POLICY STATEMENT
The Club provides development opportunities for more skilled boys by fielding CNCC teams in the WA Junior Premier Cricket competition (previously known as District Cricket). CNCC has teams in the U13 Inverarity, U14 McKenzie, U15 Mann and & U17 Hussey WA Junior Premier Cricket competitions run by the WACA.
Selection for CNCC’s Junior Premier squads is a significant achievement, and is based on merit, performance and development potential. The Club will ensure that the processes for initial selection into a CNCC Junior Premier squad, and subsequently being selected for a CNCC Junior Premier team playing representative games against other WA Junior Premier Cricket clubs throughout the season, are transparent, fair and free of bias or nepotism.
ROLE OF CNCC
CNCC Community cricket (also referred to as Club Cricket), which starts at U10s for boys, is the usual pathway into the CNCC Junior Premier Cricket program. Playing CNCC Junior Premier Cricket is also the usual stepping stone towards playing Senior (Adults) Premier Cricket at CNCC.
An important role of CNCC’s Community Team Coaches and Age Group Co-ordinators (‘AGCs’) is talent identification. Throughout the cricket season Team Coaches and AGCs will nominate to the CNCC Junior District/Premier Coordinator those CNCC Community players eligible for CNCC Junior Premier U13s, U14s, U15s and U17s who they believe have the talent, commitment, and attitude to play cricket at a higher level.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Playing WACA Junior Premier representative cricket provides the more skilled Club players with a valuable development opportunity because they play against higher calibre opposition than they normally encounter in Community cricket games, while gaining experience playing on turf wickets.
The Club recognises that WACA Junior Premier Cricket is more competitive than regular Community cricket, and the focus is to select individuals within a balanced team structure, that enables that team the greatest chance of success. But the overriding principle is to ensure “a competitive match played in the spirit of a gentleman’s game”, with the notion of winning at all costs severely frowned upon.
JUNIOR PREMIER SQUAD & TEAM SELECTION
Selection in the CNCC Junior Premier squads and teams is based on consistent performance of individuals in Junior Premier, Emerging Tigers, Community and/or PSA competitions, along with team balance, and commitment to training. There is an emphasis on opportunities for player development, with a strong consideration to selecting players based on their specific role within the team structure.
It is clearly our preference for CNCC Community players to play Junior Premier Cricket with CNCC. Preference is given to CNCC Community players when selecting CNCC Junior Premier squads. Players outside of the CNCC Community pool will only be considered if there is a specific playing role, which necessitates the need to do so, which can’t be filled by any suitable CNCC Community player.
SELECTION TRIALS FOR THE JUNIOR PREMIER SQUAD
Participation in the trials is by invitation only. Usually, current Junior Premier squad members who are eligible to play Junior Premier cricket next season, current members of the Emerging Tigers Program, and other nominees by the junior coaches and AGCs would be invited to trial by the selection committee (see below).
For 2021/2022, and forward, it is anticipated that 15 players will be selected in each of our U13s and U14s Junior Premier squad, while 18 players will be selected in each of our U15s and U17s Junior Premier squads. Traditionally, the Club runs trials towards the end of the current season to select its Junior Premier squads for the following season.
Trials for the 2021/22 season will be held at Cresswell Park on Sunday 21 March and Sunday 28 March 2021.
EMERGING TIGERS PROGRAM (U13s and U14s)
n addition to having the Junior Premier squads, the club runs the Emerging Tigers Program to develop the skills of around 12 selected U13s and U14s CNCC Community cricket players who aspire to playing Junior Premier Cricket for CNCC.
The aim of the program is to bridge the gap between Community cricket and Junior Premier cricket by giving selected CNCC Community players, who are not currently in the Junior Premier program, the opportunity to train with high quality coaches and at premier facilities. The Emerging Tigers Program will play games against other teams to be arranged throughout the season.
Players in the Emerging Tigers program can be selected for a CNCC Junior Premier team throughout the season if opportunities and form allow. Initial selections and offers for the Emerging Tigers Program will be completed after the U13s and U14s Junior Premier trials.
SELECTION COMMITTEE
The selection committee for invitations to attend the Junior Premier trials, and selections for Junior Premier squads and teams, and the Emerging Tigers Program, consists of the following:
- Junior District/Premier Co-Ordinator;
- Coach of the respective Premier team; and
- Other independent representatives, as required or directed by the Club President.
No parent of any boy participating in trials for a Junior Premier team is involved in selections for that age group, other than any parent who is the incoming Junior Premier coach for that age group. This is to ensure that the selection process is transparent, fair and free of bias or nepotism.
Brett Whiteaker | CNCC Junior Premier Coordinator