July 23, 2024 • 9 mins
A ground-breaking moment in West Indian and New Zealand cricket history beckons with the
opening of the Franklyn Stephenson Academy in Tauranga, New Zealand on August 4, 2024.
The Franklyn Stephenson Academy (FSA) run by its namesake, has been a fixture in St.James,
Barbados for 14 years but the new FSA in New Zealand’s North Island will be the first ever
outside of the Caribbean.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
From the cricket field to the cow shed. It's the
Country Sport Breakfast with Brian Kelly on gold Sport.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
A ground breaking moment in West Indian and New Zealand
cricket history beckons with the opening of the Franklin Stephenson
Academy in Taranga next month. Now Franklin Stephenson Academy is
run by Franklin Stephenson. In fact it's been run for
the last fourteen years. Addison James in Barbados and the
(00:27):
man himself, Franklin Stephenson actually joins us out of Barbados
this morning.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Morning Franklin, in morning, rayans, why.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Did you choose to open an academy? So this is
the first academy outside of the West Indies, isn't it?
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Yes, it is. Well, it's actually through by my good friend.
Now they've first it started with I wanted to send
a sundown for some classes and to spend a bit
of time. And then well it went from his son
coming to a team, a turring team, then two, and
(01:05):
as we went on it just got more and more.
He got more and more deep into it, and he asked,
and I said, yet, that'd be absolutely fine that we
can't do this, you know, to open an academy there.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
And obviously you've chosen Tararongres the first venue in New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Yeah, yes we have. That's very close to Davis home
and he has assured me he's got a box at
six and they're very excited. So we are excited. Gan
Barbatis as well.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
You've been running the academy in Barbados for the past
fourteen years. This will be the first ever outside of
the Caribbean. Have you had much success with the academy.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Oh, brilliant success with every time a youngster entered. I
think we feel we've succeeded again. You know, we've we've
been very busy since twenty fifteen. Actually we've been suring
every year year except for COVID. We've toured England, uh
and we've got to to South Africa as well. We
(02:06):
are on the seventeen back in twenty seventeen and it's
it's it's exciting stuff, you know. We we people can
have turned the kids out, I mean the schools and
we get a lot of out from England with the
colleges and so on there for for kids to do
the A levels and and to have a couple of
(02:28):
years and and you know, uh to experience and to
study and to build their cricket as well. So we've
got you know, I actually made a promise actually that
if I can get there, if I could have gotten
the current West in these team, and that was way
back then, you know, to come to the academy when
they first opened it. I said that we can bring
(02:48):
West in the cricket back in a short pace of time,
maybe five years or so. That didn't happen, and so
I was opened. And then the next promise was, they've
got to build it myself. Then I'll take ten years
supposed to bring best in his cricket back. Well, the
challenges have been very, very high to scale, I'll say,
because it's something that the authorities don't really embrace. You know.
(03:13):
I think that these days when we grew up, there
were no coaches around. You know, you learn from each other,
and I mean my wife friend asked me who was
a coach when they played for Barbados and I started
to remember. So it was a sea more nurse, you know.
But these days courts think that they can actually make
cricketers and the authorities then have taken unda Mantle. You know.
(03:34):
So I've seen this cricket really really struggling. So it's
been our dream or plan really to give the kids
a chance to develop like how we develop. So the
academy has a bit of a different approach to the
over coaching that is going on. And we're a cricket
at the moment, and I've seen a lot of success
(03:54):
in that.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Definitely, what's the age group that we'll be able to
enroll at the academy?
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Franklin, Well, we don't. We don't differentiate. I told them.
First of all, we started, I asked that, you know,
we'll take the kids from six maybe six and a half.
It really felt Staven would be at the age. But
then I had a parent come to me and he
pleaded with me that his twins. He wanted to get
the twins involved, you know, and in and he said
(04:21):
that there were four. I looked at the kids and
they thought, okay, man, you know, if you want to
get them out of the house that bad I mean,
and they love cricket, then we've got to be the
institution for that. Well. Funnily enough, about three and a
half months later they actually celebrated their fourth birthday, you know.
