Episode 131 with Dean Headley on how important honest mentoring of young cricketers is today as the game is not a "fairy tale"

Dean comes from a famous cricket family background but that did not mean he was going to make it in the game. In fact as a youngster he was far more interested in football until he moved to RGS Worcester where he immersed himself in the cricket environment and excelled for the school and for his local club Old Hill CC. He was then offered a pro contract by Worcestershire at the age of 18 only to have that taken away aged 19 and was left feeling let down and angry. But everything happens for a reason and within a year he was offered a club contract in Staffs where he had a tremendous season and this got the attention of other counties whereupon Dean was offered a contract at Middlesex.

Since hanging up his playing boots Dean spent 10 years in sales and since then has been in schools as a lead coach at Stamford and Blundell where he has learned much about himself as a coach as well as much about coaching youngsters of all abilities. He has seen how his dry sense of humour is perceived differently by certain individuals and how mentoring is something he really enjoys.

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