Above: International Cricketers Ryan Campbell and Marcus North at Dame Allan's School
Australian sports stars, Marcus North and Ryan Campbell, shared highlights from their international cricketing careers when they appeared on stage as part of Dame Allan’s’ award-winning series, The Lectures.
Marcus, now the Director of Cricket at Durham County Cricket Club, and Ryan, its Head Coach, spoke about the importance of creating a safe, learning environment for the young players in their charge and applying what they had learnt from their own inspirational careers.
Interviewed by Paul Terry, Head of Sixth Form in the Senior School's Newsom Hall, the event was a lively conversation between the trio which made for an entertaining evening.
Like most young sportsmen, Ryan said he had dreamt of playing cricket for his country from a young age. He represented Western Australia for more than a decade, played for Australia twice and then, in 2016, played for Hong Kong in the Twenty20 in India ‘at the ripe old age of 43’ which he described as a ‘great adventure’.
Ryan went on to coach the Hong Kong team before being asked to coach Netherlands, where he took them to three World Cups.
“I was at that point in my life then when I needed a new adventure, and Marcus came calling,” he recalled about his offer to become Head Coach at Durham. “Us Australians have enormous respect for the county game. There’s been some ups and downs, but that’s how you learn. It’s how you get better.”
Highlights for Ryan included making 100 in the final of the Sheffield Shield, which contributed to them winning the title, and being picked for Australia and spotting the team shirt hanging up in the dressing room with his name on it.
Marcus said he wasn’t ‘naturally academic’ growing up and enjoyed a beach childhood in Perth, where he discovered a love of cricket. He went on to play for Western Australia for 15 years and in two Ashes series for Australia.
“Representing my country is something I’m extremely proud of,” he told the audience. “You have to really push yourself, but I always appreciated what I achieved. I never took it for granted. I was so grateful for the opportunity it gave and that perspective probably keeps me grounded now.”
Marcus admitted he was ‘arrogant and entitled’ in his younger years, never having a doubt that he would end up playing professional cricket. When he was dropped from the Australian team, he was at his ‘most humbled.’
“I was gutted,” he recalled. “But also appreciated that that’s the journey. And to be fair, the guy who replaced me was Steve Smith. I dusted myself off!”
Asked how they prepare their young teams today, Ryan talked about creating a safe, learning environment for players.
“You have to make sure they can talk to people so they can learn,” he said. “Are they going to make mistakes? 100 per cent. But I always say if you’re going to make a mistake, make it massive because at least you’ll learn from it!
“You’re going to get tested. We were tested this year, ultimately, we failed, because we were relegated. Did we have the wrong team? They’re all lessons in life. The one thing I always say to my players is that when you retire, you have to be able to walk out and say, ‘that was the time of my life’, because not many people get to play league sport. It’s very easy to forget that it’s supposed to be about the love of the game.”
One of Marcus’s highlights was making his debut for Australia against South Africa where he scored a century in his first innings.
“It was an amazing moment,” he told the audience before citing his retirement as another highlight.
“Not many people get the chance to make the decision to retire, but I’d got to a stage where I called time, it was my choice. I thought ‘wow’, I’ve actually achieved some stuff.”
The duo talked about how the ‘edge’ in cricket was often being played out in the media, with social media bringing added pressures to young teams.
“I read some of what these keyboard warriors write…we have to teach them how to deal with it,” said Ryan. “We spend a lot of time learning their strengths and we have to learn about how they are as a person too. That’s my tip for any coach, you have to know how you can connect to them.”
“Connection is everything,” added Marcus. “Connecting from a personal point of view and a work point of view. It’s critical because you start to have trust with each other and there’s an element of safety. It’s like having a relationship, you must keep working at it otherwise it will fall apart. In sport, the margins are very small, so we have to get it right.”
After being on stage, the pair talked about the lessons they’d learned from their cricketing careers which they’d taken forward into business and coaching.
“The biggest one is discipline,” said Ryan. “As a sportsman, you’re never late, you live by a schedule, and you almost get lost when you don’t have it. All our athletes, the first thing we talk about is how they can become better humans.”
Now in its fourth year, The Lectures were brought to life thanks to the investment and vision of Allanian Mark Dolder, who wanted to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs, business leaders, scientists and artists.
Speakers have included entrepreneur and Dragon’s Den star, Sarah Davies; world-renowned space scientist, Dame Maggie Aderin Pocock and leading economist and author Roger Martin-Fagg.
The next Lectures event will be with Professor Giles Yeo MBE on Thursday 11 December. Tickets are available for Dame Allan's pupils in Years 9 - 13, their parents, Allanians, and staff and can be booked here.