Volcanoes coach wants to leave better system at end of tenure

Former Windward Islands and West Indies fast bowler, Kenroy Peters wants to leave a much improved system in the Windward Islands when his tenure as Volcanoes head coach comes to an end.

“This job as head coach is not just for players, it’s a holistic development. It is ensuring that when my tenure is over and whoever is in place, that we have a system from the grass roots where persons are understanding that when you get to the Volcanoes level, this is the expectation so nobody is caught with their pants down for speaking like that,” Peters stressed.

“ It’s all about giving players the opportunity to be better. So far I’ve been talking to the president and some of the executive members locally here. We need to sit down with the coaches and have a discussion on how to coach, what to coach. Coaching is fun, it is rewarding, however, if you cannot implement the right strategies to be a coach you’re going to get players who are not able to execute when they get hired at another level,” he emphasised.

Speaking of the existing talent pool in the Caribbean, Peters who is into the first year of his contract with Volcanoes said “I always believe that the Caribbean is not short on talent… so one of the things I’ve implemented from my experience in Australia is understanding rules, following instructions. When I say following instructions, one of the biggest issues that we face as cricketers in the West Indies is the ability to follow instructions.”

Peters, a Vincentian, pointed out that he is looking for players to think outside the box instead of players depending on the coach to think for them.

“… I want…player to come to me and say coach…I tried this because I thought that might work. I’m happy with that. It means that you have gone outside of the scope of looking for someone to give you advice and you think this will work. That shows me that you’re thinking, shows me that you have the confidence to execute something, and tells me that you’re making yourself accountable for the outcome without hiding and making an excuse. That’s what I want to get away from. I want players to lead discussions.”

Peters spoke of the difference in systems between Australia and the Caribbean, having coached at the DVCA club Plenty Power, before being recruited to become head coach of the Windward Islands Volcanoes.

“In Australia it’s so different. Everybody asks me one question… what’s the difference between Australia and the Caribbean, and I always say ‘the difference is they’re more organized’, and when I say they’re more organized- they have a system in place.”

He explained that in Australia, the under-12s play 2-day cricket, and when they reach under-14s, the number of overs increases so that by the time they reach 23, they are playing 90-overs cricket, and get used to playing the longer version of the game.

He said his major aim is seeking to bring about a better organized approach to coaching and developing players. “They are organized, and that’s something I want to bring to the whole setup. We have such a beautiful product here where the professional system; the franchise system is working. However, we are using the same method that we had years ago when we were winning … when the West Indies were dominating. It doesn’t work like that any more. It’s gone beyond talent. It has gone beyond skill. It is now management…the mindset.”