The final phase of the TT Cricket Board (TTCB) inter-zone championships bowls off on Tuesday with the Scotiabank NextGen Under-13 Development Programme.
Eight zonal teams – North, North East, East, Central, South, South West, South East and Tobago – play three rounds of matches of which the top four teams advance to the semi-final stage, from May 9.
The 40-over tournament also serves as a platform for TT’s U13 players to stake their claim for national selection, for when Guyana’s U13s are hosted by the TTCB later this year.
Additionally, the programme is not solely focused on actual physical game play. TTCB and Scotiabank have also engineered a two-phase virtual development programme to help equip the youngsters with essential life skill tools.
Modules entail time management, goal setting, child protection, leadership and communication, nutrition, mental health and well-being, financial management, anti-doping and drug abuse, visualization and discipline, fair play and citizenship and public speaking.
Scotiabank NextGen facilitator Brendon Ramlal said these modules will be delivered by a host of qualified professionals ranging from former West Indian cricketers, school supervisors, registered dietitians, psychologist, psycho-therapist, members of the protective services, teachers and CWI certified coaches.
“Players’ progress and growth will be tracked using a blended educational approach, designed with specific focus on key performance indicators (KPIs) that have been outlined for each module. KPI’s include a variety of assessment strategies.
“Modules will be delivered synchronously via Zoom whilst assignments and lecture notes and resource materials will be posted and submitted through Google Classroom,” Ramlal said.
He added that players must attend a minimum of 80 per cent of live sessions and complete all KPI’s to successfully graduate from the programme and gain certification from phase one and qualify for phase two in 2024.
Scotiabank Foundation director Peter Ghany welcomed these online interactions for their life skills development.
“We recognise that it is important to focus on our young cricketers’ overall development, so they can unlock their full potential, will see that there are more life opportunities open to them and be better able to adapt to changing circumstances, thereby boosting their resilience,” Ghany said.
TTCB president and recently appointed CWI vice-president Azim Bassarath lauded Scotiabank’s long term commitment to enhancing Caribbean cricket.
Recently, Scotiabank concluded its U15 development programme. Here, standout performers were selected to a national U15 team for the West Indies Rising Stars Under-15 cricket 50-over tournament. TT went on to win the title.
Bassarath lauded the bank’s initiative, which he said, had already begun to bear fruit for TT.
Tuesday’s Round One Matches
North vs East at National Cricket Centre, Couva
Tobago vs North East at Courland, Black Rock, Tobago
South vs Central at Macaulay Recreation Ground, Macaulay
South West
