Junior Squads or One-to-One Coaching? A Parent's Guide

One of the most common questions parents ask us is whether their child should join a junior squad or have one-to-one coaching. The honest answer is that it depends on your child: their age, their experience, their goals and how they learn best. Here’s how we’d think it through.

What a junior squad does well

Junior squads at Elite run for boys and girls aged 5 to 12, in 90-minute sessions. Squads are great for:

• Learning the whole game. Batting, bowling, fielding and game sense, all in one session.
• Enjoyment and friendships. Kids stay in sport when they enjoy it, and training with friends is a big part of that.
• Match awareness. Game-based activities teach decision-making that drills alone can’t.
• Consistency. A regular weekly session builds steady, lasting improvement.
• Value. Squads cost $235 a month for one session a week at Hoppers Crossing ($435 for two), and $212 a month at Pakenham ($419 for two), including GST.

Squad players also get a fitness plan, a diet plan and access to Pathfinder, our online platform with coach notes, skill ratings and session video.

For most children, especially beginners and younger juniors, a squad is the right place to start.

What one-to-one coaching does well

Private coaching gives a player the coach’s full attention. It suits:

• Players with a specific goal, such as fixing a technical flaw, adding pace or preparing for representative trials.
• Older or more experienced juniors who already have the basics and want to refine them.
• Players who learn best with individual feedback and plenty of repetition.
• Specialists, such as wicketkeepers, spinners or fast bowlers who want focused work on their craft.

Why many players do both

Plenty of our juniors combine the two: a weekly squad for game sense and enjoyment, plus occasional one-to-one sessions to work on something specific. A squad coach will often spot something that’s worth a few focused private sessions.

How to decide

Ask yourself:

1. How much cricket has my child played? New to the game? Start in a squad.
2. What do they want? Fun and friends point to a squad. A specific goal points to one-to-one.
3. How do they learn? Some kids thrive in a group; others need one-on-one attention to build confidence.
4. What fits our week? Squads run on fixed days and times. One-to-one sessions are booked around coach availability.

Try before you decide

We make it easy to find out what suits your child:

• For squads: new juniors can try a free first junior group session. Book at Hoppers Crossing or Pakenham.
• For one-to-one coaching: book a free 15-minute assessment with a coach through the booking app. The coach will look at where your child is and recommend the right next step. (We don’t offer free one-to-one sessions; the free assessment is the way to start.)

Still not sure?

Talk to us. Call Hoppers Crossing on 0485 043 094 or Pakenham on 0485 043 092, and one of our team will help you work out the best fit for your child.