Henderson Springer now serves as the Barbados
Cricket Association’s (BCA) Head of Coaching and
High Performance. Springer was given responsibilities
for both roles as a result of his qualifications, training
and experience in relation to the construction, execution and
the monitoring and evaluation of High-Performance Cricket Dev
Programs.
In Springer’s personal view the most outstanding achievements
that have occurred under his tenure are threefold. 1. His provided
oversight for the Everton Weeks Centre of Excellence and its
associated programs. 2. The development and supervision of
structured practice /training programs for the Barbados Pride
franchise, as well as BCA contracted male and female cricketers.
3. The professional development presentations that are an integral
part of Barbados teams’ preparation at all levels.
Springer had played and coached professionally in Holland, the
UK and South Africa from 1988 to 1997. Playing as an off-spinning
bowler all-rounder, he made history by becoming the first West
Indian to ever captain a South African Provincial team.
Springer began his local Barbados coaching career at the Secondary
School level. His very first coaching assignment was in 1987 at
Barbados’ prestigious Combermere College. He remained there
until 1990 when he moved over to Harrison’s College.
From Combermere Springer’s next assignment was from January
1998 to May 2008 as Head Coach for the Barbados Defense
Force’s (BDF) Sports Program. While at the BDF, Springer was
credited with having designed a holistic program with overall player
development at its core. He was, of course, also responsible for
conducting practice sessions for all BDF players.
Springer also served as Barbados Head Coach from Dec 2000-
August 2016. He also had various abbreviated stints as Head
Coach of West Indies Senior Men, the West Indies Senior Women
as well as several West Indies A-Teams. His impressive career has
indeed been sufficiently extensive for this coming October to
mark a 40-year association with cricket coaching.
In June 2008, Henderson Springer was appointed as BCA’s Director of Coaching (DOC), a position at which he remained until October 2018. As the BCA’s DOC, Springer was responsible for
the supervision of all coaches. He also assigned coaches to various programmes and evaluated their respective performances. The training of all BCA coaching staff was also his direct responsibility.
Following his brief aforementioned stint at the West Indies
Women’s Head Coach, Springer had returned to the BCA in May
2008 to assume his current role as Head of Coaching and High
Performance. His primary responsibilities now vary between
designing and implementing programs and training strategies
that assist in the development of both players and coaches,
establishing clear benchmarks for performance and monitoring of
individual and team progress and overseeing the Everton Weekes
Centre of Excellence and its programs.
Named after the great man himself and formally opened by him
in June 2008, the Everton Weekes Centre of Excellence was
established by the BCA as a vehicle for identifying and developing
the island’s most talented youth cricketers. The Centre’s primary
aim is to assist local cricketers in developing the right mental
and physical attributes to be successful at the regional and
international levels. The Academy ensures that Barbados’ most
talented male and female cricketers are exposed to the best
training and development programming on the island.
Individual players are placed in sessions with the best coaching
expertise at Kensington Oval and exposed to the modern
technological aids such as Pitch Vision and Team Builder. The
coaching and administrative staff within the academy seek to
elevate the game of its players in six (6) different age groups:
Males respectively from U13, through U15 and U17 to U19,
those in the 19-23 age group and finally junior and senior
females as well. Several members of the current and most
recent Barbados National teams have passed through the Sir
Everton Weekes Center of Excellence.
As a goal-oriented individual, who prides himself in possessing
outstanding performance analysis, leadership, critical thinking
and relationship building skills among his many assets,
Henderson Springer has fully embraced the many challenges
his current role provides. Foremost among these is the reality
that the scheduled practice sessions for players are weather
dependant. There is, therefore, a desperate need for the BCA
to establish a modern indoor training/practice facility. Springer
now sees that as being the next, most urgently required step
for the BCA’s player development efforts.
Despite the handicaps of operating under the vagaries of the
weather and not having at his disposal adequate indoor training
facilities, Springer is however, overly excited about the current
pool of available talent within Barbados cricket! Questioned
as to whether there are any bright star future prospects he
has seen as that have left him excited, Springer responded as
follows:
“I want to put myself under pressure and say too many
to mention, as they are some budding high performers
at all levels. But I will be in a better position to identify
such individuals as the demands, intensity and workloads
become greater!”
Looking further afield, beyond Barbados and towards the
now urgently required improved international performances
by West Indies teams across all formats, Henderson Springer
also has a crystal-clear sense of what should now be done in
several areas.
“If it were totally up to me, I would try to secure a
major sponsorship for the support of players and much
better facilities for their training and practicing, including
modern up to date gyms as well as a Sports Medical Clinic.
I would also establish regional 2nd or B-Team programs.
There would also be a much better system for players to
be paid their remunerations more promptly, but under
associated programs for performance accountability.”
More up to date education courses, both general and skill specific,
must also be provided to all of our certified coaches. They must
also have continuous exposure to the very latest in best practices
in relation to cricket coaching.
Some of our iconic former players should be engaged in player/
coach mentorship capacities. Our Managers also need to be
formally trained in the principles of general and team management.
As do our operations personnel in cricket administration.
Finally, the curators and groundsmen at our major regional venues
should be provided with exposure to facility management courses
and training. They should also be educated on the legacy of
West Indies cricket and the benefits to all that would result from
them of getting their jobs done very well. Including better pay,
recognition and respect. Such venues must also be provided with
all the equipment needed to produce good surfaces and outfields.
Sagely provided suggestions from a very creditable source that
perhaps Cricket West Indies and its recently newly elected
President, Dr Kishore Shallow, would do well to now seriously
consider.