Coach of the Year - Prathmesh Kaneri, Kingstonian CC
On Sunday 18th August we hosted our Outstanding Services to Cricket Awards 2019 designed to reward and recognise all the volunteers who work tirelessly at their individual clubs around the county.
Presented by our guest players the 10 awards were handed out too those who go above and beyond at their club to ensure they are run smoothly and are a place in which many people want to spend their summer at and the clubs are indebted to their hard work.
We will be sharing profiles of each of our worthy winners to highlight the work that goes in around the county, these individuals are the reason our sport is so special.
Our final winner and award for the Coach of the Year on the day was Prathmesh Kaneri of Kingstonian CC. Prathmesh was nominated because:
"Organising the Colts section of a cricket club is a labour of love which requires serious dedication and nurturing volunteers. Prathmesh Kaneri not only embodies these virtues in his coaching but also in his efforts to make the administration of Kingstonian CC's colts section more streamlined, efforts which have taken the burden of admin off our other volunteers so they can focus on the children.
During his years at Kingstonian CC, Prath has always gone above and beyond as a teacher and his efforts have elevated what we can offer to colts to a new level. Having completed his Level 2 certification only 12-18 months ago, Prath has actually performed to the standard of a much more experienced senior coach and the rest of the coaching staff often look to him for guidance and new ideas.
Even before his formal Level 2 qualification, Prath's effective teaching and communication skills inspired our colts to perform. His approach to coaching sessions helps the children develop a sound understanding of the game while maintaining a fun atmosphere. His particular skill is in being able to instruct at all ability levels.
A newcomer will quickly be taken in hand and shown the fundamentals while a more experienced player will be given greater challenges to tackle. Indeed, in January this year Prath (a natural fast bowler) went away and taught himself how to bowl a googly and a flipper simply because a colt had asked him for help with variations. Prath wanted to be able to demonstrate techniques in person.
Proof of the effectiveness of his methods come when we receive excellent feedback from our parents and when an increasing number of colts have the confidence and skillset to play with our adult teams, including in a few league games in 2018.
One should also mention a number of initiatives Prath has spearheaded which have helped the club grow and expand successfully. Prath came up with a ran a number of colts vs parents matches which have subsequently led to more parents becoming engaged in the club and given us more volunteers and CSWs.
Besides this on the field value, Prath also built an automated system to allow parents to sign up their children to Kingstonian CC sessions without costing the club a monthly charge for a similar third party system. He did this off his own back without being asked by the club simply because he saw how much our committee struggled collecting fees and how much time that took up that could otherwise have been used on more productive matters.
This is all indicative of how far Prath is willing to go, giving his time and skill to making the colts experience the best it can be for children, parents and coaches.
In short Prath is the type of person who makes you proud to be involved in coaching and we are therefore delighted to nominate him for this award."
Congratulations to Prathmesh on the recognition for all your hard work!