ST JOHN’S, Antigua — The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has launched classroom sessions as part of its ongoing roll-out of the board’s Player Lifestyle Development (PLD) Programme.

Over 360 scheduled sessions have been specifically designed for youth cricketers throughout the Caribbean.

The once-per-month classroom sessions will run for six months for Under-15 and Under-19 cricketers throughout the territories. Over 750 youth cricketers will be exposed to information and training in several areas including: sports nutrition, anti-doping, anti-corruption, leadership, time management, being an ambassador, public speaking, media training, communication and interpersonal skills, technology in sports.

Twenty-five Under-15 cricketers and a similar number of Under-19 players from each country will be selected to participate in the sessions.

“The overall purpose of these sessions is to ensure that our young players develop into well-rounded individuals in their professional lives and we are now investing in exposing them to quality training and information,” said WICB Player Relations Officer Ayana Cooper.

The programme will be initially launched in 11 territories: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Grenada, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis*, St Lucia, St Maarten, St Vincent and The Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago.

(Separate sessions will be held in St Kitts and Nevis.)

The other territories will come on stream as of October starting with Jamaica where the sessions will be integrated into their Youth Academy. Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago will also integrate the sessions into pre-existing youth academies.

This week, the parents of the selected cricketers have been briefed as to the outline and purpose of the sessions.

These classroom sessions are a part of the overall PLD programme which is designed by the WICB Player Relations Unit to assist players at all levels to improve their professional and inter-personal skills.