10 year old has lost confidence

[KaiserMike]

Hi all

I'm new to the forum but would really like some advice on helping my 10-year-old get his confidence back.

Long story short, a couple of weeks ago my son was hit twice by the ball on the back of the knee in the same over. This was during a U13's league game. He asked to retire as it was quite sore. He still fielded and bowled and i thought everything was fine, but ever since he's been extremely scared of facing pace bowlers.

A bit of history. He's been playing since he was 5 starting with All Stars and Dynamos at the local cricket club. I have an older Son who also plays for the clubs U15's team and is now playing some academy games to introduce him to the longer format the adult teams play.

My 10 year old has always been an extremely good cricketer, especially with his bowling, and even now at age 10 he plays for the U11's, U13's and has even played for the U15's on occasion to make up the numbers. He's also part of the county district team at U11's.

He has never had a confidence issue in the past, but after being hit by the ball it's really thrown him. In a recent semifinal cup game, the team they were facing had some extremely fast bowlers, and when it came to my son facing one of them, he broke down in tears at the crease. We have fantastic coaches throughout our district, and our first team captain was there to comfort him and give him some advice along with the opposing team coach. They even asked the bowler if he could slow the pace a bit to give my son a bit more confidence. He was great with this and managed to knock a couple of 4's before the 20 overs were up and the game came to an end.

I would love some advice from anyone who has dealt with similar, maybe some drills we can do in the nets to bring his confidence back. Our club captain was fantastic and spoke to him after the game about how he still feels extremely nervous when he goes into bat, especially when his playing for the county and going up against some extremely fast bowlers.

Thanks in advance.

 

[honestbharani]

I think the simplest trick is to use soft balls that wont hurt and get his eyes used to the pace through the air. You dont even have to force him to bat in an actual game until then but just have him padded up and reacting to the ball coming fast - maybe thrown off a few paces closer than the regular 22 yards as well.. See how quickly he is able to react over time, I am sure he will pick the line and also start moving into his positions for his shots and then maybe you can go upto a plastic ball, then a hard tennis ball and then get to the actual cricket ball.

I mean, he is 10. Its perfectly understandable and natural for him to feel the way he feels. That is the other part I would do. Tell him he is just being normal and he is fine. He is in fact very good given he is playing 15s already as a 10 year old.

 

[Burgey]

Yeah this is a tricky one, as often it can be an individual thing as to how the player responds. I think what HB has said is a good idea - using softer balls in the nets to begin with, and training muscle memory with reactions to faster balls in general.

As a slight diversionary mechanism you can couch the training as a problem solving exercise - tell him you're going to work on his shot selection decisions. Don't just do short balls or balls aimed at the spot he was hit- tell him you're going to assess each ball not on the outcome of the shot or the leave he decides on, but whether in your view he's made the right decision. And even if he's ducking or rocking inside/ outside the line, tell him when he's made the right choice - so it becomes less about the fear/ emotion of the situation and more about the choice of whether to play each ball. And give him assessments on each type of ball he's dealing with. Over time it becomes subconscious that he's simply assessing how to deal with each ball rather than preconceiving the type of ball he's scared of or has trouble with.

Sounds convoluted but you're then bringing the faster balls back incrementally rather than it being at front of mind for him all the time.

It's a lot more humane than my grandfather's method after I got clocked in the temporal as an 11 year old and ended up in hospital for a few days, which was to have the under 16 bowlers bounce the **** out of me for an hour and a half each session til I got sick of it and started hooking them so I'd get a breather.

 

[trundler]

Nah **** all that. Kid's gone soft. Pump him with tren.

 

[the big bambino]

If he's scared of fast bowling would it help to move back and across? Favour moving onto the back foot and come forward depending on length. Which age division is he meeting the intimidating bowlers? I'm guessing the older age groups. He's done well but maybe spell him from playing in older age groups and give him a year or two to develop.

 

[honestbharani]

It's a lot more humane than my grandfather's method after I got clocked in the temporal as an 11 year old and ended up in hospital for a few days,

FINALLY an explanation for the thousands of crappy posts.


EDIT - juzz kidding.. sounds really rough and glad you made it ok

 

[Arachnödouche2.0]

Tennis ball, wet concrete, keep pinging it at him on progressively shorter lengths. He could also take some elementary boxing lessons to understand head movement, footwork, and general reflexes. 10 is just about young enough for repeated positive feedback to iron out any incipient fear he's going through but don't wait too long.

