HERALD: How did you get into coaching?
VIVEK KOLAMBKAR: Cricket was my passion since my childhood days. After representing the State and club teams in Premier division for almost 19 years and after retiring from Ranji Trophy (First Class Cricket in 2006) I wanted to be associated with the game and always felt that I should give back my services to my State and to the younger generation of players. Whatever I have learnt while playing I wanted to share all my experiences with the young budding cricketers and help them excel in this game. To do this I had no other option but take up coahing.
H: How did it become regular?
VK: I had completed my level 1 coaching course in 2009 which was conducted by BCCI and hence appeared for level 1 refreshers course which was held at Porvorim Academy ground in 2010. On the last day of the course GCA offered me an assignment as Academy batting coach which without any hesitance or knowing about the terms and conditions I accepted. From April 2011 I started my coaching career through the association’s summer coaching camp for Under-14, Under-16, and Under-19 teams. From there on it all started and the same year for the season 2011-12, I was appointed as Goa Ranji Trophy coach.
H: What do you need to be a good coach?
VK:To be a good coach you need to be a good human being first. Coaching is not just about teaching basics or to teach the technicalities of the game. One needs to try and understand the overall behaviour of the player, try and understand his problems and stand with him during his failures. The most important thing is to have a thorough knowledge of the game, one should have good communication skills and leadership qualities. The first commitment of a coach is being the expert who everyone looks up to for decisions.
H: What do you look for in an aspiring cricketer?
VK: I look out for good work ethics, discipline, dedication, temperament, eager to learn all the time from the mistakes, stepping out of their comfort zone, respect for the game & fellow cricketers and most importantly ability to take in pressure and failure
H: What motivates you to start specialised coaching in batting?
VK: I played my cricket as a batsman and after completing my level 2 coaching course of BCCI, I felt like there are many things that I can share with the players tactically and technically for progression of our young players. For me it is all about getting your basics right and during my stint as coach for the State and the Dempo Cricket Club which plays the highest league in Goa. I have seen many of the batsmen falter in their basics. We are a small State compared to other cricket playing States but we are no short of talent. There is immense talent available in the State but we need a proper guidance at the young age. I thought if I can teach and implement all advance things of batting techniques without interfering with their natural abilities at the young age, players will be ready for all the challenges at the next level of cricket.
H: How do you deal with players about discipline issues?
VK: About discipline I use the art of refocusing attention theory. There are no hard and fast rules. I keep it very simple. Make them aware about my plans, what is our goal, my expectations from them, my commitment towards them, and respecting each other’s values, and emotional attachments solve all the issues amicably which helps in team bonding in very simpler and disciplined manner.
H: What are your coaching goals?
VK: I am not looking at what I want to be in coaching in another 5, 10, or 15 years. Yes, there are lot of plans but currently I just want to give my best effort in whatever time I spend on the field with the players and update myself with the latest developments, advance skill techniques so that I can groom the players keeping in mind their future challenges. Off course, conducting of coaching camps will go on from now, besides this in another 5 or 10 years plans are there to start a full fledge academy.
H: What makes a good team?
VK: Trust and Commitment between the players, positive but realistic outlook, periodic evaluation, playing with calculated risks and importantly enjoying each other’s success.
H: What is your experience as a player?
VK: I have played 10 years of Ranji Trophy cricket with 40 games, out of which I was the captain for 6 matches. Besides that I have represented the State in all the age groups. I played almost 20 years of club cricket for teams like Margao CC, Salgaocar SC, Geno CC and Dempo CC.
H: What is your biggest achievement?
VK:coaching stint with under-19 team was my biggest achievement. I would say this because for the first time the team had qualified for knock outs in ODIs and also bagged the 3rd place in Cooch Behar Trophy (4 days matches). I take it as my biggest achievement mainly because I could make them believe in their abilities and transform them into the match winners.
H: What is your biggest challenge as coach?
VK:My biggest challenge was to coach the under 19 team in 2014, after 2 years of coaching assignment in 2011-12 and 2012-13 with the State team, I had no coaching assignment in 2013-14, I was nominated as BCCI match referee in 2013-14 but I was more interested in coaching that time. In 2014, I was again offered coaching assignment of under-19 team by GCA. I was very desperate and wanted to prove my coaching abilities. Building a team of match winners was my goal and at the end of the season I was very happy that I succeeded in the challenge I had set within me.
H: Role model in coaching:
VK: I don’t have anyone as a role model as such because I feel every coach has his own ways of teaching the aspects of the game and hence I wish to make my own identity.