(04:42):
So it's very tough, you know, when people come in
and say that they want a kid to come, and
it's not them really. The kid loves cricket, as they
can see, and so they, you know, to bring him.
And we've got some very young kids, but we don't.
We don't differentiate as long as the little ones take
a bit more time, of course, because you know, you've
got to spend time with them. But we've been very patient.
(05:04):
And you know, so you still say six, but we've
got kids in at five and you know, and then
I've got now with our good pitches, I've got some
of the test players now come in and making themselves
members of the academy. So we say they're ready for cricket. Yeah,
we try hard not to differentiate.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
So will you obviously you'll need to get coaches for
the academy as well. Will they come out of New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Yes, definitely. Assures me that he's a level two coach
and he's got quite a few of the parents that
that are coaches as well, and he will get them in.
And you know, I as long as the structure is good,
I'm not really too harsh with the qualifications of that,
(05:54):
because you know, I've got a lot of certificates flying around.
But when you see some of these guys that come
to coach, I really cringe at the thought of them
spending time alone with my kids in the sense you know, so, uh,
that's something that's going to be, you know, up to
the directors. But definitely the kids do need that management.
(06:20):
But I'm not too hursh in looking at the top
certification levels and so on and looking at the individuals
that come, you know, and I think that you just
got to be lucky with that. Really say your prayers.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
And when and when the kids enroll, how to say,
how does say academy work? How does it work when
they when they arrived there.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Well, with us Ian Barbados, the authority t account wait
to get their hands and our kids. And the funny
thing is that we can't offer the kids much more
than proper training, you know, even going to school. As
soon as kids eve years old in school and the
school wants to dictate that they practice three four times
(07:04):
a week at school, and they give them very little
time to practice academy anymore. But you know, between the
schools and the associations, they're the ones that have the
forward plans for the kids that would love very much
that you know, I can through the academy and opening
more academies around the world, that we can actually offer
(07:24):
the kids that second and third step and sort of
bypass what's going on in the schools because then they've
got so many schools that have a young coaches in
there that wants to as soon to see the kid playing,
they want to change something about him, and we don't
agree with that. You know, I've had some kids go
through national trials. I've had one lad that won three
(07:44):
competitions for US up to be on the sixteen level.
I mean, they saw them bowling at the national trials.
I said, but I didn't recognize what you were doing.
And he said, oh, the coaches got me working on
my run up, and I thought that was horrible. You know.
So I don't believe in coaches trying to change kids,
but they and you know, they would do the best
to do what the associations and the schools say because
(08:05):
that's where they think that the next step is. But
hopefully in time, you know that they can improve our
our surroundings. In the sense I've got my eye on
the property here that we can have three cricket pitches
going at once, you know, in view of the pavilion,
and that would be awesome to do tours and festivals
(08:26):
and so on. But I'm looking for that second step
for my kids that can say that they don't have
to take what the schools and the associations are belching
out because you know, we haven't produced a cricket for
so long, and that's in Barbados, I'm saying. And still
the authorities are you know there. I reckon they destroy
more than their help, of course, you know, but yeah,
(08:48):
it's very tough to not fight them and stuff to
compete against them. But then they order the kids to
do so many things that we don't agree with, you know.
So we don't know what the you to hold. What
We'll do our best for the kids in getting them prepared.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Fantastic opportunity. We look forward to August fourth, the Franklin
Stevenson Academy opening in Taranga and New Zealand, the first
outside of the Caribbean. Franklin, thank you so much for
joining us this morning.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
You're welcome, Brian, and thank you to the lads the
New Zealand. There Dave and we look we're really looking
forward to it and also looking forward to turn. We're
very soon so I can make it. I've got two
tips up the England next month, but I will be
bringing the team down with a few teams actually because
I've got a lot of interest to come down to
Trong and now who we've got that that's on our calendar.
