The Poulton Coaching Team

The departure of Liam Smith, our player coach in 2021 meant that the committee had to overhaul our coaching offering for the 2022 season. We have spent over £1,000 putting senior club members through the ECB's coaching courses in order to have a larger coaching team that is no so dependent on a few individuals and can share the administrative demands of such an important job.

For the 2023 Season, the club coaching team will comprise the following coaches who have all passed the ECB's programmes. The old level 1 & 2 structure of coaching training has been replaced by new Foundation and Core qualifications respectively. Coaches who have the level 1 & 2 or Foundation & Core qualifications are able to lead coaching sessions on their own with each of these individuals passing enhanced safeguarding checks & training as well as first aid qualifications. To have so many level 2/Core coaches in the same club is a rare resource and we are looking to build on this number moving forward, maitaining the club's focus on coach to child ratios.

Our plan for the 2022 season is that each age group is lead by a level 2/core qualified coach with at least a level 1/foundation or support coach as back-up in support. Rather than post contact details on the website, you can contact each of the Coaches via the Spond app. We have taken note of the 2021 surveys and will be placing greater emphasis on batting coaching during the 2022 season.

If you have a question regarding coaching, please approach your respective coach in the first instance. Our coaches will be happy to speak to you before or after training or at another convenient time. Please do not interrupt coaching sessions, as this may distract the coach when he or she needs to be supervising and indeed coaching children.

As of December 2022, our coaching team is as follows.

Level 2/Core Coaches

Dave Dunn

Dave will be the lead coach for the Under 13s for 2022 having looked after the under 11s last year. Training for the u13s will be on Monday night between 6-8pm. AFter more than two decades as Club Chairman he has now moved to President.

James Newman

James will design the coaching plans for the club and lead Senior section coaching on a Thursday night at the club, He is also the 1st XI Captain for the 2023 season

Mark Robbins

Mark will be the Lead Coach for the Under 15s. Training will be on Thursday evenings

Max Arnold

Max will be looking after the Under 19s GYL squad this year as well as helping with other age groups when he is able to.

Neil Cheesewright

Neil looked after the Under 9s in 2022 having coached at all levels of the club.

Philippa Dunn

Philippa will be the new Ladies coach as well as their Captain for the 2022 season.

Will Bathurst

Will has coached for many years a decade ago before a bit of an overseas hiatus, again looking after the Under 11s in 2022 and he will again in 2023. He is also making himself available for flexible girls only coaching sessions with the aim of developing a girls team at Poulton CC, so that his daughter has teams to grow into! He is also the club's deputy Safeguarding officer and Chairman & stand in Treasurer. He has been with the club since 2005.

Level 1/Foundation Coaches

Fred Bayliss

Fred will help with with several of the junior sides over the course of the season as well as being a 3rd XI stalwart passionate about developing the technical skills required in cricket.

Rob Ireland

Rob Qualified as a Level 1 Foundation coach in the Winter of 2022. He is the club Secretary and parent of Under 11 & Under 13 players and will lead Under 9s training in 2023.