Player Blog: Tavare on his new contract, pre-season and work experience
6 December 2016
In the first player blog of the close season Will Tavare talks us through his new contract with the club and his pre-season training ahead of the 2017 season .
Heading into the end of the season I was going through the process of signing a new contract , which is always a great thing to go through for any player. For me Gloucestershire is my home club that I have supported for as long as I can remember so it wasn’t a hard decision to “sign on the dotted line.”
Representing Gloucestershire was a dream of mine for a long time so it is obviously something I relish every time I step onto the pitch with such a talented bunch of lads.
For me, over the past five years, October has meant getting myself to Heathrow and preparing myself for a winter away playing and developing my game (as well as avoiding the cold English winter)!
This year however, I am staying at home which meant October was a time to relax and get away from the game and to see my family. We attended an award ceremony not only to celebrate the season for us as a squad, but the youth and ladies teams too.
Even though the season was over and we were not in training we really stuck together as a group of lads. Golf was a big part of October for us with our varying abilities and our squad definitely includes a few bandits! I also got back into playing tennis; although my scatter gun technique needed some refining especially my non-existent back hand!
The start of November was the beginning of training for us in preparation for the new season. We are in 5 days a week with our new fitness trainer, Bob Smith, leading the way. We have been put through our paces in the gym and on the track.
Not having spent a winter at home for some time, it’s been a vastly different experience to that of the beaches down under or the tuk tuks in Sri Lanka but so far I have loved it, even with today’s track session in freezing temperatures! We have been doing some skill work around our fitness but that will increase after the Christmas celebrations.
The PCA (Professional Cricketers’ Association) are excellent in how they help all of us on the cricketing circuit - from helping with contracts to life after cricket. With their advice I have started doing a bit of work on a Wednesday afternoon post training with Finders Keepers.
My experience of life in the real world away from cricket is extremely limited and ex-Gloucestershire keeper, Andy Brassington, has been excellent in showing me how he runs a successful business alongside his brilliant team. Just getting to see how a business functions, as well as meeting a wide range of people, has been eye opening.
A big thing I have been told by the vast majority of the people I have met is to make the most of how privileged I am to play professional sport and to keep enjoying it, the working world can wait! It’s still been an excellent thing to do and will definitely help me in the long run and I can’t thank Finders Keepers enough.
I wish you all a great festive period, a happy Christmas and New Year. Can’t wait to see you all at the Brightside Ground next season!
Will Tavare is sponsored by Highcroft Veterinary Group
