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A season of focus and fun
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Youngsters are learning the ropes of the game at the camps run by several passionate ex-cricketers in the city
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Photo: R. Shivaji Rao
Shaping talent S. Kedarnath training youngsters at his camp
Few things suggest that summer is upon us as evocatively as the sight of young hopefuls trooping to the various cricket camps that mushroom in the city. While some operators aren’t above reproach, there are, fortunately, several admirable and p
assionate ex-cricketers who understand the responsibility of shaping young talent. “It’s important the kids enjoy their time spent at the camp, and it’s not just the parents pushing them,” says V.B. Chandrasekhar, who directs residential and semi-residential programmes at Nest, clinics at Guru Nanak College, and an advanced course at the Mylapore Club.
“I try to have a chat with the kids to see how interested they are,” says the former India cricketer. “Then, it’s a case of assessing the athleticism and skill, and tailoring the training accordingly.”
Has enrolment increased with the game’s increasing lucre? “Enrolment depends a lot on how India is shaping at the international level,” says Chandrasekhar, “so usually it’s up and down.”
Making them happy
S. Kedarnath, whose camp at Ramakrishna Matriculation School has grown four-fold in eight years, is another who deals with parents “wanting their children to play Ranji (Trophy) almost immediately”. “They can’t be blamed with all that they see on TV, but I make them understand that it takes time,” says Kedarnath.
“The most important thing is to make the children happy because cricket is a game of duration.”
Kedarnath’s camp, which has ten ‘nets’, has been visited by several respected retired cricketers such as V.V. Kumar, Syed Kirmani and T. A. Sekhar. Kedarnath adds however that big names aren’t everything. “You need patience with young kids and that’s what we have.”
Comprehensive
Among the most comprehensive two-month programmes is the one conducted by the Chennai St. Bede’s Sports Foundation (CSSF). R. I. Palani, the guiding force behind the camp, handles over 300 boys between six and19 years of age. “We have 17 committed coaches, five coordinators and a physical conditioner,” says Palani, who is in his 13th year with the summer camp.
“In terms of facilities we have ten ‘nets’, a mini ground for an open atmosphere, and two school grounds for practice matches.” The camp’s large size and the healthy competition it fosters, Palani says, is its strength. “In any group the level of talent varies. We have a high ratio of coaches, but we strongly encourage the boys to learn on their own by observing their seniors. That way they appreciate the finer aspects.”
S. Sathish, who runs a camp at Meenakshi College, has had a steady stream of 200 to 220 boys every summer since the programme’s inception eight years ago. Like most camps around the city, it’s organised in early morning and late afternoon batches to escape the sun’s severity. “I don’t have a problem of crowding because I have 12 ‘wickets’, which are concrete and matting-based,” says Sathish, who has taken his wards on two tours to Sharjah in 2005. “Since I am assisted by 15 coaches, including State Bank’s V. Suresh, I can attend individually to a boy.”
Sathish, an NCA level one coach, believes uniformity in coaching and building on a cricketer’s natural ability is vital. He says not every youngster will realise the dream of playing higher levels of cricket, “but the focus and discipline learnt and the fun had will stay for life”.
S. RAM MAHESH
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