Merrion today announced the appointment of Isobel Joyce as Youth Development Officer for the club for the coming season. In making the announcement, Chris MacNulty, chairperson of the youth section, said ‘the club is delighted to be able to call on the services of Isobel for this vitally important position which is central to the strategic plan for the development of youth cricket in Merrion. Isobel brings a vast experience to the role both as a player as well as someone who has been engaged for many years in the development of young cricketers in Ireland’.
Isobel is looking forward to the challenge. "As YDO I will be overseeing the coaching of core skills at an appropriate level for the different age groups. I will be looking to ensure that there is support structure in place for our coaches so that they can deliver a top class development programme tailored to individual needs’
"I will be coaching but will spend a lot of time planning and organising sessions so that we can monitor and assess the development of our players from U11 to U17 level for both boys and girls."
Isobel will also help to establish a Development Academy Programme in the club. "I think it's very important that the players who are showing commitment and making progress are given the opportunity to work together and to help each other improve. A key element of the Academy will be not only monitoring progress but also workload to minimise the risk of injury to players and to ensure that they do not suffer burnout’.
She also commented on the importance of involving parents. ‘We will also be looking to ensure that parents are fully involved and I am delighted with the response so far to the request for volunteers to support the ambitious plans for the development of the club and its young players’.