During MI’s championship run, Robin Peterson, MI New York’s head coach, was notably absent from the jubilant celebrations and group selfies. Seated alone, Peterson took his time to grasp the significance of the moment before joining the team. It was a memorable occasion as he embraced the role he had long pursued, finally lifting the trophy in his debut as a franchise head coach.
Peterson’s Words on the Domestic Side:
Peterson’s coaching style was crucial for MI New York’s domestic success. He effectively managed early failures, which laid the foundation for their subsequent achievements. Peterson balanced elation with composure, masking disappointment after setbacks. Recognizing the value of tranquility, he guided inexperienced players to improve steadily. As a result, their domestics rebounded from initial setbacks to deliver impactful performances during the season.
He said, “When you’ve been a player before, you understand performance anxieties and nervousness. It’s about making them feel comfortable and confident that they’ve got talent and that’s the reason why they’ve been picked. Your main job as a coach is to build players’ confidence. I think that as a coach, you have to have a level of calm and just be pragmatic. You can’t be too emotional, of course, we get emotional behind the scenes sometimes because that’s also important. We’re not robots.”
Later he added, “I got along very well with the domestic players last year, and they know they can contact me at any point in time. I call them to just see how their lives are changing. A lot can happen in a year. I don’t want to come to a franchise event like most events, where you just all of a sudden, you come together for a couple of weeks. I like to stay in touch with people and make sure that everything is alright.”
Changes in Confidence:
Peterson notices a noticeable shift in the demeanor of the domestics. He credits the World Cup as a catalyst but believes the real transformation began with MINY’s title victory last year. He emphasizes how the players are more self-assured now. According to him, conversations with the US boys this year have been clearer and more focused, with less confusion and more clarity in their discussions.
He said, “Last year everything was new. It was different from the environment they were used to at USA cricket in general. So coming to a franchise that is very professionally run was a bit of an eye opener for them and something that they got accustomed to.”
Later he added, “A year on, now you can see the belief in their ability is totally different. There’s no doubt that coming into the environment this year, they are walking a little bit taller, they know they belong. That speaks to the underlying belief and confidence.”
Praising the players:
Peterson has greatly impacted players like Kenjige and the others, but the upcoming season presents new challenges. Alongside defending the title, he must also fine-tune the enigmatic talent of Dewald Brevis. Now in his third year with MI teams, the 21-year-old faces high expectations after early comparisons to AB de Villiers by cricket pundits.
He said, “People forget he’s only 21 years old. He’s still learning his craft. When you learn your craft, it’s not only about cricket, it’s about how you deal with ups and downs. It’s more the emotional maturity that you want to work through with a player, which is the longest, which is the most difficult one to help a player with.”
While talking about Brevis, he said, “Everybody’s different, Everybody matures differently, in terms of your life experiences, Dewald Brevis is going to be a fantastic player, one day, he’s got a unique skill set. It’s my role to make sure that I create the environment for him to learn, and not be scared to make mistakes.”
Later he added, “So with him, I think he’s on the right trajectory. Once he comes out of that plateau, you’re gonna see a superstar in world cricket. It’s just a matter of being patient with him, and allowing him the space to fail a little bit, because that’s gonna be his biggest learning, through his failure, not only success”.
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