 

[slowfinger]

Yeah this is a tricky one, as often it can be an individual thing as to how the player responds. I think what HB has said is a good idea - using softer balls in the nets to begin with, and training muscle memory with reactions to faster balls in general.

As a slight diversionary mechanism you can couch the training as a problem solving exercise - tell him you're going to work on his shot selection decisions. Don't just do short balls or balls aimed at the spot he was hit- tell him you're going to assess each ball not on the outcome of the shot or the leave he decides on, but whether in your view he's made the right decision. And even if he's ducking or rocking inside/ outside the line, tell him when he's made the right choice - so it becomes less about the fear/ emotion of the situation and more about the choice of whether to play each ball. And give him assessments on each type of ball he's dealing with. Over time it becomes subconscious that he's simply assessing how to deal with each ball rather than preconceiving the type of ball he's scared of or has trouble with.

Sounds convoluted but you're then bringing the faster balls back incrementally rather than it being at front of mind for him all the time.

It's a lot more humane than my grandfather's method after I got clocked in the temporal as an 11 year old and ended up in hospital for a few days, which was to have the under 16 bowlers bounce the **** out of me for an hour and a half each session til I got sick of it and started hooking them so I'd get a breather.

That is the most Aussie alpha parenting **** I've ever heard omfg

 

[slowfinger]

I was a lower order batsman but I had Josh Tongue bowling at me in the nets for his bowling practice so everything after that was pretty much okay

 

[Burgey]

That is the most Aussie alpha parenting **** I've ever heard omfg

My grandfather is comfortably the greatest man I have ever met, but he was a bit old school tstl. Comes with that generation I suppose.

 

[Johan]

It's a lot more humane than my grandfather's method after I got clocked in the temporal as an 11 year old and ended up in hospital for a few days, which was to have the under 16 bowlers bounce the **** out of me for an hour and a half each session til I got sick of it and started hooking them so I'd get a breather.

Lucky bastard.

 

[Agonizingly Awkward]

My grandfather is comfortably the greatest man I have ever met, but he was a bit old school tstl. Comes with that generation I suppose.

But you said you have met Allan Border?

 

[Burgey]

Yeah I have, and all Aus cricket captains since. I’ve been lucky enough to meet Muhammad Ali & Holyfield too, three Governors-General and every Aus PM since Whitlam.

Ali ran him closest, but my grandfather still shades it.

 

[Burgey]

Weirdly, of the PMs, apart from Anthony and Hawke (obvs) I reckon Turnbull was probably the easiest to speak with. Surprisingly, given his background and the dosh he has

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Yeah this is a tricky one, as often it can be an individual thing as to how the player responds. I think what HB has said is a good idea - using softer balls in the nets to begin with, and training muscle memory with reactions to faster balls in general.

As a slight diversionary mechanism you can couch the training as a problem solving exercise - tell him you're going to work on his shot selection decisions. Don't just do short balls or balls aimed at the spot he was hit- tell him you're going to assess each ball not on the outcome of the shot or the leave he decides on, but whether in your view he's made the right decision. And even if he's ducking or rocking inside/ outside the line, tell him when he's made the right choice - so it becomes less about the fear/ emotion of the situation and more about the choice of whether to play each ball. And give him assessments on each type of ball he's dealing with. Over time it becomes subconscious that he's simply assessing how to deal with each ball rather than preconceiving the type of ball he's scared of or has trouble with.

Sounds convoluted but you're then bringing the faster balls back incrementally rather than it being at front of mind for him all the time.

It's a lot more humane than my grandfather's method after I got clocked in the temporal as an 11 year old and ended up in hospital for a few days, which was to have the under 16 bowlers bounce the **** out of me for an hour and a half each session til I got sick of it and started hooking them so I'd get a breather.

this is the most "...and I turned out fine!" story I've ever heard

 

[slowfinger]

Is buying your son a chest guard, big thigh pad, tell him to pad up fully, face the pace of bowling he needs to and reassure him that he is well protected a good enough advice? That way at least he will have the confidence at the back of his mind that he is fully protected

I don't think there is any good substitute for getting your eye in by facing as much as you can really, unfortunately