All Stars – Session Plan

U9s coaching is based on the ECB All Stars Program. To watch the videos you need to sign up at the ECB icoach website – its free :-
https://icoachcricket.ecb.co.uk/

Warm Up – Yes no wait

• Video: https://icoachcricket.ecb.co.uk/activity/all-stars-cricket/606
• Aim:
  Get ready for action
  Run between the wickets in straight lines
  Develop sliding the bat over the line
  Respond to calls and make decisions
• Equipment: Bats, Cones, Stumps
• Organisation:
  Line up all players behind cones or on start line
  Batters respond to activator’s calls
  ‘No’ = stay still or return to line
  ‘Yes’ = run to opposite side
  ‘Wait’ = move halfway and wait for next call
• Adaptation/variation:
  Easier
  S – Decrease distance between lines
  T – Use only ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ calls
  E – No bats involved
  P – Work in pairs or small teams
  More challenging
  S – Increase the distance between lines
  T – Last one back ‘in’ is run out
  E – Run with bat or stump
  P – Runners make the call instead of activator

Batting – Deep space batting

• Video: https://icoachcricket.ecb.co.uk/activity/all-stars-cricket/702
• Aim:
  Watch and hit a moving ball with a free swing of the bat
  Run between the wickets
  Stop, catch, throw
  Teamwork
• Equipment: Balls, Bats, Stumps
• Organisation:
  Players play as one batter, 4-6 fielders and a wicketkeeper
  Fielders start on a cone and aredesignated a ball each to field
  The activator feeds the balls to the batter who hits each ball and the designated fielder comes out from the cone, chases the ball and run it back into the Activator
  The activator feeds the balls quickly so all fielders are out at the same time, once all four are delivered the batter can run to score as many as they can
  If the batter misses the ball, the wicketkeeper retrieves it and throws it into the playing area to be fielded
  After playing one round players rotate with the wicketkeeper becoming the batter
• Adaptation/variation:
  Easier
  Use larger balls
  Drop feed or roll the ball to the batter
  Shorten the running distance to help score more runs
  Activator can assist younger or less developed players by kicking balls further if they don’t hit it far
  More challenging
  Increase the speed of the bowling
  Encourage the fielders to throw the ball back to activator
  Vary where the ball is delivered to encourage more developed players to play different shots

Bowling – Star gates

• Video: https://icoachcricket.ecb.co.uk/activity/all-stars-cricket/701
• Aim:
  Straight arm when bowling
  Co-ordinate body movements for bowling action
• Equipment:
  For each pair or team: Balls, Cones, Rope, Stumps
• Organisation:
  In pairs or small groups, run through the gates and bowl without a ball
  In pairs or small groups, run through the gates and bowl ball towards target with wicketkeeper receiving at a safe distance
• Adaptation/variation:
  Easier
  S – Decrease bowling distance
  T – Step over cone through gates
  E – Use larger ball
  P – Increase group size
  More challenging
  S – Increase bowling distance
  T – Decrease gate width
  E – Introduce a target
  P – Introduce competition between teams

Fielding – Asteroid belt

• Video: https://icoachcricket.ecb.co.uk/activity/all-stars-cricket/703
• Aim:
  Accurate throwing
  Run and pick up
• Equipment: Balls, Stumps, Ropes
• Organisation:
  Lay out cones randomly within a square made out of the rope
  Set up target stumps an appropriate distance away from one side of the square
  Children collect balls and beanbags from one side of the square, navigate through the square without touching the cones and try and knock down the stumps
• Adaptation/variation:
  Easier
  Bring the stumps closer
  Fewer cones to move around
  Make the square bigger to create more space
  Use large balls
  More challenging
  Move the stumps further away
  Increase the number of cones and obstructions
  Move using different patterns, e.g. hopping, skipping
  Introduce ‘taggers’ to try and tag the all stars as they cross the square

Game – Continuous cricket

• Video: https://icoachcricket.ecb.co.uk/activity/all-stars-cricket/667
• Aim:
  Batters score runs
  Fielders help wicket taking
  Teamwork
• Equipment: For each game: Balls, Bats, Cones, Stumps
• Organisation:
  Two teams, four players maximum on each side
  Bowler, activator or volunteer bowls
  After hitting the ball, batter scores by running around the cones
  Fielders return ball to bowler as quickly as possible
  Bowler can bowl at any time once they have the ball
  Batters can be caught or bowled out
  Three hits per batter and rotate
  Both teams bat
• Adaptation/variation:
  Easier
  S – Decrease running distance or spread fielders out
  T – Activator or volunteer feeds or bowls for both teams
  E – Use larger ball
  P – Change the game to suit the batter’s ability
  More challenging
  S – Increase running distance
  T – Introduce scoring zones
  E – Use smaller ball
  P – Introduce scoring or increase the number of fielders