Last week, Aldersley Leisure Village in Wolverhampton hosted Chance to Shine’s ‘Train the Trainer’ event, bringing together many members of the Chance to Shine delivery network from across the country.
Chance to Shine’s delivery partners include the County cricket network, Cricket Wales, Cricket Scotland and other youth organisations – all of whom support delivery via expert coaches. The Train the Trainer initiative aims to equip our trusted partners with the comprehensive tools to effectively mentor and support these coaches, allowing them to inspire hundreds of thousands of children each year.
“It can be a very demanding role, and often quite a lonely one,” says Ian Gregory, Chance to Shine Schools Programmes Manager discussing the role of the community coaches. “Having someone on your shoulder supporting, mentoring, and offering advice can help retain people, keep them motivated, and continue challenging them.”
Key Focus Areas
The event concentrated on three critical pillars: reinforcing core delivery principles, promoting best practices and introducing new resources, including fresh Early Years Foundation content. The event has evolved significantly from its beginnings, as Ian explains: “We now address ‘hot topics’ – areas that have grown within the game and our world that we want our network to understand. We also share insights about our workforce: who they are, what support they need, and then leverage the collective expertise in the room to share practical solutions.”
For event participants like Alex Jopling, Devon Cricket’s Clubs and Programmes Manager, the networking opportunity proved invaluable: “The chance to connect over two days with like-minded colleagues from across the UK is always a key part of these events.” Alex particularly appreciated the varied approach to learning: “There was a great mixture of discussion, presentation, and practical work on the course, and it was enlightening to hear from both regional and national voices. It’s reassuring to discover that many colleagues face similar challenges in school delivery and engagement.”
A Fresh Perspective
Chloe Longdon, Chance to Shine Partnerships Manager at Middlesex , brought a unique insight to the event. “The course offered me the chance to analyse the project I’ve inherited, compare notes with others across the country, and helped me identify areas for development -both for the project and for myself,” she shared. For Chloe, the ‘Train the Trainer’ programme was crucial to her professional growth: “Being new to my role, the opportunity to network with my peers across the country was a great learning opportunity that rounded off the whole experience nicely.”
Looking Ahead
The final word goes to Ian Gregory, who believes such events build a crucial platform ahead of an exciting period of growth for the charity: “With Chance to Shine bringing cricket to more young people than ever before, supporting coaches to deliver the best experience possible for young people remains at the core of our vision” he says. “We could sense the excitement in the room and feel very lucky to have such a passion group joining us on the journey.”
If you want to find out more about the Chance to Shine coaching philosophy, or how you can support our journey to one million children – contact info@chancetoshine.org.
