"This is part of getting things back on track for Rotorua cricket," he said.
"We've got the schools, clubs and juniors all working together. We're educating and upskilling coaches as a community to create a better experience for cricketers."
Coaches will have to demonstrate how they would take a coaching session for spin bowlers, what drills they would include for batsmen and how they would coach fielders.
"It's been a long time since we've had anything like this in Rotorua. Getting 20 people is a significant number compared to other regions. Northern District and New Zealand Cricket are over the moon with the response we've had - normally we would expect to only get two or three.
There are other initiatives happening in Rotorua cricket with schools being paired up with a premier grade club to act as feeders. There are also high school students enrolled on the course to enable them to pass on their skills to their school team and to also have a recognised qualification should they want to travel overseas and play cricket for a season.
Richardson expects all participants to have completed the course by Labour Weekend at the latest. He himself holds the New Zealand and Australian Level 3 coaching certificates.
