Bermuda, as you are reading this I am travelling with the Bermuda Under-13s heading to St. Kitt's to play in the St. Kitt's & Nevis U13 Invitational Tournament.

This year the tournament will be played between seven Caribbean islands – Barbados, Anguilla, Dominica, St.Kitt's, Nevis, Antigua & Barbuda and Bermuda.

If last year's tournament, which was closely contested, is anything to go by, this year's tournament should be full of entertainment.

As coach of this age level for the past three years, I am looking to improve our performance of the last two years, and finish higher than fourth.

Last year, three out of the seven games we played were won or lost by no more than five runs, highlighting the strength and competiveness of the tournament.

The favourites, no doubt, will be Barbados but something tells me this could be the year that they are dethroned.

Our Under-13s have been put through some intense training, more rigorous than any other team in the past. Upon returning last year, we had a post mortem and managed to highlight some of the major factors that hindered our progress in the tournament.

One major concern was our running between the wickets, which was attributed to not having enough practice time in the middle.

Prior to this year the boys mainly trained indoors at BHS School or in the nets at Berkeley. However, since July we have managed to train at Western Stars. Training at the St John's Field has allowed us to focus on teaching the technical aspects of the game when in real game situations.

Our players are now quite comfortable and educated with the terminology to be used and whose responsibility it is to call when running between the wickets. The coaching staff and team would like to thank Western Stars for allowing us to utilise their facilities.

This year the coaching staff believe that we have assembled one of the most talented group of players. We have high expectations of our young men and are trying to prepare them mentally for what they are about to face.

In Cal Waldron, we have the best manager that I have ever had the privilege to work with. Also on the coaching staff is Reggie Tucker (assistant coach) replacing Damon Edwards who was unavailable due to family commitments. Reggie has been a motivator with his keenness and experience, which has assisted in maintaining the team's high standard.

And now, let me introduce you to the players, and give you a little background on each of them.

Delray Rawlins (captain): Early order batsman, bowls left arm spin, a naturally gifted player with an abundance of talent.

Khalif Williams (vice captain): A very gifted off spinner with high expectations, late order batsman who can hit the ball really hard.

Azende Furbert: Early order bat with a passion for the game, potential off spinner, optional wicketkeeper.

Alex Dore: Early order bat who hits the ball really hard, good hand-eye coordination, potential leg spinner.

Jomei Bean-Lindo: A genuine all rounder, has a good away swinger when bowling and his batting is solid.

Jackai Benjamin: Small in stature, but big in heart, very useful off spinner and has good understanding of his role when batting.

Antoine Seaman: Extremely athletic, bowls a steady line and length and even though he is small in stature he loves, and is capable of, hitting the ball just as well as his team-mates.

Braxton Stowe: An impressive early order batsman who just loves to bat, also a very good fielder with an extremely strong arm.

Ayinde DeSilva: A clean hitter of the ball, very good runner between the wickets, seam bowler with a good line and length.

Jahnoi Bean: The team's utility man, can bat anywhere, bowls off spin with good flight and optional wicketkeeper.

Tariq Brown: A batsman who, when he gets in, can hit the ball really cleanly. If the team need quick runs he is one of the players the coach can turn to.

Christian Gibbons: The team's opening bowler, he has awesome pace for a youngster, has the potential to be a main wicket taker for us.

Khairi Joyiens: A very steady bowler with loads of enthusiasm, ability to bat anywhere in the order depending on the situation of the game.

Detre Bell: Another player with an abundance of talent, a gifted batsman who loves to play his shots, he is also a very useful seam bowler.

The cohesiveness and versatility stand out when looking at the characteristics of this team. Even though the boys are from various clubs and parishes they have knitted together nicely and continue to work together towards one common goal.

This team is stacked with all- rounders, however this is no big advantage as our competitors are stacked similarly.

Barbados pose the biggest threat as they are last year's champions, but there are some very good teams in Dominica, St.Kitt's and Nevis.

In preparation for the tournament we have been simulating many different game scenarios and allowing the boys to communicate verbally their thoughts of the situation.

This mental picture of game situations assists in the players' thought process and overall understanding of the game making it easier to deal with adverse scenarios on the field in a close match.

Mental toughness will be crucial and could be the difference between us winning and losing games. Our boys have been pushed hard and are ready for the battle.

The Under-13s are the grassroots for the senior team. As coaches we do have high expectations and high standards of discipline for the team, both on, and off, the field.

However, our primary aim is to focus solely on the players knowing the rules and regulations of the game, understanding the importance of the role that each one of them have to play, and last, but not least, having a good understanding of the basics prior to them moving up to the next level.