Presidents Report BCB 2008 AGM

BCB 2008 AGM - President's Report

I am pleased to report that since the last AGM the Bermuda Cricket Board has had an incredibly successful year.

The Board was honourd earlier this year to receive two prestigious ICC Global Awards for "Best Overall Development Program" and "Photo of the Year" beating all other countries from the African, Asian, East Asian Pacific and European Regions, a total of 94 countries. In addition, we picked up the Americas Award for the "Best Spirit of Cricket Award in Partnership with UNAIDS and UNICEF" for our work with local charities. The "Best Overall Cricket Development Program" award places emphasis on excellence in all areas of governance, management, cricket operations and development. The winner of this award has to be an outstanding national cricket body with an excellent national cricket structure that caters for senior and junior players, both male and female.

This is an historic achievement for Bermuda and the Bermuda Cricket Board. Not only has the Board's efforts been recognised at the ICC Americas Regional Level and the ICC Global level, but, just recently, the Bermuda National Standards Committee granted us certification for the highest international standard of best practice for charity management. What this means is that the Bermuda Cricket Board's organisation's administrative operations have undergone a detailed review by the committee against international standards of best practice. I am pleased to say we passed and that the BCB is now has official recognition as an organization with excellent:

ethical practice and fundraising;
good governance;
financial management; and
performance improvement

This is a huge achievement because there are less than five charities in Bermuda who have earned this distinction. One of our goals is to be recognised as an international model of best practice among the Associate Members of the ICC and these results validate our progress to date.

Strategic Plan
We have continued to make substantial progress in all facets of our strategic plan, including:

comprehensive preparation for the ICC World Cup Qualifiers to be held in South Africa, April, 2009;
island-wide infrastructure upgrade of facilities and practice areas;
expanded youth cricket, over 600 children playing in our Youth League and Pee Wee Cricket Workshops, 8&U, 11&U, 14&U and 17&U;
international cricket for the women and the U19, U15 and U13 National levels;
courses and opportunities for coaches, umpires, scorers and other officials; and
educational scholarships and cricket academies for young cricketers, such as Greg Maybury

Financial Report
Once again I am pleased to report that the Auditor General has provided a clean bill of health for our 2007 financial statements, a copy of which is in our 2007 Annual Report. We continue to maintain our excellent track record for financial management.

Youth Programmes
The BCB 2008 Youth League Programmes were extremely successful this year and we managed to expand numbers in all areas. This was the first year that we introduced a Pee Wee "Have-a-go" Cricket Workshop for children ages 5 and 6 where youngsters took part in fun drills to develop the basics in bowling, catching and batting.

In addition to the Pee Wee Cricket, we introduced an 8&U league. The main purpose of this league is to teach the basic skills of cricket whilst focusing on participation, team spirit and to provide opportunities for all our children to have fun, play with their friends and make new friends.

This year the age groups for our Youth Leagues were adjusted to fit in with the school system and each league increased by a year to include the following ages: 8&U, 11&U, 14&U and 17&U. The emphasis of the Leagues remained on full participation and to be fun, inclusive and safe.

With sponsorship from Hiscox, the BCB introduced new inter-cricket gear for our Hiscox 11&U league. The sets included proper cricketing equipment such as pads and gloves so children can get used to the feel of them. However, the ball is still quite soft so there is little danger of injury. Our aim in using the equipment was to hasten the progress of our youngsters to the standard game.

National Cricket

The BCB was extremely pleased to receive official notification granting the ability for Bermuda to host two 4-day ICC Intercontinental Cup (I-Cup) games against Scotland and Namibia. This was the first opportunity for Bermuda to host the I-Cup and for Bermudians to watch their own team play at home in international action since 2004. The ability to secure the fixture is a combination of hard work from the Honourable Elvin James, J.P, MP, the previous Minister of Sports and Environment, the National Sports Centre Trustees, the stadium staff and the specialist groundsmen.

