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Western Storm - Battting Lead and Assistant Coach
Contract: Fixed-term contract until 31 January 2025
Hours: Full-time minimum 40 hours per week
Salary: 30,000 - 35,000 per annum
Location: Bristol, with regional travel when necessary
Closing date: 17th March 2023

Who We Are

Western Storm is the professional women s cricket team representing the South West & Wales region to identify and develop the most exciting female cricketing prospects from a rich talent pool comprisingCornwall, Devon, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Wales.

Western Storm competes in the Charlotte Edwards Cup (T20) and Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy (50 overs). Operating below the senior programme is the Western Storm Academy and the newly launched Western Storm Emerging Players Programme. We are an ambitious organisation and this brand-new appointment represents an exciting opportunity to help shape the women s professional cricket landscape at a time of rapid evolution and investment.

The Role

Are you a specialist batting coach, qualified to a minimum of UKCC Level 3 or international equivalent? Have you got demonstrable experience working with professional and academy players? Do you have a genuine desire to improve player performance? Are you innovative, forward-thinking and passionate about the game?

If the answer to these questions is yes, we would love to hear from you.

As a Specialist Batting and Assistant Coach, you ll provide batting support to a range of Senior and Academy players, ensuring Western Storm s philosophy is delivered across all levels of the performance pathway so they can perform consistently. Alongside this, you ll provide general coaching assistance as required by the Western Storm Head Coach.

Amongst other things, you ll be leading, managing and providing suitable development opportunities that ensure an appropriate depth of batters are ready to compete in regional cricket, ensuring the batters next in line to be selected at 1st XI level are capable of delivering from ball one. You ll mentor players to develop game awareness strategies whilst working collaboratively with the Performance Coach to develop and implement holistic individual player programmes to maximise their ability, resilience, and robustness. You ll support the Senior Regional Talent Manager in developing and implementing a long-term strategy to deliver a constant stream of batters able to transition into regional cricket and support Western Storm pathway coaches to provide high-quality batting coaching to Academy & EPP players.

You ll bring extensive coaching experience and proven expertise in working with and developing elite cricketers, alongside a track record of developing talented young players into elite senior cricketers. You have excellent skill-specific knowledge of batting and experience in performance and technical analysis systems. You have a strong awareness of how to create a safe and effective environment in which to coach adolescent learners, with thorough understanding and support of the principles of safeguarding. You ll have a minimum of UKCC Level 3 coaching or international equivalent and be an ECB Coaches Association member.

Our ideal person is knowledgeable, motivated and committed to making a difference, is approachable with fantastic communication skills, has a strong work ethic, will be professionally diligent and demonstrably enthused at the prospect of shaping the landscape in women s professional sport. Travel both regionally and nationally will be a feature of this role at times and working out of different locations when required.

Next Steps

If you are interested in applying for this role simply click APPLY and complete our application form. Please note we do not use CVs as part of the selection process so please ensure to read the job description below and provide detailed responses as part of your application questions.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a face to face interview on Wednesday 29 March 2023 at Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol

If you need any reasonable adjustments to enable you to apply for this or any other roles, please let us know by emailing us on or telephoning.

Main Purpose of Job:

To provide specialist batting coaching & support to a range of Senior and Academy players, ensuring the Western Storm s philosophy is delivered across all levels of the performance pathway and ensuring the continued development of batters at all levels. Alongside this, provide any general coaching assistance as required by the Western Storm Head Coach.

Main Responsibilities:

Environment and safeguarding:

• To ensure Western Storm s safeguarding policies and procedures are adhered to at all times including adherence to the staff code of conduct and consistently advocating the safeguarding of children, young people and vulnerable adults at all times. Appropriate consideration must be given to safeguarding in all activities and decisions which are undertaken
• To ensure the Western Storm equity, diversity and inclusion policy and standards are upheld and always abide by the Club s code of conduct
• To facilitate an exceptional environment that supports the development of players
• To provide a challenging and innovative training environment
• To ensure an environment that facilitates the uptake of elite behaviours.

Specialist Batting Coaching:

• To work closely with the Head Coach and Senior Regional Talent Manager to provide relevant specialist batting coaching support to players as required.
• To lead, manage and provide suitable development opportunities that ensure an appropriate depth of batters are ready to compete in regional cricket, ensuring the batters next in line to be selected at 1st XI level are capable of delivering from ball one.
• To develop the Western Storm batters ability to create opportunities, construct an innings and assist in developing their tactical plans across both formats.
• To deliver one-to-one & group sessions with players as requested by the Head Coach.
• To support the Senior Regional Talent Manager in developing and implementing a long-term strategy to deliver a constant stream of batters able to transition into regional cricket.
• To support the Western Storm pathway coaches to provide high-quality batting support to Academy & EPP batters
• Working closely with the Head Coach, input to, monitor and review the batting section of individual performance plans for Senior Western Storm players.
• To have oversight of the batting talent pool across the region and have a strong awareness of the Academy / EPP batters development areas and performance plans.
• Contribute to the batting component of the Western Storm depth chart.
• To positively contribute to talent identification processes and initiatives from a batting perspective. This may entail attending Talent Observation days, Women s County games and County Age Group games where scheduling allows.
• To facilitate and deliver as requested by Regional Director of Women s Cricket, Head Coach or Senior Regional Talent Manager specific specialist batting coaching to Western Storm coaches and County Pathway Coaches.

Assistant Coaching:

• To assist the Head Coach with preparing, developing and supporting the needs of the professional squad, during the winter and summer.
• To support the Head Coach and, when appropriate, the Senior Regional Talent Manager in preparing teams accordingly.
• To input accordingly, when requested, on player selection matters.
• To contribute to the multidisciplinary performance review for each Senior and Academy player.
• To represent Western Storm in its promotion on matters relating to the playing and organisation of cricket, as requested by the Director of Cricket, Head Coach or Senior Regional Talent Manager.
• To build strong links with key external stakeholders and to provide guidance to the Western Storm feeder counties where required.
• Take on any other responsibilities or tasks that are within your skills and abilities whenever reasonably asked by the Director of Cricket or Head Coach.

*Please note this list is not exhaustive and is designed to capture the key elements of the role. Other tasks may be required at the request of the Regional Director of Women s Cricket or Head Coach.

Knowledge, skills and experience required:

Essential

• Extensive coaching experience with proven expertise of developing elite cricketers.
• A track record of developing talented young players into elite senior cricketers.
• Excellent skill-specific knowledge of batting
• Demonstrable leadership skills
• Extensive experience of performance and technical analysis systems
• Demonstrable experience of how to effectively coach adolescent learners
• A thorough understanding and demonstrable support of the principles of safeguarding children and young adults
• Up to date Safeguarding Young Cricketers or equivalent certificate (this must be maintained throughout employment)
• Satisfactory disclosure from Disclosure and Barring Service
• A minimum coaching qualification of UKCC Level 3 coaching or international equivalent.
• ECB Coaches Association member
• Full UK Driving license.

Personal attributes:

• Genuine desire to improve player performance and to want the best for each player as an individual
• Excellent communicator with an approachable and empathic manner
• Innovative thinker, curious to explore new approaches
• Energy, enthusiasm, initiative, flexibility &adaptability
• Calm in pressurised situations
• Excellent time management and highly organised.
• Ability to positively influence key stakeholders
• Collaborative approach to working
• Commitment to self-development
• Willingness to travel to and operate from different locations as the role requires.
• Self-reflective with high level of emotional intelligence