Latest news with #coaching
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
COLUMN: Cricket has changed dramatically, especially with the bat
I think it's fair to say that cricket has changed dramatically in recent times, especially so with the bat, as so many of our top order batsmen at both county level and international level, play so many more extraordinary shots, that adds that extra ingredient to the game writes Merv Colenutt. Everyone will have their own ideas of how the game has changed and since the introduction of the ramp shot, reverse sweep and increasingly the lofted shot over fine leg, the more technical side of the game has become an added an exciting feature. Advertisement The introduction of helmets, also allow the batsmen to face short pitch bowling with far more confidence and in more recent times, the falling paddle shot, which we will no doubt see more of in the future from the likes of Rishabh Pant and Harry Brook, makes for another legacy, not only in the white ball game, but in test matches as well and to be fair it's another reason why test matches will go on drawing big crowds in the future. Another change could very well come in the coaching of bowlers, in fact it has already happened. In the good old days, you were generally encouraged to run in smoothly as a quick bowler, increasing your pace as you got closer to the wicket and release the ball at pace with a smooth follow through, just like Josh Davey does for Somerset now. You would hope by shining the seam, the ball would move off the pitch or in the air deceiving the batsman into playing down the wrong line, but again the coaching manual appears to have changed, with a quick bowler being encouraged to bowl from a slightly different angle with a more side on approach and deliver, with the batsman not always being able to pick out the ball to play or leave. Advertisement It's a marginal observation, but i feel sure that in some ways has brought the more baseball technique into our game, with increased timing and hand speed. I still firmly believe at almost the halfway stage of the season that Somerset are well placed to challenge for the double once again, there is no doubting they have the ability to remain on course in both the white ball game and the red ball game. What i find impressive as always is the ground fielding, brilliant, surely there is not a safer pair of hands anywhere better than Craig Overton, Riley Meredith might have only played five one-day internationals for Australia, but more are bound to come in the not too distant future, he has been magnificent. Tom Banton opening the batting has asked a few questions whether he should retain that spot, i believe he should, others question whether he should bat lower down the order and bring in Tom Lammonby, that has been questioned by some of the supporters and even Tom Abell has been short of runs, but the one sure factor is that Somerset have unquestionably got a massive array of talent at their disposal and they remain the team to beat in the 2025 season. The big test in the county championship, however will start on Sunday as the league leaders Nottinghamshire are the visitors to the County Ground.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Valkyries Coach Makes Honest Admission About Facing Chicago Sky Coach
Valkyries Coach Makes Honest Admission About Facing Chicago Sky Coach originally appeared on Athlon Sports. As Natalie Nakase, hired by the Golden State Valkyries in October 2024, prepared to face Tyler Marsh, the Chicago Sky's first-year head coach, she was reminded of the time they spent together under Becky Hammon in Vegas. Advertisement Both proteges of Hammon, Nakase and Marsh helped guide the Las Vegas Aces to back-to-back WNBA titles in 2022 and 2023. When asked about the "uniqueness of being first-year head coaches at the same time and not calling each other opponents," Nakase tempered the moment with nostalgia. "It's awkward, to be honest, to call each other opponents. When you win two championships and spend that much time together… you learn a lot. You end up really becoming family," she said, recalling late-night texts and shared meals under the Aces banner. Yet, she added, "At the same time, we're here to do a job. This is business, and we're here to win." Marsh, who completed his playing days at UAB and Birmingham-Southern before embarking on a coaching path, cut his teeth in the G League and NBA, with the Toronto Raptors (2019 NBA champion) and Indiana Pacers, before joining the Aces in March 2022. Advertisement Nakase, meanwhile, spent time coaching overseas in Germany and Japan before working with the Agua Caliente Clippers (G League) and Los Angeles Clippers as an assistant, and eventually the Aces from 2022 to 2024. Chicago Sky head coach Tyler Butler II-Imagn Images Coming into the game, the Valkyries had defied expectations with a .500 record (7-7) in their inaugural season, while the Sky have struggled to find consistency, boasting a 4-10 record and the league's second-worst point differential (-10.3). With both teams on opposite sides of the standings, Friday's meeting at Chase Center offered more than your typical midseason contest. Related: Stephanie White Breaks Silence After Missing Chicago Sky Game Related: Ranking the 25 Best WNBA Players of All Time This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
People use AI for companionship much less than we're led to believe
The overabundance of attention paid to how people are turning to AI chatbots for emotional support, sometimes even striking up relationships, often leads one to think such behavior is commonplace. A new report by Anthropic, which makes the popular AI chatbot Claude, reveals a different reality: In fact, people rarely seek out companionship from Claude and turn to the bot for emotional support and personal advice only 2.9% of the time. 'Companionship and roleplay combined comprise less than 0.5% of conversations,' the company highlighted in its report. Anthropic says its study sought to unearth insights into the use of AI for 'affective conversations,' which it defines as personal exchanges in which people talked to Claude for coaching, counseling, companionship, roleplay, or advice on relationships. Analyzing 4.5 million conversations that users had on the Claude Free and Pro tiers, the company said the vast majority of Claude usage is related to work or productivity, with people mostly using the chatbot for content creation. That said, Anthropic found that people do use Claude more often for interpersonal advice, coaching, and counseling, with users most often asking for advice on improving mental health, personal and professional development, and studying communication and interpersonal skills. However, the company notes that help-seeking conversations can sometimes turn into companionship-seeking in cases where the user is facing emotional or personal distress, such as existential dread or loneliness, or when they find it hard to make meaningful connections in their real life. 'We also noticed that in longer conversations, counseling or coaching conversations occasionally morph into companionship — despite that not being the original reason someone reached out,' Anthropic wrote, noting that extensive conversations (with over 50+ human messages) were not the norm. Anthropic also highlighted other insights, like how Claude itself rarely resists users' requests, except when its programming prevents it from broaching safety boundaries, like providing dangerous advice or supporting self-harm. Conversations also tend to become more positive over time when people seek coaching or advice from the bot, the company said. The report is certainly interesting — it does a good job of reminding us yet again of just how much and how often AI tools are being used for purposes beyond work. Still, it's important to remember that AI chatbots, across the board, are still very much a work in progress: They hallucinate, are known to readily provide wrong information or dangerous advice, and as Anthropic itself has acknowledged, may even resort to blackmail.
BBC News
a day ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Bristol City coaches following Manning to Norwich
Chris Hogg and James Krause have left Bristol City to join Liam Manning's coaching team at Hibernian player Hogg, 40, will be assistant head coach, having worked with Manning at the Robins, Oxford United and MK Dons, and also has previous coaching experience at Newcastle first-team coach analyst Krause also worked with Manning at Ashton Gate and the MKM Stadium, and previous worked at join first team coach Ryan Garry, who has arrived from Lommel SK and previously was part of the youth set-up at the Gunners and director Ben Knapper told the Canaries, external website: "Chris and James are, of course, well known to Liam, both forming a key part of his staff for some time now, across multiple clubs. "They have both slotted in seamlessly this week and will be key in supporting Liam and the staff more broadly in creating a top-class environment for our players."It's a really exciting team to be supporting Liam in delivering a truly elite football programme."
Washington Post
a day ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
There's fury over WNBA officiating: ‘I think it's getting worse.'
Sydney Johnson was nearly on the Mystics logo at center court, far from the bench, thrusting his index finger at game official Agon Abazi. Johnson was incensed over a series of calls Sunday and was more animated than he has been at any point this season. And just like that, the first-year coach received his first technical in the WNBA.