Our National teams have also progressed positively and have had the opportunity to compete internationally on many occasions. Our U19s made it to the ICC U19 World Cup for the first time ever. This was a huge achievement for such a small island. Our U15s competed in the ICC Americas Regional Tournament which was hosted here in Bermuda - many of the games were played at our local clubs. The U13s traveled to St. Kitts and Nevis to take part in the U13 Cricket Festival once again. They finished 4th out of 8 against teams from around the Caribbean region. Our National Girls Development team formed and competed in the Hiscox 11&U league for the first time.

Club Infrastructure
As part of the BCB's Infrastructure Development Plan to improve island-wide infrastructure and facilities for cricket, the BCB has invested over $800,000 in club infrastructure in 07 and 08 which includes:

The installation of a first class, three lane, Net Facility at Berkeley Institute
A Net Facility for Flatts Victoria;
A centre wicket and nets at Willow Cuts;
Installation of two training wickets at Police Recreation Club;
Two netted training wickets at Devonshire Recreation Club
Pitch covers at 6 locations
New wickets at Shelly Bay and Garrison Field; and
Five new WolfPac 3100 Rollers for Western Stars Sports Club, Police Recreation Club, Somerset Bridge Recreation Club, St. George's CC and St. David's CC.

The BCB is committed to ensuring that clubs maintain growth, future success and sustainability. In order to do this we are in the process of introducing Club Accreditation, which provides a set of standard criteria that allows clubs to evaluate where they are and helps clubs develop sound infrastructure, membership and programmes. To achieve accreditation, clubs will be assessed on their 4 Year Development Plan, have at least 2 junior teams, have certified and qualified junior level 1 coaches and senior level 2 coaches, develop a link with a school in the area and attend BCB sanctioned activities, workshops and meetings. Club Accreditation allows participants, players, parents, local authorities, and schools to assess how good a club is by looking for the accreditation logo, which we believe it is the key to improving cricket island-wide. To date, Western Stars Sports Club, Police Recreation Club, Somerset Bridge Recreation Club, St. George's CC and St. David's CC are working to gain accreditation.

Domestic Cricket Structure
I am pleased to be able to report that the Executive Committee took on many of the recommendations which came out of the Technical Committee Open Forums. The BCB launched the first T20 tournament to kick off the league, which proved popular. We encourage clubs to participate in forums and Committees to assist us in improving cricket island-wide.

Educational Opportunities
The BCB is committed to offering the highest level of courses and educational opportunities to all our officials. In 2008 we have facilitated the following courses:

Level 1 and Level 2 coaching;
Introduction to Coaching Cricket Courses for Youth League coaches;
Introduction to Coaching Cricket Courses for all PE teachers island-wide;
Scorers Workshop;
Match Analysis Workshop; and
Introduction to Umpiring

Future Highlights
Events

2008 BCB Prize Presentation - Saturday 15 November, Warwick Workmen's, 7pm.

Infrastructure and Development

School/Club infrastructure program to continue
Review of the domestic cricket league format
Silicon Coaching Course for all National Coaches, November 2008
Match Analysis Workshop, January 2009
Coaching Level 1 and 2 Courses, February 2009
Teachers Introductory Coaching Courses, February 2009
Youth Coaches Introductory Coaching Courses, April 2009

Tours

ICC Americas Championship in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, November 23 - December 1, 2008
Argentina 'A' Team Tour - December 1 - December 23, 2008 (preparation for the World Cup Qualifier).
Trinidad and St. Lucia Senior Team Tour - Dates TBC (preparation for the World Cup Qualifier).
Cricket World Cup Qualifier in South Africa, April 2009
Women's Regional Qualifier, March 2009
U19 Regional Qualifier, July 2009
Expanded youth Leagues April - June 2008

Thank you to Executives
Before I finish, I would just like to take the time to thank the Executive Committee who volunteer many hours of their time both on the Board but also in on BCB Sub-Committees. I want to thank Molly for her work on the Disciplinary Committee and organising the hosting of tours to Bermuda; Allen for his work with the Cricket Committee, McNeil for his work on the Development Committee and Gary for his financial oversight. In addition, I would like to thank Gary Fray for his valuable contribution to cricket over the many years he served on the Board.

As I said last year at the AGM, I would like to urge any person who is considering serving on the Board to be prepared to put the national level and interest of the game above their personal and club agenda and to be prepared to work together with the Executive for the good of the game in Bermuda.