(09:37):
So thank you very much and we're very excited.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
About fantastic Franklin Stevenson out of the Academy August fourth.
It opens in Tarroango and if you want any more info,
just go to info at Franklin Stephenson Academy dot com.
From the cricket field to the cow shed. It's the
Country Sport Breakfast with Brian Kelly on gold Sport.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
A ground breaking moment in West Indian and New Zealand
cricket history beckons with the opening of the Franklin Stephenson
Academy in Taranga next month. Now Franklin Stephenson Academy is
run by Franklin Stephenson. In fact it's been run for
the last fourteen years. Addison James in Barbados and the
(00:27):
man himself, Franklin Stephenson actually joins us out of Barbados
this morning.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Morning Franklin, in morning, rayans, why.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Did you choose to open an academy? So this is
the first academy outside of the West Indies, isn't it?
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Yes, it is. Well, it's actually through by my good friend.
Now they've first it started with I wanted to send
a sundown for some classes and to spend a bit
of time. And then well it went from his son
coming to a team, a turring team, then two, and
(01:05):
as we went on it just got more and more.
He got more and more deep into it, and he asked,
and I said, yet, that'd be absolutely fine that we
can't do this, you know, to open an academy there.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
And obviously you've chosen Tararongres the first venue in New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Yeah, yes we have. That's very close to Davis home
and he has assured me he's got a box at
six and they're very excited. So we are excited. Gan
Barbatis as well.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
You've been running the academy in Barbados for the past
fourteen years. This will be the first ever outside of
the Caribbean. Have you had much success with the academy.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Oh, brilliant success with every time a youngster entered. I
think we feel we've succeeded again. You know, we've we've
been very busy since twenty fifteen. Actually we've been suring
every year year except for COVID. We've toured England, uh
and we've got to to South Africa as well. We
(02:06):
are on the seventeen back in twenty seventeen and it's
it's it's exciting stuff, you know. We we people can
have turned the kids out, I mean the schools and
we get a lot of out from England with the
colleges and so on there for for kids to do
the A levels and and to have a couple of
(02:28):
years and and you know, uh to experience and to
study and to build their cricket as well. So we've
got you know, I actually made a promise actually that
if I can get there, if I could have gotten
the current West in these team, and that was way
back then, you know, to come to the academy when
they first opened it. I said that we can bring
(02:48):
West in the cricket back in a short pace of time,
maybe five years or so. That didn't happen, and so
I was opened. And then the next promise was, they've
got to build it myself. Then I'll take ten years
supposed to bring best in his cricket back. Well, the
challenges have been very, very high to scale, I'll say,
because it's something that the authorities don't really embrace. You know.
(03:13):
I think that these days when we grew up, there
were no coaches around. You know, you learn from each other,
and I mean my wife friend asked me who was
a coach when they played for Barbados and I started
to remember. So it was a sea more nurse, you know.
But these days courts think that they can actually make
cricketers and the authorities then have taken unda Mantle. You know.
(03:34):
So I've seen this cricket really really struggling. So it's
been our dream or plan really to give the kids
a chance to develop like how we develop. So the
academy has a bit of a different approach to the
over coaching that is going on. And we're a cricket
at the moment, and I've seen a lot of success
(03:54):
in that.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Definitely, what's the age group that we'll be able to
enroll at the academy?
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Franklin, Well, we don't. We don't differentiate. I told them.
First of all, we started, I asked that, you know,
we'll take the kids from six maybe six and a half.
It really felt Staven would be at the age. But
then I had a parent come to me and he
pleaded with me that his twins. He wanted to get
the twins involved, you know, and in and he said
(04:21):
that there were four. I looked at the kids and
they thought, okay, man, you know, if you want to
get them out of the house that bad I mean,
and they love cricket, then we've got to be the
institution for that. Well. Funnily enough, about three and a
half months later they actually celebrated their fourth birthday, you know.
(04:42):
So it's very tough, you know, when people come in
and say that they want a kid to come, and
it's not them really. The kid loves cricket, as they
can see, and so they, you know, to bring him.
