Access to a quality cricket coach is critical for youth development in the sport. It is timely to acknowledge one of the best in the business. To do so, we are grateful to Willower Richard Taylor for writing this article (hopefully, the first in a series) on his colleague and outstanding cricket coach, Matt Parr.
Matt Parr has a 1st XI cricket coaching record that is the envy of New Zealand Secondary Schools. As the Christchurch Boys’ High School coach he has won the National Gillette Cup 1st XI trophy on four occasions and was runner up on a further two. His teams have won the Canterbury 1st XI competitions one & two day titles on numerous occasions, as well as having success with four National Colts titles.
While the record is hugely impressive and should be admired, a better question would be to ask how does he do it? What, if anything, does he do differently from others? Is there is a secret to his success?
I have coached with Matt for several years and have a good insight into his coaching philosophy. First, and foremost, Matt has a deep passion for cricket and his old school Christchurch Boys’ High School. He was a successful player in the CBHS 1st XI for four seasons. He was also a successful Canterbury age group player and captained the U17 National side. Matt is a Physical Education teacher at CBHS and since he started has always been involved in cricket, but it was when he took over as the Master in Charge of Cricket in 2009 that his passion to give back became evident.
Matt has four fundamental aspects that he focuses on when coaching any team. Batting, bowling, fielding and an aspect he calls the ‘4th dimension’. The 4th dimension is that aspect of sport which is hard to quantify but simple to identify; particularly when it is not present. An easy way to visualize it is to give an example. The Warriors don’t have it, the All Blacks do. It is all about the development of culture through high expectations of respect for the school, the opposition, team mates, coaches, supporters, parents and most importantly the game itself.
Matt uses a term called deliberate practice of the physical and mental skills required to bat, bowl and field. Many coaches and teams put in hundreds of hours of often mindless practice, but not deliberate practice. Deliberate practice requires focused attention to a specific goal to improve performance. Matt always has a training goal for players to focus on at practice. They are then given specific feedback on outcomes and form and what he feels can be refined. This philosophy focuses on little details, adding up to excellence.
Matt also uses advance questioning techniques. He knows that the questions are the answers. Questions like, ‘How did that feel?’, ‘What difference did that make?’, ‘How could you do that differently?’ This style of questioning allows the player to provide their own feedback and think more deeply about the process. This is the opposite to the old school model of ‘I know, you don’t know, let me tell you how to do it.’ If that system worked everyone could bowl like Sir Richard Hadlee and bat like Kane Williamson, but they can’t.
Matt sets very high expectations for the players which are demanding and challenging. Within this environment he shows genuine care and respect for the players. The environment is made to feel safe for everyone. I feel Matt demystifies excellence and allows failure at practice because that is where people improve. Effort is praised and highly valued by the team who are regularly reinforced with its ‘two to one ratio’ over talent and skill. It is a simple equation:
Talent x Effort = Skill
Skill x Effort = Achievement
Matt also puts considerable emphasis on the mental skills of cricket. This skill set does not come naturally to many school boys, or any cricketers for that matter. Too many players rely on physical skills alone without focus or forward planning. Simple, yet effective systems, such as a bowling and batting plan, relaxation techniques between balls when batting and bowling, refocus techniques at crucial times, mental rehearsal and keeping personal statistics on success and failure are some examples.
When you wrap all the techniques above into one package you still need to tie it up with a bow. That bow is Matt’s natural gift of teaching young men. He is well liked, respected and valued by those in his charge. His manner is calm, caring and compassionate. He sets high standards, leaving no one in any doubt of his expectations. These skills are the cornerstone of his coaching success.