Sacred Heart College Middle School 28 Percy Avenue, Mitchell Park SA 5043 T 8276 7877 E info@shcms.sa.edu.au W shcms.sa.edu.au
Curriculum Extension Activities Sacred Heart College Middle School recognises the importance of participation in sport and other activities for the wellbeing of boys in their middle years. All boys are strongly encouraged to be actively involved in the school s Curriculum Extension Activities (CEA) program, which encompasses a wide sport program, music opportunities and other areas of participation. Policies pertaining to participation in CEAs can be found on the Middle School Website. Program Structure At the end of each year, students are required to nominate their CEA choices for the entirety of the following year. For summer CEAs this commitment applies to both Term 1 and Term 4. Nominations are completed online. Information and nomination forms can be found on the Middle School s Website. Team Nominations In general, teams are nominated for Term 1 and Term 4 as follows: 9 A-Grade and 9 B-Grade 8 A-Grade and 8 B-Grade From time to time, it may be necessary to adjust these nominations to suit the number of players nominating in each year level and the strength of the squad. Examples may include selecting an additional 8 B-Grade team or a combined Year 8/9 team (in an appropriate division). Expectations Commitment Training Training for Year 8/9 cricket takes place from 3:30pm until 4:30pm on a weekday and attendance at all training sessions is an expectation. Training together allows teams to reflect on performance and to work together to improve all aspects of play. Sessions may take place in the nets or on the oval, depending on the training focus. Players are expected to work hard and listen to and follow instructions at all training sessions. These are also great opportunities for boys to demonstrate leadership. Training attendance is one of the first considerations in team selection. Availability and Punctuality Unavailability for training sessions should be communicated directly to the coordinators prior to the session commencing. Players who have club training commitments are expected to attend as much of the session as possible before departing. Players unavailable for selection in specific matches must communicate this to the coordinators as soon as they are aware of their unavailability. It is preferred that this comes in the form of an email from the player s parents/carers. Players may not withdraw from a match any later than Thursday recess, exceptional circumstances notwithstanding. Failure to comply to with this expectation may result in non-selection for the following match. As a rule, to accommodate for injuries and unavailability, teams are nominated based on approximate squad sizes of 15. This does not mean squads are set for a season players may change teams at any time at the discretion of the coordinator(s).
It is understood that some students may have parttime jobs. This being the case, it is still expected that students put their cricket commitment first and hence their jobs second. If you have made a commitment to cricket at the Middle School, that commitment must be honoured. Matches begin at 8:15am each Saturday. Players are expected to be at the venue no later than 7:50am for every match. Players arriving late may be replaced in the team by the 12 th Man. Players arriving after the commencement of play may risk their selection in the following match. Selected players must remain at the match until the close of play. In accordance with the College s Middle School Participation in CEA policy, any student participating in cricket at club level will make himself available to play in the school team before and in preference to any club commitments. This includes players requesting to leave early to attend club fixtures, unless approved in advance by the cricket coordinators. Players not arriving at their match when selected will automatically receive a one match suspension. Lateness and non-attendance must be communicated to the team coach and Year 8/9 Cricket Coordinators before the match begins. Conduct Representing the College All players and spectators are expected to uphold the College s Middle SchoolCEA Code of Behaviour at all times when representing the College. Middle School cricketers are required to wear the College cricket uniform for all matches: SHCMiddle School cricket polo shirt White cricket pants SHCMiddle School cap/hat or wide-brimmed white hat White or blue helmet to be worn at all times while batting and wicket keeping to slow bowling Wearing club colours for College matches will not be tolerated. Players are responsible for their own sunscreen, but must be wearing hats at all times during a match when not batting or bowling. On-field Conduct The main objectives of cricket at SHCMiddle School are participation and enjoyment. Whilst individual and teamsuccess provide reward for effort, gamesmanship (sledging, intimidation) and overcompetitiveness (excluding players or childish tantrums) are not part of the Middle School cricketing culture. Such behaviours should be reported to the coordinators for follow-up. Equity and Fairness Team Selection Teams for the start of Term 1 will be selected primarily based on the level played in the previous year. Throughout the season, all players will have opportunities to be considered for A-Grade selection. Selection decisions are made based on form, commitment to training and team, player rotation and team balance. Equal Participation It is the belief of SHCMiddle School that all students have equal entitlement to participate in their chosen CEA. This means that within a cricket match, every player should be entitled to be involved as much as possible in each match. While it is acknowledged that every player has their own strengths and weaknesses, all players should have opportunities to experience batting, bowling and fielding in their cricketing at the Middle School, regardless of team level. Put simply, players who miss out in the first innings of the match should have more opportunity in the second innings. Players who bowl more overs should bat lower in the order, while players who bat for a long time will bowl less overs, or may not bowl at all in the remainder of the match. Batting and bowling orders should be rotated across games to allow all players an opportunity to experience each facet of the sport. In B-Grade matches, the expectation is that every player bats and bowls in each match. Players choosing not to bowl based on current skill level should be encouraged to have a go, without being forced to. In A-Grade matches, players may specialise more in their area of strength, but should still have equal participation within a match, and opportunities to be involved in all facets of the sport across the course of a term.
