The former Taunton School pupil and current Somerset Cricket Captain Tom Abell has revisited his roots and delivered an inspiring training session with Taunton School cricketers.
Abell, who attended Taunton School from aged two and left in 2012, visited the school on Tuesday evening and worked with pupils from the Prep and Senior School. He said “I started playing cricket for Taunton School when I was around 8 or 9. I was very lucky to be placed in good teams, which was a great base for me to learn. I was also privileged to work with such great coaches.”
On being asked how it feels to coach young talent, he said: “I love it. I feel privileged to help younger pupils and to give something back. Being able to inspire younger players is awesome.”
One of the pupils who took part in the session was 13 year old Year 9 pupil, Max Fletcher, from Merridge near Bridgwater. He said “It’s great to have someone here who knows about the game and can teach us how to improve. Tom has taught me how to get more time with the ball and has helped me develop my techniques.”
As well as giving excellent coaching tips, Abell offered invaluable advice to the pupils: “Throw yourself into everything, and get stuck into every sport. Challenge yourself and give your all the whole time. But mostly just enjoy it.”
Abell’s closing comment was that his time at Taunton School was “the best time of my life”.