ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – A Level 2 coaching course which begins on Thursday in Kingston, Jamaica signals the start of the tenure of Chris Brabazon as Coach Education Manager, a new role created as part of CWI’s strategy to strengthen and invest in the development of coaching talent within the region. Chris has immediately travelled to Jamaica to observe the delivery of the Level 2 course.
Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams, welcomed Brabazon to CWI and highlighted the selection of Brabazon to the position. Adams said, “I am delighted to welcome Chris to the Caribbean where he will be taking up the role of CWI’s first full-time Coach Education Manager. His appointment is a critical feature of our strategic plan to produce world-class players and winning teams through the development of West Indian coaches.”
Adams added, “Chris brings a wealth of experience having held a similar role of Coach Development Manager in Western Australia for the past 6 years. He has worked at every level of the Cricket Australia coaching development pathway, from grassroots to international level, and is well-placed to drive CWI’s objective of developing our coach education programs. I have no doubt that Chris will play a significant role in advancing our regional game and am very excited to be working with him on improving coaching standards throughout the Caribbean.”
Speaking on his appointment, Brabazon was delighted to join the legacy of West Indies Cricket, “I am incredibly excited to join the team at CWI. In particular, I am looking forward to meeting and working with the coaches and coach developers throughout the Caribbean to ensure that all local players have access to inspirational learning environments that fosters their love of cricket.”
Brabazon holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Business Administration, with over twelve (12) years’ experience specifically in cricket. He has functioned in coaching and talent development, as well as cricket management and accounting in his native Australia.
NOTE TO EDITORS AND CORRESPONDENTS
About the CWI Coach Education Programme
CWI currently has a Coach Education program that delivers the following courses regionally:
- Foundation
- Level 1
- Level 2
- Level 3
CWI delivers the Foundation, Level 1 and Level 2 courses independently, whilst working with the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to deliver our Level 3 courses.
CWI has, over the past two years, partnered with the University of West Indies (UWI) to construct our own Level 2 course which was rolled out earlier this year. So far, the course has been delivered in Guyana, Grenada and Barbados with another one scheduled for Jamaica running from Dec 12 – 16.
CWI will begin working with the UWI on developing our own CWI Level 3 course in 2020 as we move towards our target of being self-sufficient in the area of regional coach development.
Further investment in Coaching started in January 2019 , with the implementation of an International Coach Accelerator Program (ICAP). Five of our top regional coaches were selected to be a part of a specific program designed to assist in preparing them for working at the international level. Gordon Lord whose background includes former roles as Head of Elite Coach Development for both the ECB and the Rugby Football Union, has been delivering this program which will last 18 months in its first phase. The coaches involved are Floyd Reifer, Andre Coley, Esuan Crandon, Rayon Griffith and Sherwin Campbell.
-CWI
