Cricstars Under-10 Cricket Starter Plan Lesson 6 of 8
Lesson 5 connected batting with running. Lesson 6 adds teamwork, pressure and communication.
Children learn that fast cricket still needs calm hands, clear calls and safe decisions.
This guide is written for parents, teachers, junior club volunteers and beginner coaches. You do not need expensive equipment or a perfect cricket ground. You need a safe space, soft balls, simple rules and a session that keeps children active.
Where this lesson fits
Lesson 6 focuses on controlled speed, accuracy and communication. The full eight-lesson pathway moves children from first contact with the bat and ball into bowling, fielding, smart batting, teamwork and finally a friendly mini match.
The important thing is continuity. Children should recognise ideas from earlier sessions and then use them in a slightly more advanced way. That is how a young player starts building confidence without feeling overloaded.
Session snapshot
- Best age group: Children under 10, especially beginners aged 5 to 9.
- Session length: 45 to 60 minutes.
- Best equipment: Soft balls, cones, junior bats, tees, buckets, stumps or simple targets.
- Coaching style: Short cues, lots of turns, praise effort and keep the session moving.
Minute-by-minute session plan
Use this as a guide, not a strict script. If children are learning well and enjoying one activity, stay with it a little longer. If energy drops, move quickly to the next game.
- 06 minutes: Traffic Lights warm-up
- 620 minutes: Runners v Passers
- 2035 minutes: Diamond Cricket
- 3548 minutes: Accuracy under time challenge
- 4856 minutes: Team communication game
Main activities
Drill 1: Traffic Lights
Green means run, red means stop, yellow means jog and blue means turn. It builds reaction and listening.
Drill 2: Runners v Passers
One team runs while the other passes the ball cleanly. Score speed and accuracy together.
Drill 3: Diamond Cricket
Four stations form a diamond. Children hit, run, field and return the ball in an active game shape.
Coaching cues to use
Children under 10 remember short phrases better than long explanations. Pick one cue at a time. Repeat it during play and avoid giving five corrections after every attempt.
- Fast is good, accurate is better
- Call before passing
- Throw to hands
- Run safely
- Help your teammate
Make it easier or harder
Make it easier: Shorten the running distance and use underarm passes.
Make it harder: Add a time challenge, require clear calls or increase distance between passers.
The best junior coaches adjust the task without making the child feel embarrassed. A beginner and a confident child can do the same activity with different targets, distances or scoring rules.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Letting speed become chaos
- Rewarding only the fastest team
- Ignoring communication
- Using throws teammates cannot catch
Most mistakes at this age come from rushing. Children rush the swing, rush the throw, rush the run or rush the decision. Slow the learning down, then let the game speed it up naturally.
What progress looks like
Progress should not be measured only by runs, wickets or who looks the most talented. In this age group, progress often appears as confidence, better movement, safer technique and a child wanting another turn.
- Runs with control
- Calls more clearly
- Throws catchable passes
- Stays accurate under pressure
- Works better in a team
Parent home version
Set a cone five to ten metres away. The child runs, picks up a ball and throws at a bucket.
Home practice should be short. Ten focused minutes is enough. Stop before the child becomes bored or frustrated. The goal is to make cricket feel like something they want to return to, not another homework task.
Coach reflection after the session
After the session, ask yourself three questions. Did every child get enough turns? Did the session feel safe and positive? Did the children leave with more confidence than they arrived with? If the answer is yes, the lesson worked.
For Cricstars, the bigger aim is to help children build a cricket journey from the first backyard hit to clubs, coaches, teams and tournaments. A strong junior pathway starts with small wins like these.
Why this lesson feels more like real cricket
By Lesson 6, children have enough basic skills to combine them. They can run, hit, catch, throw and aim. Speed and accuracy games make cricket feel alive because several skills happen together.
This is where children start experiencing the rhythm of cricket: move, call, throw, catch, run and reset. The session should feel energetic, but not chaotic.
Communication is a cricket skill
Under-10 players often stay quiet. They chase the same ball, hesitate while running or throw without warning. Simple words can change that. Teach mine, yours, go, wait, throw and calling a teammates name.
A useful coaching trick is to play one silent round, then one calling round. Ask the children which round felt easier. They usually understand the value of communication immediately.
How to keep competition healthy
Children enjoy races, but the scoring should not embarrass slower players. Award points for clean passes, safe running, clear calls and accurate throws. This allows more children to contribute.
The aim is not to find the fastest child. The aim is to help the whole group move with better control.
Keeping fast sessions controlled
Speed games can become messy quickly. Before starting, show children where to run, where to wait and where to throw. Use cones to create clear stations. If children understand the pattern, they can move fast without creating chaos.
Keep the first round slow. Let children learn the route, the pass and the call. Then increase speed. This is better than starting with a race and watching the quality disappear.
It also helps to reward calm actions. Give points for calling clearly, throwing to hands, stopping safely and helping a teammate. This tells children that speed is useful only when it stays connected to accuracy and teamwork.
If a child panics under time pressure, reduce the distance or remove the timer. Confidence should grow through success, not embarrassment.
Small coaching detail that makes this lesson better
Before increasing speed, run one slow demonstration round. Children should know the running line, passing line and waiting area before the race begins. This prevents collisions and keeps the activity organised.
If the group becomes noisy or rushed, pause for ten seconds and reset the rules. A calm reset is better than letting the game become messy. Young players learn faster when the activity feels exciting but still controlled.
What comes next
Previous: Read the previous lesson
Next: Continue to the next lesson
Full plan: Back to the Under-10 Cricket Training Plan