Match Balls Match balls are not for the team or individual players to keep and they must be returned to year level coordinators on the Monday following matches. Retirements and Bowling Restrictions The following restrictions apply to bowlers representing SHCMiddle School, in accordance with the SAAS Cricket Rules: One day matches (all bowlers): No bowler is permitted to bowl more than six overs. Two day matches (pace bowlers): 16 overs per morning with a maximum spell of 6 overs followed by one hour break or a break of at least the same number of overs bowled from the same end, whichever is the lesser. The expectation for SHCMiddle School teams is that in B-Grade matches, all players have an opportunity to bowl at least two overs. In A-Grade matches, all players selected as bowlers or allrounders should have approximately equal overs. Players selected as batsmen who were dismissed early in their innings should also be considered for a spell of bowling. Team Roles Role of Year Level Coordinators The year level coordinators for Year 8/9 cricket are Mr Ashley Jenner and Mr Brett Leikas. Their roles include: team selection, assistance at trainings, coaching in knockout matches and support on Saturday s games. If players are unavailable for trainings or games, they should contact their year level coordinator immediately, with a legitimate reason. Year level coordinators also communicate with opposition teams to ensure that all games go ahead and run smoothly. Role of Cricket Coordinator Mr Tom Simpson will be Cricket Coordinator in 2015. Tom s primary role is to coordinate trainings and games of all teams at SHC Middle School. The cricket coordinator will manage trainings in varying ways, depending on team focus, meaning that trainings can often be tactically based, particularly on Monday nights. The cricket coordinator will ensure that equipment needs of each team are satisfied, meaning that if coaches require equipment, it is important to liaise with Tom. If coaches have any issues on a Saturday, it is important they have the coordinator s phone number as Tom will be roaming from game-to-game, ensuring things are running smoothly. Role of Captain Captains are expected to select a batting and bowling order (if not already supplied), which then needs to be passed onto the scorers. When setting a batting and bowling order, the captain must keep in mind the equal participation rules. This means if a player is batting in the lower order, he should bowl early in the inning and vice-versa. When fielding, captains are expected to set fields, tactically, whilst liaising with their bowlers. While maintaining a positive attitude, captains must only encourage teammates, whether it is in the field or when batting. At the conclusion of play, captains must ensure teams shake hands. An additional role of the captain is to complete match reports at the completion of each match (a template will be made available). Role of Coaches Coaches are expected to manage and coach their designated team with a positive and encouraging attitude. Coaches should liaise with their captain,
particularly pre-game, when deciding what is the best way to warm-up. Coaches are required to designate an umpire and a scorer (often coaches umpire themselves). If there are any issues with attendance to games, coaches should contact their year level coordinator (Mr Ashley Jenner or Mr Brett Leikas) or the cricket coordinator (Tom Simpson) as soon as possible. Coaches, as well as the captains, should also do their best to ensure that all cricketers have equal participation. Strategies Knockout Cricket Knockout cricket is the most serious form of cricket at SHC Middle School and for that reason we try to put our best foot forward. In saying this, for knockout matches, the best available team will be chosen. Teams will be selected based on form, training efforts and cricketing ability. It is a great opportunity to play in the knockout team and students should reflect this. When playing in the knockout team, students are representing the College first and foremost; meaning students must be reliable, team-focussed, and respectful. Two-Day Matches The primary objective for batting in a two-day match is to bat out the 50 overs. More often than not, if a team bats their 50 overs, they will win. This