Young cricketers in this country are being blessed with opportunities that those of us who are no longer teenagers could only dream about way back when.

These are opportunities of a lifetime and each one of our youngsters should strive to seize each one.

I am currently in St. Kitt's witnessing first hand the quality of Under-13 players throughout the Caribbean. Bermuda are definitely holding their own and are playing some good cricket thus far, but at the same time have been challenged to play at an even higher level then even I had expected.

Our Bermuda Under-13s have a bright future and it is important that those of us that have the responsibility of coaching them equip these young men with the tools necessary to play the game at the highest level.

The fact is that at this age we do have the raw talent, but that raw talent needs to be molded so that the other countries don't leave us behind.

We have various levels of talent and some are highly skilled players, but we have to work on the importance of team work and unity.

When playing domestically here in Bermuda quite a few of these players can single handedly win matches, but at this next level in order to win it takes a lot more than a few sixes and routine catches. It takes concentration, discipline, team unity and team goals that both the coaching staff and players work towards.

Personally, this has been by far my most challenging coaching job, but I am loving it. My job however has been made easier by having a quality team along with me. Damon Edwards, my assistant and Cal Waldron the team manager, have done a first class job with organisation and maintaining discipline in the squad.

Also, along with the team is scorer Cindy Anderson who provides us with stats for our team meetings which is an aspect that is new to these young players, and umpire Hector Watson who is very resourceful.

Together we are striving to nurture them by raising their confidence level on the field no matter what situation they may find themselves in as a team. Mistakes are a part of reaching ones full potential, so although as coach I look to guide and groom, I also encourage them to make their own decisions while on the field, but always keeping in mind what we discussed and our strategy as a team.

So far the boys have played four games having won two and lost two. There have been some outstanding performances thus far from several players which shows there is no I in this team. The runs have been spread out and so have the wickets. I must say that the skipper Kamau Leverock has done a very good job leading from the front and if he continues on this path he certainly has the potential to become a Bermuda senior player in years to come, along with several other players in this team.

Overall, these guys have grown in stature, they have matured and have made great improvements since the start of this tour. If this is any indication of what is to come in the future then Bermuda has a very bright future ahead.

In the fairytale world, I would hope for each one of these players to continue playing cricket into adulthood, but if a few decided not to, the one thing that I am sure of is that they would have learned some valuable life skills.

Character building, discipline, unity, and mental toughness, are just a few characteristics that come to mind that can be a direct result of playing and learning the game of cricket.

During and after cricket the challenges of life remain, and what better way to learn to cope with them then through a game that you love to play. Cricket, lovely cricket!