	BCB 2008 AGM - President's Report I am pleased to report that since the last AGM the Bermuda Cricket Board has had an incredibly successful year. The Board was honourd earlier this year to receive two prestigious ICC Global Awards for "Best Overall Development Program" and "Photo of the Year" beating all other countries from the African, Asian, East Asian Pacific and European Regions, a total of 94 countries. In addition, we picked up the Americas Award for the "Best Spirit of Cricket Award in Partnership with UNAIDS and UNICEF" for our work with local charities. The "Best Overall Cricket Development Program" award places emphasis on excellence in all areas of governance, management, cricket operations and development. The winner of this award has to be an outstanding national cricket body with an excellent national cricket structure that caters for senior and junior players, both male and female. This is an historic achievement for Bermuda and the Bermuda Cricket Board. Not only has the Board's efforts been recognised at the ICC Americas Regional Level and the ICC Global level, but, just recently, the Bermuda National Standards Committee granted us certification for the highest international standard of best practice for charity management. What this means is that the Bermuda Cricket Board's organisation's administrative operations have undergone a detailed review by the committee against international standards of best practice. I am pleased to say we passed and that the BCB is now has official recognition as an organization with excellent: ethical practice and fundraising; good governance; financial management; and performance improvement This is a huge achievement because there are less than five charities in Bermuda who have earned this distinction. One of our goals is to be recognised as an international model of best practice among the Associate Members of the ICC and these results validate our progress to date. Strategic Plan We have continued to make substantial progress in all facets of our strategic plan, including: comprehensive preparation for the ICC World Cup Qualifiers to be held in South Africa, April, 2009; island-wide infrastructure upgrade of facilities and practice areas; expanded youth cricket, over 600 children playing in our Youth League and Pee Wee Cricket Workshops, 8&U, 11&U, 14&U and 17&U; international cricket for the women and the U19, U15 and U13 National levels; courses and opportunities for coaches, umpires, scorers and other officials; and educational scholarships and cricket academies for young cricketers, such as Greg Maybury Financial Report Once again I am pleased to report that the Auditor General has provided a clean bill of health for our 2007 financial statements, a copy of which is in our 2007 Annual Report. We continue to maintain our excellent track record for financial management. Youth Programmes The BCB 2008 Youth League Programmes were extremely successful this year and we managed to expand numbers in all areas. This was the first year that we introduced a Pee Wee "Have-a-go" Cricket Workshop for children ages 5 and 6 where youngsters took part in fun drills to develop the basics in bowling, catching and batting. In addition to the Pee Wee Cricket, we introduced an 8&U league. The main purpose of this league is to teach the basic skills of cricket whilst focusing on participation, team spirit and to provide opportunities for all our children to have fun, play with their friends and make new friends. This year the age groups for our Youth Leagues were adjusted to fit in with the school system and each league increased by a year to include the following ages: 8&U, 11&U, 14&U and 17&U. The emphasis of the Leagues remained on full participation and to be fun, inclusive and safe. With sponsorship from Hiscox, the BCB introduced new inter-cricket gear for our Hiscox 11&U league. The sets included proper cricketing equipment such as pads and gloves so children can get used to the feel of them. However, the ball is still quite soft so there is little danger of injury. Our aim in using the equipment was to hasten the progress of our youngsters to the standard game. National Cricket The BCB was extremely pleased to receive official notification granting the ability for Bermuda to host two 4-day ICC Intercontinental Cup (I-Cup) games against Scotland and Namibia. This was the first opportunity for Bermuda to host the I-Cup and for Bermudians to watch their own team play at home in international action since 2004. The ability to secure the fixture is a combination of hard work from the Honourable Elvin James, J.P, MP, the previous Minister of Sports and Environment, the National Sports Centre Trustees, the stadium staff and the specialist groundsmen. Our National teams have also progressed positively and have had the opportunity to compete internationally on many occasions. Our U19s made it