We arrived in the pouring rain to Jinja SS school , the plan was to watch an ICC level one coaching session in the classroom . However (and thankfully) the plan changed and we found ourselves thrown in the deep end at Iganga Boys Primary School. Boarding school for boys .
We met the rest of the team with coaches from EastEnders (none of them had heard of Ross Kemp) who were Isaac, Ronald, Immanuel, Richard, Peter, Cypris plus Ian their photographer.
Emmanuel was my assistant . On one hand it was like coaching Hertfordshire boys, all the same type of characters, I loved the banter between the kids and mickey taking . My drill was catching , other drills we did as a team were throwing , bowling and batting but crazy enthusiasm from the kids
The school invited us for a delicious lunch, which consisted of rice and beans. Immanuel, arguably the smallest local coach is clearly a growing man who had the biggest mountain of food I’ve ever seen.
In the afternoon we headed to Ikamba Community School. A community school , both primary and secondary . It felt a bit like Flintoff’s Field of dreams, a slightly cold start with a game of continuous cricket, but then into the same stations as before and the standard was astonishing . Incredible athleticism , one group did 63 catches at high speed consecutive . Probably better than my Old Albanians Under 14s . Hot sun, and great sessions , I felt so enthused by the kids – they were so happy yet with so little .
MVP: David for running a crèche for the tiny tots and playing with two tennis balls and any form of dancing for the whole 1hr 30 minutes.
We all came home tired but elated,I felt I got everything out of day 1 that a CWB trip had promised .
Day one had been a triumph!
Steve McConnell
