Over the summer Edgbaston Stadium hosted Skills Blast, a Warwickshire Cricket Foundation event designed to inspire the next generation of young cricket players. What set this event apart was its delivery team: some of the coaches leading the activities were recent graduates of the Blueprint Programme, a unique initiative run in partnership with Sport Birmingham to develop skilled, confident, and job-ready young coaches.
The Blueprint Programme aims to break down barriers to coaching careers by recruiting participants from a wide variety of backgrounds, not just those already steeped in cricket. Skills Blast gave Blueprint graduates hands-on experience leading cricket activities, with groups rotating between batting, fielding, and bowling stations. For many, it was their first taste of leading a large event and applying their new skills in real time.
The programme’s success has sparked ambition to expand opportunities. With more young coaches gaining qualifications, confidence, and experience, the Blueprint Programme is not only strengthening Warwickshire Cricket Foundation’s workforce but also inspiring a new generation of leaders in sport.
Sam Wyles is Workforce Development Manager at Warwickshire Cricket Foundation. Reflecting on the Blueprint Programme’s success, Sam said:
“It’s the first time we’ve been involved in something like this. It’s involved us to be a bit creative in terms of our delivery, it’s been a really a massive success…. really enjoyable to be involved with.”
He explained how the programme offers a new approach to training:
“Normally a traditional course would be two sort of full days and it’s quite intense, we’ve changed it so that actually we’ve run it four sessions spread over eight weeks”
Sam also highlighted the value of recruiting participants from diverse backgrounds:
“Normally for a lot of our courses… the coaches tend to come from a club background. What we found with the Blueprint Programme is that we’ve had people come from all different kinds of backgrounds… The way it’s been delivered, spread out over 12 week, alongside all the additional stuff that Sport Birmingham have put on, has made the course a real success. We know now that any of the coaches that we’ve qualified through the Blueprint Programme have their first aid. They’ve got a really good knowledge of safeguarding… they’re good, resilient, young coaches that we feel comfortable putting out into community settings.”
Blueprint graduate Ambar shared her journey:
“I found it enjoyable and I learned plenty of new skills along the way. Right now, I’m looking to gain some experience in coaching cricket for kids and participating in programs like these, such as the Skills… I learned things that I need to know as a coach, such as safeguarding, mental health, inclusivity, etc. I also got a chance to see sessions being led and to run some myself as well.”
She reflected on how the programme has influenced her career goals:
“My plans are to become a cricket coach… It’s helped me to open the door to that opportunity by giving me the chance to qualify as a Level 1 Foundation Coach. That will give me the ability to get into the workplace and start a career in the sports industry… It’s helped me open the doors to a possibility I wouldn’t have explored without the programme.”
Ambar also shared how the Blueprint Programme has boosted her confidence:
“Usually, I’m not confident enough to lead a group of people, but with the Blueprint, I was given the opportunity to showcase the skills I had to lead. I was put into different situations where I’d have to stop a group, give them pointers, and help them improve.”
Since Skills Blast, Ambar has secured a voluntary coaching role with the foundation, delivering women and girls cricket sessions in Moseley and a mixed session at the Doug Ellis Sports Centre!
With more young coaches gaining qualifications, confidence, and real-world experience, the Blueprint Programme is not only strengthening Warwickshire Cricket Foundation’s workforce but also opening up pathways into coaching for people from all backgrounds.
Check out these videos below featuring Sam and Ambar.