In this 10th anniversary special, ECB Level 4 Elite Coach Tom Flowers reflects on the highs, lows, and hard-won lessons of building TFCC from scratch.

Key highlights:

• The Leap of Faith: Quitting as a school head of cricket to start TFCC—and never looking back.
• Surviving COVID: How TFCC adapted (and thrived) during the toughest period for UK businesses.
• The "TFCC Pathway": Mentoring players from age 5 to county cricket—and why every kid deserves elite coaching.
• Unsung Heroes: Shout-outs to the clubs, coaches, and family who made it possible.
• The Fire Still Burns: Why transforming beginners into confident cricketers fuels Tom’s passion a decade on.

A must-listen for coaches, parents, and players who believe cricket changes lives.

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In this episode, Tom Flowers opens up to Charlie O’Brien from Switch Radio about his cricket journey—from being part of Leicestershire’s academy to starting his own coaching business. He reflects on the pressures of professional cricket, mental health struggles, and what it really takes to be a great coach. A candid, powerful conversation that’s a must-listen for players, parents, and aspiring coaches alike.

Tom Flowers Cricket Coaching was set up in 2015 to bring high-quality cricket coaching to Leicestershire, Rutland and the East Midlands. Since then, the founder of TFCC, Tom Flowers, has assembled a highly qualified team that delivers coaching at over 30 different clubs and schools across the region, all with a passion for one thing – improving local cricket.

Welcome to Season 3 of the Tom Flowers Cricket Coaching Podcast!

In this episode, ECB Elite Coach Tom dives into one of cricket’s biggest hidden challenges: why feedback systems are failing young players, from county pathways to private coaching. He breaks down:

• The "parent-coach trust gap" and how modern attitudes sabotage development.
• Why counties struggle with feedback (and who’s really to blame).
• TFCC’s simple fixes: Shared portals, calendars, and the "2 things about parents" rule.
• The rep cricket void: Why dropped players vanish for entire seasons.
• A landmark TFCC vs. Uppingham School game – and what it reveals about state-school talent.
• Whether you’re a player, parent, or coach, this episode is a must-listen to align cricket’s fractured development system.

Tom Flowers Cricket Coaching was set up in 2015 to bring high-quality cricket coaching to Leicestershire, Rutland and the East Midlands. Since then, the founder of TFCC, Tom Flowers, has assembled a highly qualified team that delivers coaching at over 30 different clubs and schools across the region, all with a passion for one thing – improving local cricket.

Former England T20 & ODI Bowler Harry Gurney joins us on a webinar originally recorded during 2020 and now available pn podcast platforms. Learn the secrets of his trade from one of the best T20 bowlers in the world.

In part two of this two part episode, Tom deconstructs the debate of State V Private School from his own experience and looks at the recent TV show Freddie Flintoff's Field of Dreams. We also hear the latest news in regards to England during the recent test matches.

00:00:54 Privilege

00:04:08 School Sponsorship Uncovered

00:10:03 Role Models in the current England Team

00:14:25 Life After Education - Can everyone afford to pursue a cricket career?

00:16:35 End

In part one of this two part episode, Tom deconstructs the debate of State V Private School from his own experience and looks at the recent TV show Freddie Flintoff's Field of Dreams. We also hear the latest news in regards to England during the recent test matches.

00:02:49 Test match intro

00:04:33 A shocking statistic

00:05:33 start

00:05:48 Would I send my child to private school?

00:07:03 Body Language Synergy with Professional Cricket

00:08:03 Toms state School backgrojnd

00:13:18 Toms time at university

00:15:34 Inner City State Schools

00:18:55 End

Former England ODI & Test Captain Champions Winner Marcus Trescothick joins us in conversation in a webinar originally recorded in 2020 and available for the first time on podcast platforms. Listen to interesting stories and cricketing tips from this legendary player.

Join Tom as he dives into his analysis of the brilliant performance in the latest test match England V New Zealand. Don't miss the ultimate guide to coaching adult senior sessions, as well as a key weekly takeaway for your coaches toolbox with 'Tom's top tip'.

• 00:00:53 - This Episode

• 00:03.06 - What have we learnt? Latest Test Match (England V New Zealand)

• 00:08:10 - Latest news and LCCC update

• 00:10:36 - Coaching better senior sessions

• 00:14:33 - Tom's top tip of the week

• 00:17:03 - End

[Originally Recorded 22nd June 2022, Produced by Bailey Caine]