How does Spirit of Cricket values align to High Performance methods?
Recently, High Performance Cricket Tasmania joined Tavs Tas as a major sponsor, activating a collaborative and passionate desire to bring high performance programs to the inclusive cricket landscape. So how do we both improve player’s competitive skills while developing personal attributes and behaviours to achieve the ‘complete player’?
A fundamental ideal that keeps repeating year-on-year when we speak to Clubs is – to be truly judged as a ‘high performance player’, that acknowledgement includes the player’s willingness to compete within and promote spirit of cricket values and principles without compromise. It’s that reality which aligns to meet community expectations as much as on-field success. We confidently believe ‘high performance’ and the Lords Taverner’s Tasmania Spirit of Cricket Award are in fact the perfect partnership.
Or put another way, as the physical ability of any player is judged by runs or wickets, it’s critical to also be judged for behaviour on the field and for the prevailing attitude and culture within the team. Winning at all costs in disregard to the spirit of how cricket should be played is not a sustainable, productive, or high performance approach. Not anymore anyway.
Interestingly, in context of countering any negative, destructive team culture – National Coach, Justin Langer talks about ‘elite truth’ as the new defining principal in the Australian Cricket Team.
We know elite status is earned in the act of applying high performance skills to the competitive advantage of the player or team. So, there could be no greater acknowledgement or application of elite truth to performance, than to view any achievement through a lens focused on spirit of cricket values.
So in practical terms, High Performance Cricket Tasmania’s advice and programs will be integrated into Tavs current and future strategies for the benefit of our most inspiring, disadvantaged players.
