At a glance  

• Voice of participant survey results reinforced what New Zealand Cricket  thought – that quality coaching is integral to player satisfaction and retention.  
• New Zealand Cricket invested in coach development and over a period of 6 years increased club members’ satisfaction with the quality of coaching from 55% to 70%.  
• In the past 12 months, New Zealand Cricket  has shifted the voice of participant into shorter, more frequent surveys, enabling clubs to make faster decisions and more timely improvements to give their members better experiences.  

"It’s been a game-changer for us. The more timely the information, the more valuable it becomes."  

– Kent Stead, Chief Community Cricket Officer, New Zealand Cricket  

Coaching was key and the data proved it  

In 2017, New Zealand Cricket made a confronting discovery through its first voice of participant survey: just half of club participants and parents were “very or extremely satisfied” with the quality of coaching they had received.  

Many in the sport already recognised that coaching played a big role in player enjoyment and development but this statistic gave that belief real urgency.  

Rather than treating it as a one-off insight, New Zealand Cricket used it as a catalyst to completely overhaul its coach development system.  

Over several years, they restructured their programme, grew the team, created a nationwide support network and redesigned coach education from the ground up.  

By 2025, the percentage of survey respondents indicating they were “very or extremely satisfied” with the coaching they were getting had climbed from 55% to 70%.  

Equally importantly, the sport now has a clearer, more connected and more participant-focused coaching system. It's already showing early links to improved retention at key transition points like the move from youth to adult cricket. 

 

What they did  

Developed a comprehensive and accurate coach database: A critical hub for communication, training and tracking of over 3,500 paid and volunteer coaches.  

Redesigned their entire coach development framework: With a new curriculum and approach that better supports learning and progression for coaches.  

Expanded the team from 1 to 4 coach development leaders: This gave New Zealand Cricket both national oversight and a stronger regional delivery network. 

Launched annual face-to-face residentials and training events: Bringing coaches together regularly built stronger networks and lifted the overall standard and feelings of being part of a team.  

Created a countrywide network of trainers and coach developers: Enabling consistent delivery and local support outside of the major cities.  

Put support in place to help clubs interpret their voice of participant results: Ensured insights were easy to understand and act on, helping club leaders make informed decisions to improve member experiences.  

 

"Data and insights are so valuable, especially if you're wanting to implement change. It is very hard to argue with hard evidence that comes through in data." 

– Kent Stead, Chief Community Cricket Officer, New Zealand Cricket  

 

Insights into action – the results so far  

• Coaching satisfaction has risen from 55% to 70%. A measurable shift that aligned with New Zealand Cricket’s participant experience goals.  
• Regional alignment and delivery improved with clearer roles and better support networks for coach developers.  
• Coaches are more supported, confident and connected – which positively influences player experience and retention.  
• Community engagement improved, especially with underserved groups like South Asian cricket players in Auckland, informed by regional voice of participant insights.