One of the most successful women cricketers in the West Indies, Merissa Aguilleira who played 112 ODIs and 95 T20Is in a career spanning over 11 years from 2008-2018, was an integral member of the 2016 T20 World Cup winning team, a elegant right. The wicketkeeper-batsman, who also captained the Women in Maroon in the World Cup final against Australia in 2013 and three T20 World Cup semi-finals in 2010, 2012 and 2014, has recently shifted his focus to training. She recently attended the West Indies Cricket Coach Development Programs to help her transition into the world of professional coaching.
The CWI Coach Development Program is designed in three levels: the CWI Competition Training Course (Level 1), the CWI Representative Training Course (Level 2) and the CWI High Performance Training Program (Level 3) which cover all aspects and different training modules. Merissa took part in the face-to-face component of the CWI Representative Training Program (Level 2) at the National Cricket Center in Couva, Trinidad on 13 and 14 June, after which she is expected to be assessed over the next 12 months with virtual mentoring . coach observations and 60 hours of high performance training.
Merissa has been actively involved in cricket even after her retirement as Technical Director (TD) of the Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) and also in recent Caribbean cricket matches including the women’s tour in Trinidad and Tobago in Barbados in May and the domestic women’s tournaments for CWI: CG United Super 50 (List-A tour) and T20 Blaze (T20 tour) held during the month of June in Guyana. Moreover, as the Tournament Director of the CWI Women’s U-19 T20 event, she played a very important role in the development of the event.
When asked about the reason she took this coaching journey, she said: “I’ve always liked the idea of coaching. I remember talking to someone recently when I was trying to get involved in refereeing matches. And as I had another conversation with the person, I remember seeing him looking at me and he said, ‘you should be a coach.’ I really started thinking to myself that this is something I really need to be involved in.”
She also added, “I am passionate about cricket, I have a lot of knowledge about the game. I think it would be very selfish of me not to pass it on to the next generation. I have a vision of where I want to see West Indies cricket go, so it’s really important that we have people who are passionate about the game and willing to take on that mantle of really looking after women’s cricket and push it forward, to the right where it is supposed to be … it must be with our dedication and commitment.”
CWI Coach Development Manager Chris Barbazon had the following to say about the role CWI is playing in supporting Merissa’s transition into coaching, “There is a need for more female coaches at all levels of our Cricket Pathway in West Indies across the region. If we can increase the number of female role models in our cricket, we are that much more determined to engage and inspire the next generation of girls to take up the game and go on to the top ranks.”
Source: IANS
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