I had an article ready to go for you this week, but last night we had an session with the 1st team squad here at Millfield School that I just had to tell you about.

Around 5pm, the coaching team grabbed a coffee in-between squad sessions.

I asked a simple question, "Could either of you two inspire me ahead of the last session of term please?" and my two brilliant assistants came up with a innovative session plan which led to a great session:

We all understand how important being strong, balanced and powerful is to a fast bowler, yet we are generally "take it or leave it" when we talk fitness to our spinners.

So, how can being strong benefit a spinner?

When it comes to personal fitness, there are two schools of thought within the coaching industry.

We all accept the importance of a warm up to prepare your body and mind for the game if you play any serious level of cricket from school upwards.

We looked at the hour or so that our case study club, Watsonian CC, took to warm up in a league match in Edinburgh.

This article is part of a series designed to show you how to adapt cricket drills for your needs. To see the full list of articles in this series click here.

By now you realise that strength is the cornerstone of cricket-specific athleticism.  Without strength you can’t develop skill.

This article is part 5 of the “How to use fitness training to make better young cricketers” series.

The late teens for a player can go one of two ways, and as a coach it’s up to you to know how to respond.

It’s either a race for the first-class game, or something a little more recreational.

This article is part 3 of the “How to use fitness training to make better young cricketers” series. Click here to go to part 1.Click here to go to part 2.

If I do say so myself, we are pretty awesome at PitchVision Academy. Where else can you find so many drills for every cricket skill?

But we are only so great because you are so great right back. You are not about getting fed exactly what to do. You want to learn why you’re doing something so you can improve on things yourself without our help.

That’s why we showed you how to design your own drills.

This article is part of the “How to use fitness training to make better young cricketers” series. Click here to go to part 1.

Coaching kids under 9 is no different to herding unruly sheep. But a conscientious coach is laying important ground work that is about more than babysitting in a tracksuit.

It’s a natural reaction to the unknown and a way of protecting yourself. But as a coach your job isn’t to live in fear of negative results, it’s to get best from your players.

And that means learning how to train your players in more than cricket, even if they are very young.

Fitness training for teenagers or younger though? Surely that doesn’t feel right?