For the first time in two years, Gonville School has a team in the Friday night cricket league. Many will be picking up a bat and ball for the first time so, in a way, this is the most important time to have a coach.
Brendon McCullum and Daniel Vettori earn millions each year but they, too, once played on school fields and had coaches who were everyday people giving up Saturday mornings and weekday evenings to run a team.
Without volunteer coaches children may have an interest in a sport, but would never get the opportunity to play.
For the Chronicle volunteer series I decided to give children's sports coaching a go and Gonville School sports co-ordinator Leigh Cornish handed me a group of 15 8- to 10-year-olds for an hour-long cricket session. Coaching a children's team requires patience and a "realistic view of where you want the kids to be by the end of the season", Ms Cornish says.
"It's just about the kids knowing they've got someone to go to show them when and what to do.