the Game. The Berbice Cricket Board President also urged the players to become students of the game by doing research on its history, rules and structure. The Players were told that it does not make any sense to be a good player on the field, if they are ignorant of the game.
Foster, pledged his support for each player and stated that he was always available to meet with them to discuss solutions to any problem. He also committed the Berbice Cricket Board to providing Coaches to assist the players, even on a one by one basis if the player request assistance. Foster also announced to the appreciative youths that the Berbice Cricket Board would once again be providing Inter-county Caps to every Berbice Player in the future and would be hosting several Social Skills Programme to educate its junior players on topics such as; Public Speaking, Table Manners, Personal Hygiene, Public Manners and Personal Etiquette.
Vice President Albert Smith, who is also Head of the Berbice Cricket Board Cricket Development Committee, reminded the players that there would be a no-nonsense approach to indiscipline. Players would have to be disciplined in all aspect of their game; Smith stated that representing Berbice is a privilege not a right. The highly successful Cricket Coach, who is also Chairman of the BCB Selection Committee, pledged to the players, that every Berbice Team would be selected based on performances but warned that indiscipline could result in a player been bypassed. Senior Coach Julian Moore also stressed the importance of discipline, preparation for matches and getting the proper equipment/gears for the game. Moore, a Level Three Cricket Coach, urged the young cricketers to be more focused on their individual game while taking advantage of the opportunities being presented to them.