Erin Osborne giving back with her next step

ACT Meteors allrounder Erin Osborne has identified her transition into a coaching as a great opportunity to give back to the game that has given her so much.

With more than 200 appearances combined for Australia, the Meteors, Sydney Thunder and Melbourne Stars, Erin’s experience both on and off the field will be invaluable for the next generation of cricketers in the ACT as part of a pilot program established by Cricket ACT and Cricket Australia.

The program is aimed at keeping some of the nation’s best cricketing minds within the game following their playing career and while Erin will continue to play for the Meteors, her day-to-day life will now be split differently to years past.

“I’ve been very fortunate Cricket ACT have allowed me to work across multiple programs including the male and female pathway already,” says Erin.

“I’ve absolutely loved it and it’s something I want to continue in the future.

Although altering her routine will need some adjusting to, Erin is looking forward to her next step.

“It wasn’t a decision I made lightly but I’m very grateful to have had the support from Cricket ACT and their willingness to strike a balance which will enable me still to play but also start work on what might be next for me and that’s coaching.

“It’ll obviously be a challenge juggling training loads initially and I don’t want to do the ACT Meteors program a disservice by not being there and training with the squad. We’re still working through a process that all parties are happy and comfortable with.”

Erin will miss the competitiveness of the game when she does stop playing.

“I think it’s the unpredictable nature of sport in general,” she said.

“It’s experiencing the highs that come with the lows that keep you motivated to keep going.

“Cricket is a bit of a funny one because from an individual perspective there are probably more lows but you get a lot of positives from team wins and successes.”

Creating a balance between on and off field is a key that Erin’s utilised throughout her career -completing just about two degrees with the help of ACA education grants, and it’s a vital lesson she’ll look to pass on through her coaching.

“I’ll always say the balance on and off the field is extremely important.

“I think when you put all your eggs in one basket and things happen that aren’t in your control then things can blow up and you just need to be prepared for that,” she said.

“There’s injuries, there’s selections that you just do not have control of so if you have work or education on the outside, I think that’s really important.