ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) — All 15 members of the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Emerging Players Academy are now accredited cricket coaches after successfully completing both the Foundation Coaching and CWI Competition Coaching (Level 1) accreditation courses.

CWI Coach Development Manager Chris Brabazon and CWI’s High Performance Manager Graeme West recently guided the players through the assessments which formed a crucial component of the initial academy camp underway in Antigua, according to a CWI statement late Tuesday.

Brabazon said there were some “fantastic young role models” in the group.

“Going forward we hope that they feel well prepared to deliver some quality sessions for the next crop of youngsters coming through. The long-term goal is to have these players developing their coaching skills throughout their playing careers in preparation for a smooth transition into full-time coaching or talent development roles once they finish playing,” he said.

Left-handed batsman Keegan Simmons, speaking on behalf of the group, said he was delighted to be part of the education which included practical elements on the field as well as interactive classroom sessions.

“Now we have a better understanding of more aspects of the game, and exactly goes into coaching. Also, we have a greater understanding of what the coaches are hoping to implement. We can now share the knowledge in our communities, and we have developed better ways of working on our game,” he said.

“For us as players, we are looking forward to sharing the knowledge and newly acquired skills in our territories and communities. This is something we discussed and will look to implement. Overall our time here so far has been amazing, as we have focused on a lot of off-the-field stuff as well. The attention to detail has been great and we really appreciate it. Every day has been a learning experience.”

Along with Simmons, Kevlon Anderson, Kirk McKenzie, Kevin Wickham, Teddy Bishop, Ackeem Auguste, Ramon Simmonds, McKenny Clarke, Johann Layne, Kelvin Pitman, Ashmead Nedd, Joshua Bishop, Nyeem Young, Joshua James, Leonardo Julien are participating in the camp.

CWI said the key aim of incorporating development opportunities into the camp schedule was to provide players with a greater understanding and appreciation of the role of a coach whilst also providing the players with the practical skills required to deliver quality coaching sessions.

“As part of their involvement in the CWI Emerging Player Academy, the players will soon be assisting in the delivery of grassroots cricket programmes in their respective communities. These community projects will provide them with opportunities to utilise their new-found coaching skills whilst inspiring the next generation of young cricketers to follow in their footsteps,” it said.

The plan for a CWI Emerging Players Academy was first announced in March. It is a nexus between regional junior and senior teams while supporting the development of talented players between the ages of 19 and 25.