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East Asia-Pacific News Archive
Report on the 'Shell Trophy' Schoolboys Cricket Competition
Paul Meyer October 29, 2002
The President and
Executive of SECA (Samoa English Cricket Association) are thrilled to announce
the commencement of the schoolboys
cricket competition in Samoa. After a series of meetings with school representatives
it was agreed that the competition would cover 6 weeks and games would be for
20 overs with 5 teams playing in a round-robin and play-offs at the end for
1st and 2nd and for 3rd and 4th placings.
We decided that
the involvement of SECA should be as instigators at the start and then as advisory
and guidance only, once the competition was underway. To this effect the schools
represented, selected among themselves a President / Chairperson and Secretary
to run the Committee meetings. SECA is a member of the Committee in the advisory
and guiding roles mentioned.
We are excited
by the high profile given to the competition by government and the media. The
opening itself was broadcast on television and reported in the local papers
and radio. The Minister for Sports Youth and Culture officially opened the games
and stated the government's continuing support of English cricket in Samoa and
relayed how pleased they were that it is now being developed in the schools
through this inaugural competition. Weekly results are published in the various
media.
A huge boost has
been the sponsorship by Shell. At the opening, Mr Klaus Stunzner Jr - Manager
for the local branch - announced that Shell was excited to be able to promote
the schoolboy cricket competition not only through Player of the Day Awards
and Shell T-shirts for all players but also by providing one full playing kit
for each school. Their sponsorship culminating in the Shell Trophy for the winning
school.
SECA's assistance
to the schools has been by way of the provision of literature - rule books,
coaching tips and umpires' signals ; training manuals and videos ; training
and playing gear ; coaching through SECA and national team members and by providing
umpires and scorers for each game every week.
The level of improvement
in all schools from week to week has been inspiring to see. Some impressive
youngsters have already shown their potential to develop into very skilled and
competitive players. The spin bowling by one youngster in particular has left
us as administrators and players, with visions of only great things to come
from him as well as from several others with strengths in different areas.
In order to build
on this 'ground-breaking' competition, our plans for next year include expanding
the competition to all secondary schools and the possibility of taking a representative
side on tour whether to New Zealand or another Pacific island nation and inviting
our neighbours to send a touring side also.
The success of
the competition to date has largely been due to giving a greater management
role to the schools themselves. Our role as the mother-body giving practical
assistance is one that we hope will ensure that this 'partnership' will be a
long one and that together we will be able to organise more exciting events
by way of training the coaches, workshops and future competitions and friendly
games.
The challenges have been few and the rewards plentiful and the rejuvenation
we are now feeling as an organisation and as individuals has remotivated some
of us who had lost some of the momentum and intensity after the Pacifica Cup
to keep up our own games.
Finally, where
the older or more established players may have left their better or even their
best years of playing behind them, it will be the youngsters who will continue
to keep us going down to the cricket grounds to build on the legacy which the
cricket greats of Samoa - and none greater than our own President, Mr Seb Kohlhase,
began so many years ago. May cricket continue to be "a hit all around the
world".
SECA President Mr
Seb Kohlhase has spent many years developing junior cricket in Samoa.
© ICC
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