HAMPSHIRE ANNOUNCE CHANGES TO YOUTH CRICKET SET UP

HAMPSHIRE Cricket have made a major structural change to the player performance pathway.
Under the new format, Hampshire Cricket will fully manage and deliver all aspects of the new youth performance pathway, replacing the existing structure administered by the Hampshire Cricket Board.
After over a year of planning and consultation, the new performance pathway will see a number of major changes.
Charlie Freeston will take on the role of Head of Development with Matthew Drakeley directly supporting him as Development Coach.
The restructure centres around specialist coaches who will work throughout the system and support players from the county age groups through to the professional game.
The existing district format, which was essentially the stepping stone between club and county age group cricket, has been replaced by four Regional Performance Centres (RPC) to ensure more players get the opportunity to access high-quality coaching from Hampshire Cricket.
The disbanding of Under 10 (immediate) and Under 11 (October 2016) county age group cricket is another major change, while Skill Development Groups have been introduced to provide additional opportunities for high potential players.
Director of Cricket Giles White said: “We are fortunate to have an excellent coaching group and I look forward to seeing the impact they can make under the new structure.
"The focus is on coach accountability within the specialist skill sets and I am hopeful that it will allow a greater flexibility and access to a larger pool of talent before selecting and prioritising each Academy intake.”

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