In early June, what could mark a major turning point in the history of women’s cricket, Cricket Central recently hosted a groundbreaking all-female Level 2 Representative Coach Accreditation Course. It was the first of its kind and a powerful step toward equality in the sport. This all-female coaching course, the first of its kind in NSW’s cricketing history, also marked a major milestone for Australian cricket as a whole.
This trailblazing project was backed by the federal government’s Play Our Way initiative. This Play Our Way plan, formulated by the Government of Australia, is a $200 million program that aims to provide females of all ages access to, participation in, and active involvement in sport and physical activity. Trying to overcome the barriers to participation, it aims to foster an egalitarian and inclusive culture in sports.
Fifteen women from across New South Wales took part in the three-day intensive workshop, including Cricket NSW staff members Nechal Dillon, Tighan Tosen, and Leya Wilson. Led by Cricket NSW Coach Education Specialist Jay Lenton, the course featured practical assessments and covered key areas such as effective coaching strategies, mental skills, child safety, and self-reflection. Prior to attending, participants had completed a series of online modules focused on topics like fast bowling safety and representative-level coaching.
A group of remarkable female cricket coaches, such as Sarah Aley, Sam Bates, Jenny Gunn, and Hannah Trethewy, also supported this historic course. Additionally, they also provided their expertise to further benefit the participants. Their participation strengthened Cricket NSW’s dedication to building a diverse and highly skilled coaching team.
Nechal Dhillon, a passionate cricketer and Cricket NSW’s Head of Community Experience, was one of the participants. She shared her experience while being a part of this groundbreaking initiative, stating, “This is one of the most wonderful experiences of my cricketing life. My biggest takeaway from the course was the variety of skills that I learnt from the accomplished coaches. With each coach leading a particular area of cricket coaching, such as fielding, bowling, wicket-keeping and so on, we could concentrate on a particular aspect of cricket coaching with each session and master that area.”
Each participant also received a coach’s kit bag to support the participants in continuing their coaching journey. This initiative aligns with Cricket NSW’s wider goal of boosting female representation in coaching roles, ultimately improving the experience for females in cricket across all age groups.
Cricket NSW’s Female Engagement and Diversity & Inclusion Manager, Julie Stafford, earlier this year played a pivotal role in securing the Play Our Way grant. Stafford is optimistic that Cricket NSW will offer many more of these coaching courses in the future.
Sharing her excitement, Stafford said, “We were lucky enough to receive funding from the Play Our Way Grant for the next three years. We wrote the grant to deliver 10 different initiatives to increase girls’ participation in cricket, and one of these initiatives was to increase the number of women who hold the REP level certificate.” She also highlighted the crucial role female coaches play in motivating and guiding the next generation of players.
Darren Goodger, Chief Premier Cricket & Country Cricket Officer, said a few words of appreciation for the coaches, who led the courses, saying, “We appreciate their time in committing to this programme and the sharing of their expertise and experience to benefit our participants. Thanks to our coaches for delivering the course; it wouldn’t have been possible without them.”
In conclusion, this course marks an important milestone toward building a more inclusive, accessible, and equitable environment in Australian cricket.
Quotes sourced from Cricket NSW
