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 – Lost in space

• Video: https://icoachcricket.ecb.co.uk/activity/all-stars-cricket/624
• Aim:
  Get ready for action
  Use different whole-body movements
  Watch and catch a ball
• Equipment: Balls, Cones
• Organisation:
  Two or three players are picked as catchers, with the rest of the group as runners who are given a ball each
  Runners have to avoid being tagged by the catchers
  If tagged, a runner must stand with their legs apart and their hands on their head – they are lost in space
  To be released, a free runner must roll their ball between the legs of a runner who is lost in space
  Activator can time the game, or play until all runners become lost in space
• Adaptation/variation:
  Easier
  S – Increase space to avoid catchers
  T – Run through legs of stuck players
  E – Play without a ball
  P – Play in teams
  More challenging
  S – Decrease space to avoid catchers
  T – Change how players move around playing area
  E – Use smaller ball for catching
  P – Ask players to change rules

Batting – Caterpilllar Cricket

• Video: https://icoachcricket.ecb.co.uk/activity/all-stars-cricket/608
• Aim:
  Watch and hit a moving ball with a free swing of the bat
  Watch and catch a ball
  Throw a ball
  Teamwork
• Equipment: For each game: Ball, Bats, Cones, Stumps
• Organisation:
  Two teams, one batting and one fielding
  A bowler, activator or volunteer delivers the ball to a member of the batting team
  After the ball is hit, everyone from the batting team needs to complete a run by going around the cones laid out
  No runner can overtake the player who hit the ball
  While the batting team is running, the fielders need to collect the ball, complete three catches within their team and return the ball to the bowler
  Once the bowler has the ball, they must shout ‘How’s that!’
  A run is scored for every member of the team that completed a run before ‘How’s that’ was shouted
  Once everyone has batted, swap the teams over
• Adaptation/variation:
  Easier
  S – Shorter running course
  T – Roll ball to batter or fewer catches for fielding team
  E – Use larger ball for batting team
  P – Set up lots of games with small teams
  More challenging
  S – Longer running course
  T – Batter hits more than one ball before running
  E – Use smaller ball and/or bat with stump
  P – Ask players to change rules

Bowling – Star strike

• Video: https://icoachcricket.ecb.co.uk/activity/all-stars-cricket/625
• Aim:
  Straight arm when bowling
  Co-ordinate body movements for bowling action
• Equipment:
  Balls, Cones, Stumps
• Organisation:
  In pairs or small groups, bowlers attempt to hit the cones and stumps
  Bowlers rotate with wicketkeeper after each attempt
• Adaptation/variation:
  Easier
  S – Decrease pitch length
  T – Bowl underarm or increase target area
  E – Use larger ball
  P – Increase group size
  More challenging
  S – Increase pitch length
  T – Decrease target area
  E – Use smaller ball
  P – Decrease group size

Fielding – Meteor shower

• Video: https://icoachcricket.ecb.co.uk/activity/all-stars-cricket/705
• Aim:
  Fast and accurate footwork
  Accurate throwing
• Equipment: Balls, Stumps, Ropes
• Organisation:
  All Stars start behind a line holding balls and bean bags
  Target stumps are set up an appropriate distance away. All Stars try to knock stumps down
  Adults past the stumps throw balls beyond the All Stars who have to retrieve them and return to throw them again until all the stumps are knocked down
• Adaptation/variation:
  Easier
  Stumps are closer to the throwing line
  Use bigger balls
  Adults don’t throw the balls so far beyond the All Stars
  More challenging
  Stumps are further away from the throwing line
  Adults stand between the All Stars and stumps and hit the balls away
  Adults throw balls a long way beyond All Stars for them to retrieve
  Only use small balls

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