CRICKET coach Rick Halkon, from Sale Sports Club, has been recognised for outstanding services to grassroots cricket by cricketing great Shane Warne.
Former Australian International Warne presented him with a special coaching certificate during the second Investec Test Match against South Africa at Headingley.
Rick was given the chance to attend the Test Match as part of the Sky Sports ECB Coach Education programme.
He was one of 15 coaches who met with Warne during lunch on the pitch at Headingley, as part of programme’s ‘Reward and Recognition’ scheme.
Rick has been coaching in Sale for five years and runs sessions for 150 children at Sale Sports Club.
Last year Rick delivered 560 hours of coaching across 10 different schools and he continues to run academy workshops for those who show special promise.
Rick said: "There has been a massive increase in interest because of the work that Sky Sports and the ECB do to raise awareness of the game.
“I didn't have a coach as a child and now our club has 25. This can definitely be accredited to the help that Sky and the ECB have given."
The Sky Sports ECB Coach Education Programme aims to attract and train coaches at all levels of cricket in England and Wales.
The programme’s ‘Reward and Recognition’ scheme, aims to identify those cricket coaches across England and Wales that go above and beyond the call of duty to help grassroots cricket flourish.
