Reid scoops ‘Coach of the Year’ Award

Thursday 26th November 2020

Reid scoops ‘Coach of the Year’ Award

It gives us tremendous pleasure to share the news that our very own Community Cricket Officer James Reid has been awarded the prestigious ‘Coach of the Year’ accolade for 2020 by Chance to Shine.

The awards ceremony, hosted by Eleanor Oldroyd was broadcast live over Zoom this evening and featured video messages from a selection of England players, including our very own Sam Billings and Fran Wilson.

Watch the video of James’ award at the bottom of this article.

James was one of three coaches that were short-listed for the category, a staggering achievement in itself given that approximately 800 coaches deliver Chance to Shine across the country each year. As part of the Chance to Shine programme in Kent, James delivers the schools programme with a particular focus in and around Bromley and was the mastermind behind surprise visit of T20 squad at the Bromley Kwik Cricket festival in 2019!

Despite the the delivery year being cut short in 2019-20 by coronavirus, James received glowing feedback from a number of the schools with which he has established strong and fruitful relationships; noted in particular for his “ability to adapt sessions enabling every child to gain a sense of accomplishment.”

Beyond his direct impact with children, James also strategically develops the growth of cricket in schools. This is achieved by demonstrating the value that cricket can add to the curriculum, as well as by training teachers to become confident in delivering sessions independently. One school which we spoke to admitted that before James’ involvement, cricket “was a very low priority” – but now, with excitement about the sport rippling through the school, they are now regular entrants in four different local competitions.