I have just come off a long series of umpiring various junior age and special event carnivals. For the most part these carnivals were great fun but from time to time serious problems in the sport were seen.
In each of the competitions there were a minority of coaches who believed that they and their team were bigger than cricket. Invariably these coaches had their own idea on how the rules should be 'interpretted' (always in their favour of course) and that the world was against them. This persecution complex soon rubs off on the teams by the way.
1. Two Chucking Problems.
It would seem that since the change in the law chucking is becoming much more prevalent in junior cricket. I know a number of coaches who rigorously coach to stop it in players where they find out but it seems that a number of coaches try to gain an advantage by playing outright chuckers. In the first game it was obvious that the offspinner chucked two deliveries out of his array of attack. After discussing the obvious problem with the bowler he admitted he believed as a self taught bowler he pushed the limits but his coach had told him that no umoire would be game to call or report him. Wrong folks. At the start of the game the coach had been uncooperative on almost everything and twice had told his team not to take notice of the umpires directions. Short discussion later it was all the umpires fault, lol. After the game I met with the boys father who confessed he thought he chucked. Outside coaching has been arranged but his current coach believes I was way too harsh.
The second case was for a fast bowler who didn't just chuck but pegged a percentage of deliveries. He had been reported the day before and I was asked to watch him. Well pegging it was. Again the coach was uncoooperative before play, during and afterwards. It even got to the stage of refusing to bring water to the umpires at more than regular drinks breaks due to the heat and humidity. Don't worry coach I believe you just lost your coaching psoition. This player, broadly due to the coach's stupidity will go through the process of rectification. Dont worry coach, the parents can the blame the umpires from now on because he will be called in future. It is your job as coach to see these problems don't arise not the umpires in the game. Oh and selectors you knew his action was more than suspect so why did you pick him at this stage.
2. The Umpires are the Enemy.
This is a strange attitude a number of coaches have for some reason. It might be that thier own, and thir teams, lack of talent need an enemy that is not thier opponent. These teams under such coaches always stretch the boundaries. The most offensive team was a walking (and losing) disaster. I umpired them on day two of a tournament with a great First Grade umpire. So there were two very experienced umpires at the match. The coach of the team didn't even bother to acknowledge us when we made our prematch rounds and was openly hostile. In the first six overs of the match we saw every imaginable transgression from them. Above the waist, and slightly higher, balls from the opening bowlers. The Law was enforced here and after two early by one opener the captain asked why he was being warned. Seems he has never heard of the law in question. Well he and his coach have now. Clapping while the bowler was running in and bowling, talking at the same time, fieldsmen moving sideways, loud appeals for nothing and then it got down to personal sledging and at the first wicket a send off of all send offs.
Well the umpires then had a team meeting. The coach paced the sidelline and wanted to come on the field but was waved away. The game proceeded in an orderly fashion after that except well into their batting time the coach tried to extract his revenge. He ran water bottles on to the umpires that had been sitting all day in the hot sun. Old trick coach, we just held the game up until cold water was found. The team perfomed well below expectation, gee I wonder why!!!
In another carnival that I did not umpire in a senior umpire and one of the best senior schoolboy coaches ever in the state (just look at his results) was serious verbally abused by a coach after a match. The verbal attack was so vicious that the umpire that he is considering giving cricket away. Apparently nothing was done by the appointed 'umpires coordinator' for the tournament (whatever that is) to seek proper and correct redress.
3. Umpires Aren't Alays Right.
In a game played for pleasure, no points for it, a young and rather inexperienced umpire, had a serious clash with one of the best cricket coahes in the world. It was over the state of the wicket. I had inspected it on my way to my ground out of curiousity and it was unplayable due to a large wet area on a length at one end. apparently the umpire was not experienced enough to understand the consequences but the coach was. There are times when umpires are wrong. the problem is the umpire still doesn't realise he was wrong and the great coach probably has a set against one umpire at least. But I know he is coach is man enough and smart enough not let this happening effect his judgement in similar tournaments at a later time. I hope the umpire has leaned something.
In these tournaments there needs to be understanding and cooperation from all parties. The effect of a coach's attitude on young players can be long lasting and sometimes it is not the best for the game.
I will have two more posts on this later, one one games rules and the other on spectators.
Oh and if one more coach or parent wants to lecture me on their version of 'duty of care' there will be a redress of the situation.
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Topic: Junior Coaches: Wake Up!!!! (Read 4743 times)