Estwick back with the boys

Did anyone ever wonder what had become of Roddy Estwick since his days as a Barbados cricketer?

The newly-appointed national youth coach, who played 19 first-class matches for Barbados between 1982 and 1987, was last year appointed a full-time cricket teacher at Combermere School.

His addition to the staff came a year after returning to Barbados.

During the period he was out of the island, he was plying his trade in England and South Africa, enhancing his qualifications as a coach and ultimately putting them to use.

'Once your cricket career is finished or you realise it is coming to end end, you have to do something to prepare yourself for the day you know you can't play at that level anymore,' he told Midweek Sport.

Estwick therefore pursued junior, senior and advanced coaching certificates from the National Cricket Association in England where he was coach of the Lancashire Under-19s and Under-15s.

After four seasons of first-class cricket with South African province Transvaal, he remained in the once racially-divided republic to coach in the townships and clubs in Natal.

'There is no further I can go in coaching [qualifications],' said the 39-year-old whose swing bowling earned him 67 wickets (ave. 25.61) in his first-class appearances for Barbados.

'What I plan to do over the next couple of years is to take some refresher courses because you need to remain sharp and keep on top of things.'

So what brought him back to Barbados?

'After you have been away for about 18 years and you realise that the kids are starting to grow up, you know it is about time you have a settled home and a family life again,' he said.

Estwick enjoys the distinction of being the island's only full-time cricket teacher, a role that demands plenty of commitment.

Outside of the usual school hours, he is needed for evening practice sessions and on weekends, he is a vital member of the school's Intermediate team.

In a nutshell, he is on duty seven days a week.

'The wife tends to complain,' he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

'Even though I am in Barbados, it seems as if she is seeing less of me. But I'm enjoying the job and the results are beginning to come through.'

Just look back to a couple weekends ago when Rohan Nurse made a century and fellow Combermere schoolboy Marlon Clarke hit 94 in the same innings for Schools North against their southern rivals.

In that same series, another Combermerian, Joel Leacock, completed a hundred against Boscobelle in the Intermediate division. As one who is heavily involved in coaching, Estwick feels there is a need for more coaches at primary school level to eliminate a recurring problem.

'I find that some boys come into secondary school and do not know how to grip a bat or a ball,' he said. 'We need to get these boys to understand these things a bit earlier.'

More full-time cricket masters could only serve a positive purpose, he acknowledged.

'Cricket is our national game and if you have coaches or the cricket teacher as you call them going into the schools, the level of interest will increase,' he said.

The number of kids at Combermere who are interested in cricket has doubled since I have been there.

Estwick anticipates a challenge in his role as Barbados youth team coach for the annual Under-19 regional championships starting in Guyana on Friday.

The preparations, which started more than four months ago, have been intense.

Apart from the customary net sessions, there have been wide-ranging discussions involving former greats such as Sir Everton Weekes on topics such as nutrition, injuries and motivation.

Estwick, too, can be a source of motivation for 14 young men during the next 3 1/2 weeks.