At 22 years of age Simon Williams plays cricket as a left arm fast bowler but is also the youngest coach in the Pembrokeshire Cricket Coaching set-up as he takes charge of the county’s talented under 12 players in matches against other counties around Wales.
Simon meets his youngsters every two weeks for training sessions at Haverfordwest or Hook, as well as throughout the winter indoors at the Thornton Hall, Milford Haven, ably assisted by team managers Jamie Phelps (Hook) and Huw Scriven (Haverfordwest), who both have sons involved at that age. They are making good progress with excellent wins recently over Cardiff and The Vale, plus Mid Glamorgan
Early start to coaching career
Simon started out in coaching in 2008 when Andrew Phillips needed help with Haverfordwest’s under 11s and he volunteered to give a helping hand and took to it straight away, before taking his first coaching qualification in Tenby during the following winter, organised by Ray Kane. Since then he has been involved at Haverfordwest Cricket Club with the under 11s for two seasons and now with the under 13s, where he has received help from another talented young player in Nitin Mathias.
Nick is well pleased with progress
Simon set out at county level as team manager to Rick Walton and then was offered the role of coach to the Pembrokeshire under 11s by Nick Evans, the Regional Coaching Organiser.
“It was plain to see that Simon was ready to help out at county level,” said Nick, “and although he was so young I had no qualms about giving him this key role.
“He is very committed and I hope will stay in the role for a long time because he is well respected by the players and their families.”
Sons of cricketing fathers involved
The under 11s were delighted to have Noah Davies and Lewis Hough in the Welsh squad last campaign and reached the semi-finals of the Welsh competition for their age group - and now at under 12 level they lost to favourites Gwent at Hook but beat Cardiff at Cardiff Cricket Club and Mid Glamorgan at Hook to confirm their growing confidence and high skill levels.
There is very much a cricket tradition in the team because several boys have fathers playing the game, like John and Tom Mansbridge (Paul - Saundersfoot), Jack and Harry Nicholas (Paul – Herbrandston), Jack Scriven (Huw – Haverfordwest) and Aled Phelps (Jamie – Hook).
Family support
Simon also hails from a cricketing family because his uncle Colin was a fast bowler with Haverfordwest and Wales whilst uncle Phil helped bring him up and regularly gave him practice in the garden at home. He bowls left arm stuff but bats right-handed and by the time he was 12 was playing regularly for the fourth team at The Racecourse under the excellent guidance of captain Micky Dewstowe. By the time he was 13 he had best figures of 4 for 11 at Saundersfoot and has since acquired several five-wicket hauls, including 5 for 25 spell for the first team at Lawrenny, and a best of 7 for 11 in the seconds a few years ago.
On the batting front Simon shared a stand of 70 with Jamie Jenkins in the second team, including a six which almost knocked the pint glass out of groundsman Mike Smith’s hand on the patio, and has a top score of 35 which he aims to beat sooner rather than later.
Other sporting involvement
But it is not only cricket that occupies Simon’s sporting mind because in his role as an assistant at the STP School Hall in the evenings he encourages participation in a range of sports and coaches weekend fun football for 5-11s football on the Astroturf adjoining the sports hall. To do this he had to gain his Football Association of Wales ‘C’ certificate which he did over a series of eight Sunday sessions in Carmarthen.
He also plays badminton but “Just for fun and with no coaching – at the moment,” he says with a chuckle!
Cracking tour to Bath in prospect
Back on his cricket coaching, Simon is also leading his young charges to the exciting prospect of a tour to Bath later in the season, stopping at a YMCA hostel for several evenings. The Pembrokeshire under 12s will play against their counterparts from Bath Cricket Club on the Tuesday, another local club a day later and then on the Thursday travel to Taunton to watch Somerset play Yorkshire in a YB40 match as a smashing end to the trip.
Simon has done all the organisation for the tour, including the booking of accommodation, transport and tickets for the YB match.
“It’s plenty of work,” admits Simon, “but well worth the effort because it will widen the player’ experience and that is important.
“We will have plenty of parents with us and it should be good fun as well as providing good cricket.”
Typical under-statement
There is no doubt that Simon takes his work in Pembrokeshire Leisure Services seriously but as well as that he is doing a lot of work in developing the play of talented youngsters in the county, both in match play and attitudes off the pitch.
“I really enjoy what I do and it is just great to be involved,” says Simon with typical understatement, because there is no doubt that he does a great job. We at PembrokeshireSport.co.uk say long may Simon Williams continue to coach cricket with Pembrokeshire because he is a great asset for one so young!