Passion, honesty, pride and enjoyment. These are common aspirations for cricket clubs. Can they be coached?

It sounds like they are lofty dreams, but they all have a practical component. And that means, I argue, that they can be coached.

The key is making the dream a goal. First you define what these terms really mean, then you agree how you will get there. Simple. It just requires a conversation.

Take the idea that your players should "play with passion". First, decide how that looks. This will probably be different for everyone, but the key question is "what do you do when you play with passion?"

Answers will range from "come to training every week", to "staying enthusiastic in the field right until the end", to "staying after the game to socialise". Whatever the measure is, note it down.

Then agree a goal based on this. For the training guys, set a challenge to come to nets 90% of the time. If you do it, you are passionate. For the in-game enthusiasm fans, take a moment to ask your team-mates after every match about how you fielded. If you are positive most of the time, you get a "passion" tick.

By now you are getting the idea.

Take high-minded ideals, define them clearly and measure your success. This will in turn create the passionate, honest, proud and happy team your heart desires.