to the ICC U19 World Cup for the first time ever. This was a huge achievement for such a small island. Our U15s competed in the ICC Americas Regional Tournament which was hosted here in Bermuda - many of the games were played at our local clubs. The U13s traveled to St. Kitts and Nevis to take part in the U13 Cricket Festival once again. They finished 4th out of 8 against teams from around the Caribbean region. Our National Girls Development team formed and competed in the Hiscox 11&U league for the first time. Club Infrastructure As part of the BCB's Infrastructure Development Plan to improve island-wide infrastructure and facilities for cricket, the BCB has invested over $800,000 in club infrastructure in 07 and 08 which includes: The installation of a first class, three lane, Net Facility at Berkeley Institute A Net Facility for Flatts Victoria; A centre wicket and nets at Willow Cuts; Installation of two training wickets at Police Recreation Club; Two netted training wickets at Devonshire Recreation Club Pitch covers at 6 locations New wickets at Shelly Bay and Garrison Field; and Five new WolfPac 3100 Rollers for Western Stars Sports Club, Police Recreation Club, Somerset Bridge Recreation Club, St. George's CC and St. David's CC. The BCB is committed to ensuring that clubs maintain growth, future success and sustainability. In order to do this we are in the process of introducing Club Accreditation, which provides a set of standard criteria that allows clubs to evaluate where they are and helps clubs develop sound infrastructure, membership and programmes. To achieve accreditation, clubs will be assessed on their 4 Year Development Plan, have at least 2 junior teams, have certified and qualified junior level 1 coaches and senior level 2 coaches, develop a link with a school in the area and attend BCB sanctioned activities, workshops and meetings. Club Accreditation allows participants, players, parents, local authorities, and schools to assess how good a club is by looking for the accreditation logo, which we believe it is the key to improving cricket island-wide. To date, Western Stars Sports Club, Police Recreation Club, Somerset Bridge Recreation Club, St. George's CC and St. David's CC are working to gain accreditation. Domestic Cricket Structure I am pleased to be able to report that the Executive Committee took on many of the recommendations which came out of the Technical Committee Open Forums. The BCB launched the first T20 tournament to kick off the league, which proved popular. We encourage clubs to participate in forums and Committees to assist us in improving cricket island-wide. Educational Opportunities The BCB is committed to offering the highest level of courses and educational opportunities to all our officials. In 2008 we have facilitated the following courses: Level 1 and Level 2 coaching; Introduction to Coaching Cricket Courses for Youth League coaches; Introduction to Coaching Cricket Courses for all PE teachers island-wide; Scorers Workshop; Match Analysis Workshop; and Introduction to Umpiring Future Highlights Events 2008 BCB Prize Presentation - Saturday 15 November, Warwick Workmen's, 7pm. Infrastructure and Development School/Club infrastructure program to continue Review of the domestic cricket league format Silicon Coaching Course for all National Coaches, November 2008 Match Analysis Workshop, January 2009 Coaching Level 1 and 2 Courses, February 2009 Teachers Introductory Coaching Courses, February 2009 Youth Coaches Introductory Coaching Courses, April 2009 Tours ICC Americas Championship in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, November 23 - December 1, 2008 Argentina 'A' Team Tour - December 1 - December 23, 2008 (preparation for the World Cup Qualifier). Trinidad and St. Lucia Senior Team Tour - Dates TBC (preparation for the World Cup Qualifier). Cricket World Cup Qualifier in South Africa, April 2009 Women's Regional Qualifier, March 2009 U19 Regional Qualifier, July 2009 Expanded youth Leagues April - June 2008 Thank you to Executives Before I finish, I would just like to take the time to thank the Executive Committee who volunteer many hours of their time both on the Board but also in on BCB Sub-Committees. I want to thank Molly for her work on the Disciplinary Committee and organising the hosting of tours to Bermuda; Allen for his work with the Cricket Committee, McNeil for his work on the Development Committee and Gary for his financial oversight. In addition, I would like to thank Gary Fray for his valuable contribution to cricket over the many years he served on the Board. As I said last year at the AGM, I would like to urge any person who is considering serving on the Board to be prepared to put the national level and interest of the game above their personal and club agenda and to be prepared to work together with the Executive for the good of the game in Bermuda.