DESERT SPRINGS RESORT & GOLF CLUB
From: Jose Ignacio Olea, Golf Operations Manager at Desert Springs Resort & Golf Club
Date: Thursday, 12th April, 2012
Subject: Cheltenham School Pre-season cricket training in Spain, Saturday 7th - Wednesday 11th April, 2012

 

 

A cricket squad of 27 players aged between 10 – 13 years, accompanied by seven officials from Cheltenham College Junior School – enjoyed their seventh cricket pre-season training camp at the facilities of the Cricket Academy established at the Desert Springs Resort between Saturday 7th – Wednesday 11th April.

During their four-night stay, the Cheltenham School players and officials were accommodated in some of the privately-owned apartments normally reserved for holidays and short breaks at Desert Springs and the resort’s executive chef was on hand to cater for the special dietary requirements of individual players dining in the resort’s award-winning El Torrente restaurant.

I met with Kim Parsley, Director of the Cheltenham College Cricket Team, and one of the attending students Will Hardie, for an informal interview to receive their feed-back on the whole experience at Desert Springs Resort.

Interview with Kim Parsley:

(Jose) This is now your seventh cricket pre-season training camp held at Desert Springs, how would you rate this years visit?

(Kim) Being back at Desert Springs is always a pleasure. I can rest assured that the facilities and service are always great. Because we schedule various training sessions each day, we get a lot done and the work becomes very effective.

(Jose) In previous years the Team was accommodated in a Hotel, how would you compare that with the apartments that the team now stay in on the Desert Springs Resort?

(Kim) Accommodation has never been an issue on our trips. I must say that staying at Desert Springs has been far better than any other choice; I have realised that the time saved in commuting in and out of the Resort every day can be used to program our training more effectively.

(Jose) At Desert Springs we aim to provide schools and clubs with “value for money” packages, coupled with the highest standards of quality for both service and facilities. I´m aware that your son has attended the Pre-Season Training Camp before; as a father, how would you rate the cost of the trip for your son?

(Kim) On a value for money ranking, it´s definitely a 10/10. The service is great, facilities are awesome and the cricket pitch together with mild temperatures are all we can ask for. The quality of the food was brilliant and always on time.

Interview with Will Hardie:

(Jose) It must be lovely to train in short sleeves whilst it´s raining at home in the UK, and I´m aware that some of you have used the swimming pools located in Las Sierras.

(Will) That's correct. The weather has been fantastic throughout the camp and we have also enjoyed the swimming pool in the evenings. Water was a bit cold, but still great compared to the UK!

(Jose) As other activities on top of cricket, you have had an “Introduction to Golf” session at the Golf Academy and also a night out at the nearby village Garrucha.

(Will) I´m happy that we did those. Golf was loads of fun and all the boys loved it; actually next year there could be more golf sessions added to the Camp or an optional golf round. Also, I liked the visit to the spanish village whilst we were here in Spain.

(Jose) Talking about cricket, this is your second year attending the Cheltenham College Training Camp at Desert Springs. Why do you think that it´s so important to attend in order to improve your cricket skills?

(Will) In the UK we only get about 2 hours of proper cricket training per week and sometimes we have to do indoor training due to the weather. However, here we have 2 full sessions per day and the intensive training scheduled in 4 days equals the training of months at home!

 

DESERT SPRINGS RESORT & GOLF CLUB

From: Kim Parsley, Cheltenham College Junior School
Date: Thursday, 12th April, 2012
Subject: Re: Trip to Desert Springs

 

Jo we are leaving today after a really fantastic 5 days. We have all had a fabulous time and all has gone very, very well.

We had a couple who could not make the trip for personal reasons which was a shame but did not dampen our spirits to much…

We are leaving early this morning and I have not yet had the chance to thank some people before we go, but all the Spring’s personnel have tolerated us with a smile!

