INDIANAPOLIS: As many as 12 undergraduate students with Physical Education as their Major at the Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI) attended USA Center for Excellence in Cricket education program this week. All participants, who attended practical field sessions, will be awarded Level 1 Cricket Coaching certificates by the American Cricket Federation.
Indianapolis based Jatin Patel, founder USA Center for Excellence in Cricket and Pioneer in Cricket Coaching Education conducted the cricket education clinics this year in two sessions on two different days. Coach Patel is a certified international cricket coach and many other sports coaching credentials in the USA.
IUPUI (mostly Indiana University students) is the only University with a cricket education program in the USA for last eight years. The primary goal is to help the future PE teachers by training undergraduate students with Physical Education, Sports management or tourism as their major, in the latest edition of the cricket education program at the IUPUI, more undergraduate students were trained in this series of seven batches.
Jatin Patel said "these are our future Physical Education teachers and our goal is to give them the Cricket coaching knowledge needed to carry with them for the rest of their teaching career, its best way to make them capable to train many future scholars and youths for many years to come.
"It's all about passing the game knowledge needed to help them learn the game as well as get ready to deliver game knowledge to others in future through coaching for cricket scholastic programs " hoped Jatin Patel.
The sessions covered basic physical fitness and introduction to the game of cricket which has a worldwide following. Practical skill sessions followed by hour long sort game itself to cover rules and basic techniques and bowling actions. Some students have the softball and baseball background as they easily adjusted themselves to the basic cricket skills and terminology.
The students were thrilled and enjoyed the game, Active students asked a number of questions as it was a new sport for them. Coach Patel explained each question in detail and to the satisfaction of the students who attended the camps.
Importance of running between the wickets (22-yard strip), how many ways the batsmen can get out. A batsman is allowed to hit the ball in any part of the field without any restrictions. The students had the feel of the actual batting equipment. The students were shown the wooden bats, leather balls, safety equipment, including wicket keeping gloves, pads and helmet etc.
Some of the students had firsthand experience of wearing the full kit and held the actual bat (which they found heavy). They also tossed the leather balls to their colleagues to see and feel these balls.
Cricket Coaching Education program to Educate America is primarily designed with the two main considerations – as to how the educators like to understand and learn this game and how they want to teach or deliver game knowledge to future scholars and youths.
Jatin Patel provided cricket education resources to all participants with remarks "If any student wants to enhance his or her cricket knowledge various website are available for reading and the willing students can also attend various level of cricket coaching clinics, " with statement as "I am available to help and assist any student who wants to adopt cricket coaching as his or her career, "
The ACF will be awarding the certificates in due course of time to all participants. The session ended with a group photograph with some participants.
Christopher Ray Rash, Faculty Instructor, Physical education for the Department of Kinesiology under IU PETM (Indiana University Physical Education & Tourism management) was the Instructor who has taken over from Sandra Barnett who has retired after completing first Five batches in last seven years.
Those who attended the year’s cricket coaching program for educators were: Skyler Dillon, Sean Eghazi, Teresa Lopez, Cameron Marsh, Olivia Morales, John Pasch, Adrian Ross, Kyle Stockton, Joel Strickler, Thomas Weber, Lauren Ryan (Faculty Staff member).