For the past four years, I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Nepal regularly as part of my PhD research, exploring how youth-led programmes can challenge and transform harmful gender norms. Cricket has been at the heart of this work, not just as a sport but as a tool for empowerment and social change.
One of the most pressing needs identified by young people was the importance of building both confidence and competence – equipping girls and boys alike with the skills to advocate for their rights and showcase their capabilities. In response, we developed and piloted the “6Cs of Positive Youth Development in Cricket”, a framework designed to help coaches nurture young players across six key domains:
- Confidence
- Competence
- Character
- Creativity
- Caring
- Connection
Through this process, we saw clear links between the “6Cs approach” and the ICC’s core coaching principles – ensuring cricket sessions are fun, safe, and inclusive, with a player-centred approach that emphasises implicit learning. This presented an exciting opportunity: integrating the 6Cs into mainstream coach development through a blended “ICC Foundation + 6Cs” training course.
A New Approach to Coach Development
This course is delivered over two days, covering:
- The fundamentals of the game
- How to make sessions fun, safe, and inclusive
- Implicit coaching techniques
- Embedding the 6Cs within sessions
Nepal has been the first full-scale implementation of this approach, and with two cohorts of 21 learners completing the training, I couldn’t be happier with how things have started.
Koshi: A Community of Coaches
In Koshi, our learner coaches came from all over the province. The group included young female coaches from Cricket 4 Equality, alongside experienced male candidates and teachers identified through school visits. While cricket knowledge varied across the group, the peer-to-peer support was outstanding – particularly in how the male coaches championed and encouraged their female counterparts.
One of the standout moments of the course was a session on inclusion and non-discrimination. Participants shared powerful testimonies about making cricket a game for all, regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, or socio-economic status. It was also inspiring to have Sima Ray, a Cricket Changemaker who helped design the programme, take part in the training. Following the course, she’s set to start coaching part-time in four schools in her rural home district – a brilliant example of how this work is opening doors for young leaders.
Madhesh: A Younger, Playful Cohort
In Madhesh, we adjusted our approach slightly, based on lessons learned from Koshi. The cohort here was younger, and while their energy sometimes led to moments of distraction, it also meant the learning was filled with playful enthusiasm.
One of the highlights was an afternoon of peer-led coaching, where candidates designed and delivered their own sessions using the 6Cs framework. Seeing them adapt and modify games to keep their peers engaged and challenged was a fantastic demonstration of their growing coaching confidence and creativity.
Why Capacity Strengthening Matters
Investing in coach education is essential for creating sustained and widespread impact. If each of these 42 newly trained coaches works with a squad of just 16 players, that’s around 700 young people who will benefit from a more engaging, inclusive cricket experience.
But a training course is only the first step. The real test lies in what comes next – how we follow up, how we continue to support these coaches, and how we ensure they feel confident, connected, and capable in their roles. That’s the journey I’m most excited about.
I’ll be back in six months to see how these coaches are getting on, but I’m already optimistic. The connections they’ve built with one another will form a network of coaches who see cricket not just as a game, but as a platform for holistic youth development. And that’s exactly what Cricket Plus is all about.
Sara Begg sara@cricketwithoutboundaries.com
Having been here alongside you for the last 2 weeks I can see first hand the impact this is having on the communities and the children that are getting the opportunity to try a sport often for the first time.
The legacy being created by enabling local coaches to go and spread the ethos of the 6 “Cs” is securing a future where gender stereotypes and social economic discrimination can be challenged by those in direct contact with community.