Everyone with no exception really has been top notch and helped to make this a great holiday.  I must say though apart from your help organising the whole thing, Bronwen and Jodie really have been fantastic.  Bronwen has looked after us mainly in the evenings but has even popped up to assist during the day and Jodie was fantastic round the pool at the Croc Club every day.

I will be in touch soon Jo but this is a just an early note of
appreciation and thank you to you all.

Thank you

Kim Parsley

 

DESERT SPRINGS RESORT & GOLF CLUB

From: Kim Parsley, Cheltenham College Junior School
Date: Wednesday, 12th April, 2006
Subject: Pre-season cricket training in Spain 17th-22nd April 2006

 

The pre-season cricket training squad of 22 boys made a prompt departure on Monday 17th April arriving at Almeria slightly ahead of schedule.  The 60 km drive saw us arrive at the Marina Playa Hotel at about 2330, with the paired check-in process slick, and the boys were able to explore their 4* rooms and test the sleeping facilities provided, which they did to the full!

Waking up to views of the beach and the mountains was one of the many highlights to follow in the next four days, and after an ‘all-you-can-eat’ breakfast buffet (11 pancakes was the record for the week, we think) that fully catered for any European taste, we were all eager for a 0900 departure for the 30 minute drive north to the Desert Springs complex.

The practice facilities were fantastic.  Arranged on a soccer pitch were two artificial nets, a bowling machine, a strip and a playing surface of the flattest manicured ‘English’ grass, which would not have looked out of place at a Premiership football ground.  Indeed, this is to host an Irish Republic training camp at the end of May.  The presence of an iced water station and changing rooms, meant that we were a fully self-contained oasis in the middle of the desert!

The daily cricket practice took the form of a warm up. ‘baseball-style’, followed by two sessions of two-and-a half hours with lunch sandwiched in between.  Each day finished with ‘bun and drink’ at the Crocodile Club, before some ‘local colour’ and a return to base for a dinner as impressive and substantial as the breakfast.

There was huge scope for cricket practice. The 6 staff were able to spread themselves about the small groups of 7/8, or among the whole group depending on the exercise.  Concentrated time on all aspects of the game - batting. bowling, throwing. catching, support, teamwork fielding - was spent, with an constant emphasis placed on the individual’s ‘intensity’ to the task. The boys were encouraged to assess themselves after each session in terms of their own performance and attitude, with constant reminders to be honest and to make the most of the wonderful opportunities presented to them. Constant ‘nagging’ about sun cream application, water intake and head cover was a major feature, but appreciated –

Lunch - taken in the salubrious surroundings of the golf clubhouse - was always tasty and substantial. The staff at Desert Springs catered for our every request, and even provided two sumptuous cakes to celebrate birthdays during the week. The facilities provided at the Crocodile Club were fantastic. The Resort Trainer took the boys through fitness sessions, and the other facilities made use of included table tennis, pool, fitness equipment as well as the popular soccer court and swimming pool.  We ended the ‘days at work’, with short excursions to the local hilltop moorish town of Mojacar. a trip out to a sleepy Spanish village called Gafarillos in the foothills of the Sierra Cabrera (‘Goat Mountain’), with a truly fantastic ride back ‘over the top’, and then an experience of local beach football in Garrucha.

The whole experience was absolutely fantastic. The opportunities afforded to the boys in terms of the quality of facility and coaching is unlikely to have been matched anywhere, and it really does set these boys up for the season, whatever XI they find themselves selected for.  It has given them all a real insight into the value of working in small groups and as an individual, and most importantly taking the opportunity on offer which should extend beyond cricket into all aspects of sport and life in general.

It was a pleasure to take the group. To receive compliments from other guests staying in the hotel and at the Desert Springs Resort made us all proud. Four full days of intense practice was just right. One of the few improvements to make would be to arrange for a more convenient time to return! Let’s hope now for some good weather to allow us to progress
 as the season gets underway this week. Many thanks to Desert Springs for their support for the whole venture.

K. A. Parsley