Andy Grice has been announced as Formby CC’s new academy director

May 6 2009 by Our Correspondent, Formby Times

Andy Grice has been announced as Formby CC’s new academy director

FORMBY Cricket Club have announced the appointment of Andy Grice as Academy Director for the 2009 season as he returns to the club after a three year absence.

The Academy will start on May 8 at Formby CC with a 6pm start.

Formby hope that by launching the academy and relying on the vast amount of coaching experience recently gained by Grice and other club coaches, there will be significant benefit to those children of Formby who are interested in cricket.

Grice, who works in the game full time for the Staffordshire Cricket Board and is also manger of the Player Development Programme for the Liverpool and District Cricket Competition, sees this as crucial to develop children from the Formby area into quality cricketers.

The main academy night will be each Friday replacing the original Monday night sessions that have taken place for the last ten years.

Mike Simpson who has previously organised the Monday evening sessions will still be an integral part of the new Academy although new work commitments see him take a more streamlined coaching role.

The Academy first and foremost is aimed at providing a quality environment for children and young people from ages 6 to 19 to prosper in respect of their cricket development.

Children from ages 6 to 13 will be coached on Fridays with the older players getting more intensive coaching on a one to one basis at other sessions.

Grice acknowledges that parents are eager to send their children to a quality but still all encompassing arena and that is his intention with the Friday night sessions.

Formby CC have recently been re-accredited with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Clubmark scheme, demonstrating that the club is safe for children to prosper and participate within and the coaches have the relevant membership of the ECBCA (Coaches Association). The club has three qualified welfare officers and welcome children from all backgrounds in line with the new ECB ‘OneGame’ pledge.