jack bannister

Coaches' corner
Frost is
perfect
role
model
Warwickshire
players could not
have a better role
model for personal
development than
Tony Frost, the
county’s batting and
Second xi coach.
"it will
make me a
better coach and
GIve me a better
understanding
of sports
psychology
to help
these lads
improve"
Frost recently started
a Masters degree
in Applied Sports
Psychology at
Cardiff Met
University, a three
year part-time
course which he
will combine with
his coaching duties
at Edgbaston.
The former
wicketkeeper/batsman
hopes that the course will
benefit Warwickshire as he
will be able to apply new skills
from the course in his coaching role
but they might also lead to Frost becoming a
registered Sports Psychologist in the future.
“It’s something that I discussed with
Lynsey Williams, our PCA Personal
Development and Welfare Manager, during
the summer,” Frost said.
“I had already developed an interest in
sports psychology towards the end of my
career when Mark Greatbatch was our coach
and he gave me the book ‘Golf is a Game of
Confidence’ by Bob Rotella.
“That really kick-started my interest and
doing my Level Four coaching took that
interest further.
“I spoke about various options with
Lynsey and we decided to go for the course
at Cardiff Met. I got in touch with Dr Owen
Thomas and he suggested I went down for an
informal chat.
“I applied and the rest is history. I guess
being part of first-class cricket for 21 years
and having the PG Dip with Level (Post
Graduate Diploma) from doing the Level
Four coaching also helped.
“My main reason for doing this is to help
here. Hopefully it will make me a better
coach and give me a better understanding of
sports psychology to help these lads improve.
“We have talked about the whole process
of becoming a registered sports psychologist
but the main motivation is to help me
become a better coach.”
Frost has just completed his first 10 week
module which meant trips to Cardiff on
Mondays before Christmas. Frost hopes to
complete three more modules during the
current academic year, three more next year
and a dissertation in his third.
“It has massively put me out of my
comfort zone. The Level Four did anyway
as it helped me to understand myself and to
mature a lot more. But this is another step
up,” Frost said.
When Frost first joined Warwickshire in
1994 he was studying for
a BTEC in business and
finance at a college in
his native Stoke but he
gave that up to fulfil his
dream of becoming a
professional cricketer.
“I was not really
thinking about
education then. It was
just cricket, cricket,
cricket that is all I wanted
to do and I have been lucky
enough to be involved for 21
years,” Frost said.
“Looking back now, quitting
college wasn’t the most sensible thing to so.
Ironically I have now got the opportunity
to do this and cricket has given me that
opportunity. I can’t complain but I wouldn’t
advise doing it this way.”
Frost initially trained as a groundsman
and spent a year working on the ground
staff at Edgbaston under head groundsman
Steve Rouse. But he was lured out of
retirement by Warwickshire’s then director
of cricket Ashley Giles when wicketkeeper
Tim Ambrose was selected by England.
Frost enjoyed a successful season but then
retired for a second time and moved smoothly
into coaching. He is now well-placed to
ensure that current and future Warwickshire
players appreciate the importance of having
a personal development plan in place to
prepare for life after cricket.
“It is important. My experience at
Warwickshire is that coaches have always
encouraged players to have or find interests
outside of the game and to develop themselves
as people as well as cricketers,” Frost said.
“Personally I try to encourage the
players I work with to have a focus away
from their cricket.
“In general my observation is that players
who have hobbies and interests going on
outside of the sport and players with ideas
and things in place to pursue beyond cricket
seem to be happier and to put less pressure
on themselves.
“It’s crucial to have something behind
you because, as we all know, a career in
professional sport can end quite quickly.
“We are lucky at Warwickshire that the club
are very supportive and Lynsey Williams talks to
the players a lot about the importance of making
sure that they have something behind them.
“You can’t make anybody do anything
but you can try to push them in the right
direction. It’s important to have a rounded
lifestyle and to learn at an early age the
things that you like and dislike.”
50 BtB issue 18 / thepca.co.uk