And we've got some very young kids, but we don't.
We don't differentiate as long as the little ones take
a bit more time, of course, because you know, you've
got to spend time with them. But we've been very patient.
(05:04):
And you know, so you still say six, but we've
got kids in at five and you know, and then
I've got now with our good pitches, I've got some
of the test players now come in and making themselves
members of the academy. So we say they're ready for cricket. Yeah,
we try hard not to differentiate.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
So will you obviously you'll need to get coaches for
the academy as well. Will they come out of New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Yes, definitely. Assures me that he's a level two coach
and he's got quite a few of the parents that
that are coaches as well, and he will get them in.
And you know, I as long as the structure is good,
I'm not really too harsh with the qualifications of that,
(05:54):
because you know, I've got a lot of certificates flying around.
But when you see some of these guys that come
to coach, I really cringe at the thought of them
spending time alone with my kids in the sense you know, so, uh,
that's something that's going to be, you know, up to
the directors. But definitely the kids do need that management.
(06:20):
But I'm not too hursh in looking at the top
certification levels and so on and looking at the individuals
that come, you know, and I think that you just
got to be lucky with that. Really say your prayers.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
And when and when the kids enroll, how to say,
how does say academy work? How does it work when
they when they arrived there.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Well, with us Ian Barbados, the authority t account wait
to get their hands and our kids. And the funny
thing is that we can't offer the kids much more
than proper training, you know, even going to school. As
soon as kids eve years old in school and the
school wants to dictate that they practice three four times
(07:04):
a week at school, and they give them very little
time to practice academy anymore. But you know, between the
schools and the associations, they're the ones that have the
forward plans for the kids that would love very much
that you know, I can through the academy and opening
more academies around the world, that we can actually offer
(07:24):
the kids that second and third step and sort of
bypass what's going on in the schools because then they've
got so many schools that have a young coaches in
there that wants to as soon to see the kid playing,
they want to change something about him, and we don't
agree with that. You know, I've had some kids go
through national trials. I've had one lad that won three
(07:44):
competitions for US up to be on the sixteen level.
I mean, they saw them bowling at the national trials.
I said, but I didn't recognize what you were doing.
And he said, oh, the coaches got me working on
my run up, and I thought that was horrible. You know.
So I don't believe in coaches trying to change kids,
but they and you know, they would do the best
to do what the associations and the schools say because
(08:05):
that's where they think that the next step is. But
hopefully in time, you know that they can improve our
our surroundings. In the sense I've got my eye on
the property here that we can have three cricket pitches
going at once, you know, in view of the pavilion,
and that would be awesome to do tours and festivals
(08:26):
and so on. But I'm looking for that second step
for my kids that can say that they don't have
to take what the schools and the associations are belching
out because you know, we haven't produced a cricket for
so long, and that's in Barbados, I'm saying. And still
the authorities are you know there. I reckon they destroy
more than their help, of course, you know, but yeah,
(08:48):
it's very tough to not fight them and stuff to
compete against them. But then they order the kids to
do so many things that we don't agree with, you know.
So we don't know what the you to hold. What
We'll do our best for the kids in getting them prepared.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Fantastic opportunity. We look forward to August fourth, the Franklin
Stevenson Academy opening in Taranga and New Zealand, the first
outside of the Caribbean. Franklin, thank you so much for
joining us this morning.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
You're welcome, Brian, and thank you to the lads the
New Zealand. There Dave and we look we're really looking
forward to it and also looking forward to turn. We're
very soon so I can make it. I've got two
tips up the England next month, but I will be
bringing the team down with a few teams actually because
I've got a lot of interest to come down to
Trong and now who we've got that that's on our calendar.
(09:37):
So thank you very much and we're very excited.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
About fantastic Franklin Stevenson out of the Academy August fourth.
It opens in Tarroango and if you want any more info,
just go to info at Franklin Stephenson Academy dot com.
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