Private coaching
Thank you, Geoff and team, for all your efforts. In spite of the difficult circumstances, we were still able to get coaching during the pandemic period, which I feel is a great outcome. I am looking forward to the upcoming cricket season and hope everything goes as planned.
Alex had a great day at cricket today. He came in at first drop after the opener (our best batsman) was bowled on the very first ball. Alex batted for 20 overs and was forced to retire on 40 — his highest score ever by far. There were plenty of fist pumps as he walked off! Thank you again for everything you and your coaches have done in such a short amount of time. There’s no better feeling than watching your son play sport with confidence and enjoyment.
Thanks so much for helping Alex. He loved the session with you on Friday and was keen to put into practice what you showed him. He played today, so I thought I’d let you know how he went. In the first innings, he kept wickets and did a great job, though he didn’t get a bowl. The oval was in poor condition with long grass, and runs were hard to come by — the opposition scored 66 off 25 overs.
When it was Alex’s turn to bat, he looked really good. A parent who knows cricket even commented on his improved, more upright batting stance. He batted for eight overs, worked well with his partner, and didn’t look like getting out. Eventually, he was dismissed hit wicket for six trying to play down the leg side — part of a 22-run partnership in eight overs, coming in at 4/37. The bowler’s deliveries were very awkward, rising sharply above shoulder height. Many boys struggled to decide which shot to play. Alex was disappointed as he remembered your advice to control his bat on those shots, and it’s a dismissal he has suffered a few times before. Perhaps that’s something to work on at the next session.
Even so, I was thrilled that he listened, absorbed, and gained so much in a short time with you. It’s a real credit to your ability as a coach. I should also mention we engaged you after Alex said he wanted to give cricket away just two weeks ago. He was low on confidence and not enjoying the game. We didn’t want him to make that decision before experiencing some good coaching. After a session with Reagan and yourself, everything has completely turned around. He said to me today that he no longer wants to give it away and can’t wait for Friday training. I’m excited to see how he progresses from here.
Geoff and his team coach brilliantly, teaching both basic and advanced skills with enthusiasm and fun. Thanks to them, my son has gone from being an enthusiastic scatter-gun to an accurate bowling whiz. We can’t recommend them highly enough to parents and players.
My child was thrilled to learn spin bowling. Positive feedback was a feature that both my son and I really appreciated. The use of video to analyse my son’s bowling was excellent. It helped him understand what he needed to improve and how to achieve it.
Nicholas’ SPX team managed to squeeze into the semi-finals of the U12 competition despite most of the team being U11 players. While they weren’t successful, they played excellent cricket. Nicholas was “Mr Reliable” with the ball, consistently opening the bowling on merit. He managed five genuine wickets during the season, including two in the last two games that he created himself. One was bowled — and afterwards he said, “I could just see a gap between the bat and leg.” In the semi-final he earned an LBW, having recognised the batsman was stepping across the stumps every time.
Just thought I’d drop you a note — Thomas’ St Pius team played in the NSJCA U14 Grand Final yesterday at Oxford Falls and came away as Premiers. Thomas opened and scored 20 off 24 balls on a slow pitch, showing maturity that has really come from the camp at Kings with your coaches.