CRICKET PERFORMANCE PROGRAMME
Fitness for Life.
Picture this: You’re 85 years old, hiking up a windswept hill with a mischievous grin, whilst your grandkids struggle to keep up. Sounds impossible? Not if you embrace sport, fitness, and health as a lifelong adventure, something we love doing here at LWC.
Exercise isn’t just about chiselled abs or running marathons. It’s about resilience, mental sharpness, and longevity. Just look at the Blue Zones - those rare places on Earth where people routinely live past 100, and live well. Their secret? Daily movement, strong communities and an unshakeable zest for life. They don’t grind out deadlifts in fluorescent-lit gyms. Tthey walk, swim, stretch, and lift things because life demands it.
At LWC, we champion this philosophy. Sport isn’t a phase. It’s a lifelong pursuit of challenge, camaraderie, and self-discovery. Whether you’re smashing a rugby tackle, perfecting a tennis serve, or finding peace in a morning run, you’re investing in a future where your body serves you well, not the other way around.
So, take the stairs, chase a ball, climb a mountain, bowl away swingers, try Yoga. Because when sport and fitness become your adventure, life doesn’t just last longer. It gets richer, wilder, and infinitely more fun. So tighten those laces, take a breath and step up and out into a world of infinite possibilities, a world that begins within our idyllic 1200 acre campus and culture.
ADAM WILLIAMS HEADMASTER
Welcome to the Team.
LWC Performance Cricket Programme
Congratulations on your selection as part of The LWC Performance Cricket Programme.
This programme reflects your achievements and significant potential as a cricketer. As cricket continues to grow at LWC, you are part of an exciting era for the sport within our school.
This two-year programme outlines your pathway towards cricketing excellence while balancing academic commitments. In summary, it aims to:
• Develop you as a player technically, physically, and mentally.
• Foster a lifelong passion for cricket.
• Prepare you for competitive cricket and provide insights into potential careers in and around the cricketing world.
The programme requires you to:
• Commit fully to all sports scholarship expectations at LWC.
• Attend all scholarship talks and workshops.
• Represent LWC in other sports alongside cricket.
• Participate in the coaching and mentoring of younger pupils.
• Actively engage with your cricket mentor.
• Commit to annual cricket tours to leading venues.
• Help raise the profile of cricket at LWC and beyond.
Programme Overview
This two-year programme is designed to develop cricketing talent while ensuring balance with academic responsibilities. It focuses on technical development, physical conditioning, mental toughness, match strategy, and tournament preparation.
The programme is structured to align with the school timetable while preparing you for local, regional, and national competitions.
Key Areas of Focus
1. Technical Skills
Refine batting, bowling, and fielding techniques.
Conduct regular assessments to track consistency and identify areas for improvement.
2. Physical Fitness
Build strength, flexibility, and endurance specific to cricket. Emphasise injury prevention and recovery.
3. Mental Skills
Enhance concentration, confidence, and resilience under pressure.
Use sports psychology techniques such as visualization and mindfulness
4. Tactical Awareness
Improve match awareness, decisionmaking, and field settings. Analyse game footage to develop better strategies.
5. Match Preparation
Create a structured competition calendar.
Simulate match conditions during practice sessions.
6. Academic Balance
Balance cricket training with school commitments and other sports participation.
Develop time management strategies with your cricket mentor.
7. Leadership
Mentor and coach younger pupils in cricket (Years 7-9).
Represent LWC cricket at ambassadorial events.
8. Career Opportunities
Explore career paths in cricket, including coaching, sports management, or playing professionally, with support from LWC connections.
Components of the Programme
1. Technical Training
• Batting Drills
Focus on timing, shot selection, and adaptability to match conditions.
• Bowling Drills
Emphasise accuracy, pace, and variation.
• Fielding Practice
Improve catching, throwing accuracy, and agility.
• Video Analysis
Regularly review techniques with a coach to fine-tune skills.
2. Physical Conditioning
• Strength Training
2-3 sessions per week, focusing on core stability, explosive power, and lower-body strength. Key exercises: Deadlifts, squats, sled pushes, and medicine ball throws.
• Flexibility and Mobility
Daily dynamic stretches and foam rolling to enhance range of motion. Weekly yoga or Pilates sessions.
• Endurance Training
Include cardiovascular exercises such as running, cycling, or swimming twice a week.
3. Mental Skills Development
• Performance Psychology
Set short-term and long-term goals. Practice pre-match routines, including visualization and breathing exercises.
• Logbook
Track daily reflections on practice, mental state, and game strategy.
4. Match Strategy and Preparation
• Game Awareness
Study pitch conditions, opposition strengths, and field placements.
• Match Simulation
Practice under pressure in scenarios that mimic match conditions.
• Post-Match Review
Assess performance with feedback on strengths and areas for growth.
5. Academic Integration
• Prioritise key training sessions around academic exams.
• Use planners to manage practice, fitness, and study sessions.
• Incorporate rest days to maintain focus and avoid burnout.
Seasonal Plan
Pre-Season (January - March)
Focus: Build physical base, refine technique, and set goals.
Activities:
• Skill analysis with cricket professionals.
• Strength and flexibility focus in gym sessions.
Competition Season (April - September)
Focus: Peak performance and match readiness.Activities:
• Practice matches and nets with matchspecific objectives.
• Tactical mental preparation using visualization and scenarios.
Post-Season (September-December)
Focus: Recovery and review.
Activities:
• Reflect on season performance.
• Develop off-season goals and strategies.
Evaluation and Tracking
• Monthly Assessments: Technical skills, fitness metrics, and mental performance reviews.
• Match Performance Metrics: Record runs scored, wickets taken, and fielding efficiency.
• Feedback: Regular meetings with the Head of Cricket, fitness trainer, and cricket professionals.
Example Weekly Schedule
Monday Rest and Recovery (stretching, mobility work) 1 hour Tuesday Nets practice (batting, bowling, fielding) 1 hour Strength training (core & lower body focus) 1 hour Wednesday Match strategy sessions (game analysis, tactics) 1 hour
Mental skills (visualisation, mindfulness) 1 hour
Thursday Outdoor practice (scenario-based drills) 2 hours Yoga or Pilates (flexibility and injury prevention) 1 hour
Friday Rest or light practice (e.g., catching and throwing) 1 hour
Saturday Match 6 hours
Sunday Competitive match or recovery activities As needed
This programme provides a comprehensive framework for success in cricket, balancing highperformance training with academic and personal development.
