U19 Team Building Weekend 2012
Over the weekend (6 -8 January) the Scotland U19 squad took part in a team building weekend at the Inverclyde National Sports Centre, Largs. The weekend was designed to continue building on the squad’s success in winning the ICC World Cup qualifier in 2011, and form a key component of its on-going preparation for the 2012 U19 World Cup. The focus of the weekend was teamwork, communication, roles and leadership.
With an exciting 2012 ahead for the boys (including the World Cup in Brisbane), the team weekend in Largs, scheduled for the first weekend in January, was hardly the most anticipated event on the calendar! Pictures on the internet of the stormy weather battering our destination a few days beforehand did little to increase enthusiasm. Despite turning up without any real idea of what to expect the weekend turned out to be a great success, with a lot of positives taken from it by all.
The Sportscotland National Centre Inverclyde is a fantastic facility, and one we were able to take full advantage of. The expertise and help of the staff at the centre was gratefully received over the course of the entire weekend. Friday evening consisted of a review of 2011, including a video montage of all our best bits; the picture of Smudger jumping over the fence after Pete Ross hit the winning runs against Ireland is still the highlight for me (the Irish reserves looking on tops it off). We reviewed our performance and discussed where we could do better, as well as taking some time to enjoy the memories of what was a really great success. It is important to recognise why we have been successful, but also identify the areas in which we can improve.
Saturday morning started with a very early alarm call. I think the lads had hoped that Smudger (Simon Smith) being away with the Associate XI in Dubai might result in less fitness training over the course of the weekend. However, I was delegated control and an early morning run down the hill, along the sea front and back up the hill to the centre provided a tough start to the day. At least we didn’t have to swim in the sea, but the threat was there. I’m not a hundred percent sure whether people believed there was a possibility of this, but what I do know is that an unhealthy amount of attention was paid to what I put on that morning, specifically whether I had clothes on to get wet!
The rest of the day was spent, in groups, undertaking the team building tasks set for us by the staff at the centre. This was enjoyed by and challenging for all; everybody had tasks they were better at than others. The team aspect of the activities was highly beneficial and it was interesting to see how we worked together (or otherwise). Naturally it was highly competitive; everyone was busy comparing how they had got on in each event with other teams. Before dinner there was time for football on a floodlit AstroTurf pitch, and despite the claims of Wrighty he would be happy to referee, he was always going to be involved. A few of the lads have a few complaints about some ‘strong challenges’, and playing beside the coach in midfield led to an earful on more than one occasion, but it was a good game and wrapped up a good day. That evening we reviewed the activities of the day, again discussing what we could take forward from what we had learnt.
Vice-captain Matt Cross was in charge of the Sunday morning fitness session and didn’t disappoint. He obviously occasionally listens at Loughborough as we were put through a tough bout of circuits, shuttles and competitive sprints. The rest of the morning saw the completion of the team activities, including a ‘stomper’ race (interesting when the blindfolds came out), and a three way tug of war, the highlight of which was Alex Baum hitting the deck (he’ll be delighted I’ve mentioned that), before the results of the challenges were announced. It is important at this stage to point out my team won (winning very quickly became the object of the weekend once this fact became clear). A final goal setting session for 2012 took place, after the coach was satisfied United were going to beat City, and we headed off home.
The work we did this weekend will hopefully stand us in good stead to focus on our Cricket when we travel to South Africa before the season at home, and ultimately the World Cup. We have a strong team dynamic and a fantastic spirit, something which goes a long way to explaining our success up to now. The lads will continue to put in the hard yards over the next few months before we attempt to make a real mark on the world stage later in the year. It is a fantastic opportunity both for us and Scottish cricket on the whole, and one we intend to take full advantage of.
Article by Paddy Sadler
12/11/2012
