Report on the 'Shell Trophy' Schoolboys Cricket Competition
The President and Executive of SECA (Samoa English Cricket Association) are thrilled to announce the commencement of the schoolboys cricket competition in Samoa
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.
- S.E.C.A. launches School Boy's Competition [More Details]
- Round Two Results [More Details]
- Round Three Results [More Details]
- Round Four Results [More Details]
- Round Five Results [More Details]