means that it is crucial for top order batsman to bat defensively, and ensure that we have wickets in hand at the 25 over mark. If we do have wickets in hand at this point, it makes it much easier for middle and lower-order batsman to bat with aggression. With the ball, it is crucial for our bowlers to bowl full early on an off-stump line. This type of bowling makes it much easier for captains to set fields to and will most likely create a lot of pressure. For slow bowlers, consistency is the key to keep pressure on batsman and create opportunities in the field. One-Day Matches As one-day matches are much shorter in length, batting-out the overs should be a lot easier. Nevertheless, this is still our number one objective as a batting team. Ample wickets in hand with roughly 10 overs to go will make an enormous difference in achieving a match win. As batsman will ultimately be more attacking, it is vital that bowlers maintain tight areas and bowl to their field. Fielders also must be supporting their bowlers, by walking in with the bowler and taking opportunities. When runs are flowing, the best way to stop it is by taking wickets, putting pressure back on the batting side. Communication Communication between players, captains, coaches and coordinators is crucial throughout the week and on Saturdays. If attendance is an issue, whether it is to training or a match, the matter must be taken up with your year level coordinator. On a Saturday, a club match is not an excuse to not play for the College. The teams for Saturday matches will be on the Google Drive on Thursday and it is encouraged that you check what team you are in on this day. However, teams are subject to change and students are again required to check the Google Drive on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. If there are any cricket meetings during the school week, students will be notified via the morning announcements. Uniforms Tri-Schools Uniform Shop Scarborough Street, Somerton Park 5044 Telephone: 08 8350 2586; Email: tri-schools@shcs.sa.edu.au
Extreme Weather Policy Sports Association for Adelaide Schools (SAAS) Extreme Weather Policy Hot Weather: Weekday training sessions will be cancelled if the forecast temperature (as appears in The Advertiser on the day before or the day of) is 35 C or above. Friday afternoon sport will be cancelled if the forecast temperature (as appears in The Advertiser on the day) is 35 C or above. Saturday morning sport will be cancelled if the forecast temperature for Saturday (as appears in The Advertiser on the Friday) is 38 C or above, or if decided by the CEA Coordinator. Wet Weather: Outdoor summer sports (tennis and cricket) will be cancelled by the CEA Coordinator or a coach/coordinator as soon as it is evident the playing surface will be unsafe to play on. This may happen the day before or the day of the scheduled match. Winter sports will only be cancelled on the rare occasion that the playing surface is too wet or muddy for safe play. Training will be cancelled by the teacher coordinator on the day of the training session if it is evident the playing surface will be unsafe to play on. Becoming Volunteer Coach/Team Manager Over the course of a year, the Middle School will have approximately 70 teams participating in various CEAs. The role of the teacher is often to conduct mid-week training, coordinate teams and facilitate and encourage competition and consequently, most teams will require a strong parent/carer involvement in coaching, managing, scoring and general encouragement in the competition. In the past this involvement has been outstanding and has made a genuine contribution to the sense of community at SHCMS as well as developing relationships between staff, students and parents/carers. We hope that this involvement continues. Please consider how you might be able to help when completing your son s CEA Nomination. As a legal requirement, the College must have a current police clearance for volunteers to be formally involved in a school sporting team. During the nomination process, please indicate whether you have a current police clearance and if necessary we will send appropriate forms home with your son. Please contact the CEA Coordinator if you are interested in undertaking a Level 1 Cricket Coaching Course.