Wycliffe boarder and Upper Sixth Form student, Tom Shrewsbury from Wadebridge, Cornwall is celebrating a double success when he was named as Academy Player of the Year 2012 by Gloucestershire County Cricket Club and then received the news that he had been selected for England’s U19 Development Programme.
Tom joined Wycliffe in 2011 as part of the Gloucestershire County Cricket Club’s Academy (GCCC) programme, which aims to develop young talented players in conjunction with partner schools such as Wycliffe College. Tom, along with fellow academy players Jack Butler and former pupils Josh Wingfield and Christian Purchase have benefitted from this partnership, which couples the expertise of both the Academy and that of the College’s own excellent coaching programme.
Academy Director, Owen Dawkins says about Tom’s latest success; “I am delighted for both Tom and Wycliffe. There is no doubt that if Tom hadn’t made the move to Wycliffe he would not be in the position he is in today. His cricket has improved hugely with the support provided by both Wycliffe and GCCC.
The opportunities this partnership creates for talented cricketers like Tom is vital to their development both on and off the field. The key to this partnership has been Wycliffe’s ability to provide a quality education, which is flexible enough to fit around his demanding cricketing commitments.”
During November, Tom attended a five-day England training camp based at Loughborough University, where he attended master classes on batting, bowling and fielding skills with cricket professionals such as Tim Boon and Gloucestershire’s own, Richard Dawson. The camp also ran psychology sessions on pre-match preparation, developing tactical skills as well as how to remain focused and in the right mind-set to win.
Tom tells us; “The aim of these sessions is not only to develop a player’s physical skill but to also prepare for the emotional challenges of the game. Cricket is a sport that requires a certain amount of intelligence as well as hours of concentration. A player can be on the pitch for up to eight hours and has to remain alert and engaged throughout that period. This is not easy when you have various distractions that can ruin your concentration.”
Tom continues; “I feel very lucky to have been selected by GCCC and to have experienced great opportunities here at Wycliffe. It has been a valuable move for me. By leaving home and attending boarding school, I have developed independence and maturity which I feel I would not have developed if I had remained at home in Cornwall. The support from the teaching staff has encouraged me to do well academically and the guidance from the PE staff, such as Mr Naish, Martyn Kimber and Ben Gannon is outstanding.”
Tom is now looking forward to the next England U19 training camp in December and catching up with his teammates when he will be working on new skills and tactics. He will also hear if he has been selected for the England U19 Cricket Tour to South Africa, which departs on January 17th 2013.
Wycliffe will be holding their 11+ and 13 + Sports Scholarships on Tuesday 29th January 2013. Please contact the College for further information on 01453 822432 or visit www.wycliffe.co.uk