Even though the World Cup is heating up, I want to revert to local cricket for this week, as several clubs are searching for a coach. There is without a doubt a wide variety of coaches around the Island and they all have very different attributes. Cricket season is merely three months away and clubs will need to shore up their coaches, with pre-season training starting very soon.

St David’s, Bailey’s Bay, and Flatts are the main three clubs without a coach, while teams such as Willow Cuts, possibly St. George’s and PHC could be looking at options.

St David’s and Bailey’s Bay are obviously the two big clubs who have been tinkering with a few names. Initially, I thought St David’s would opt for either Dean Minors or Herbie Bascome, but as neither of them have been appointed, the question still remains: who?

Bailey’s Bay, on the other hand, have had a wide variety of coaches expressing an interest. Irving Romaine was last year’s head coach, but the word is that he is keen on focusing on the youth. Names such as Ricky Hoyte, Herbie Bascome, Wendell White and one or two more have been mentioned about possibly taking over the coaching duties. With time running out, surely Bay will be weighing up their options. However, don’t be surprised if Irving stays at the helm for another year because I think he enjoyed the mental battle we shared in the last Eastern Counties match.

Flatts were promoted to the Premier League for the 2015 season and are in dire need of securing a coach who can take them to the next level. Rumour has it that they have sought one or two top coaches to help them to bridge the gap. Looking at the coaches that are out there, here are some options that are available: Dean Minors who coached there a few years ago; Clevie Wade, a very experienced coach who is without a team; Lorenzo Tucker, who is looking to gain experience as a head coach and possibly Wendell White, who was Western Stars’ coach last season.

It would be nice to see one of these coaches at Flatts because the biggest challenge is coaching at a club where you actually have to coach and not rely on an abundance of talent. The drive shouldn’t always be about winning, as seeing players develop and learn is the real beauty of coaching.

Last year, Willow Cuts relied heavily on Malachi Jones and Chris Douglas to do most of their coaching. However, with both of these players rumoured to be leaving, who will fill the void? They already have experience options in Dexter Basden and Rodney Fubler, but is this the time to breed new life into the team with a new coach? Only time will tell.

PHC and St George’s are two clubs who already have coaches, but could be looking at possible options. Cal Waldron is the man in charge at PHC, but he has many roles. However, his love for the game and for PHC will keep him at the helm for another season.

After being relegated last season, St George’s will be looking to bounce right back to the Premier League. Noel Gibbons is their coach, but again rumours have been circulating about other possible options.

Again, only time will tell, for as the saying goes: “You know what you got, but you don’t know what you getting.”

Coaching plays a crucial role in the quality of cricket that is displayed throughout the Island. I want to encourage all the top coaches in Bermuda to adopt a team this season and help them to improve. We can all sit by and complain about the quality of cricket in Bermuda, but until we get involved and help to make a difference, we will continue to see the same standards week in and week out.

Too often coaches want to operate only at “big” clubs because they are too worried about their reputation, but the challenge of coaching at a small club with less developed players is the true test.

Winning as a coach is twofold: you can be with a team who win trophies regularly, which makes the coach look good or you can coach a mediocre team and turn them into a very good team.

I get more gratification from seeing players develop and accomplish things they never accomplished before, such as Cleveland last year when they won the Eastern Counties Cup.

Coaches, what is your priority? Winning, money, reputation or development? Cricket needs you, clubs and players need you, and Bermuda needs you. Hopefully, this will encourage some coaches to step up to the plate and take on a challenge that they normally wouldn’t for the sake of the sport.