TEAGAN Parker is “super excited” ahead of her first season as head coach of Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) women’s cricket.
The 26-year-old from Workers Gol Gol Cricket Club has been named the first female head coach at the MCC and believes her 10 years of experience at the club provides a solid foundation for her new role.
“I pride myself on getting to know the players and trying to find out what makes them tick,” Parker said.
As head coach, she will be responsible for overseeing the training and performance of 45 women, with cricketers as young as 12 playing with others in their late 20s.
Parker first showed her potential for the role when she took over as captain for the MCC’s Premier first XI side. Her attention to detail and communication skills didn’t go unnoticed, and women’s co-ordinator for MCC Marcella Torre said her “availability” and commitment to her peers shone through.
The girls “need a lot of information – she supplies a lot of information and gives feedback after the game. She will catch up with everyone and go through their performances and areas then can improve and (listen to) any questions they have.
“She’s very caring.”
Parker spent the past year preparing training plans and practise sessions for the club’s women cricketers as part of the MCC’s transition plan, and now takes over full-time from outgoing coach Graham Lays.
“The club has always been open about wanting to promote coaches from within and trying to promote women’s coaches, especially now (that) there aren’t many women’s coaches around in Premier cricket,” Parker said.
Despite her preparation for the new head coach role, Parker recognises the time-management challenges she will face as a captain, head coach and a woman who runs her own business.
Still, while success at the end of the Victorian Premiers Cricket series in any of the three divisions would be appreciated, Parker doesn’t believe success hinges on just cups.
Rather, her focus is to continue to develop levels of “professionalism and organization communication” in order to maintain the club’s success in creating pathways to state level cricket.
She recognised the recent success of Rhiann O’Donell who, having travelled from Mildura to Melbourne every week to participate in MCC’s First XI, was recognised as the club’s best and fairest, alongside being selected in the Victorian Women’s cricket squad.
