Lewis Evans, Cricket and Coaching Director at Cricket For All, believes coaching isn’t just about runs and wickets — it’s about connection, care, and helping players drive their own journey. From starting out at a Premier Club junior side to leading one of South Australia’s biggest coaching programs, Lewis shares insights on building athletes, coaches, and teams with heart.
There’s a moment every coach has — when the game stops being about drills, plans, or results.
For Lewis Evans, it came in a workshop. A simple question: Who’s the best coach you’ve ever had?
He ran through the names. The resumes. The experiences.
And then it clicked.
They all had one thing in common — they cared.
Not the most technical. Not the most decorated. Just the ones who genuinely gave a damn.
That insight now drives everything Lewis does.
Lewis Evans is the Cricket and Coaching Director at Cricket For All (CFA), and his mission is pretty simple — connect more cricketers in South Australia to the opportunities the game can offer.
But his path into coaching wasn’t some grand master plan.
It started as a practical decision. While still in school, Lewis began helping coach an Under 13 shield side at his Premier club. It was a way to give back — and, in his words, “a better option than working at KFC.”
From there, things snowballed.
He picked up coaching opportunities while travelling to the UK to play. The seasonal lifestyle suited him. Coaching became a constant thread — something that fit around cricket, not the other way around.
Then COVID hit.
No UK. No travel. Just a stack of jobs — four or five at one point — and time to think.
That’s when coaching shifted from “something he did” to something he genuinely loved.
Since then, Lewis has gone all in. Full-time coaching. Building programs. And now leading operations at CFA — scaling coaching across the state while trying to keep quality high and access open.
“They all had one thing in common; they cared about me.”
It’s easy to get caught chasing knowledge. More drills. More systems. More credentials.
But Lewis flips that.
Care isn’t a soft skill — it’s the foundation. When athletes feel it, everything else lands better. Feedback sticks. Trust builds. Growth accelerates.
Without it, even the best technical advice falls flat.
The takeaway: If your athletes don’t feel you care, nothing else matters.
“Players have to be the ones who drive their journey.”
There’s a temptation to control everything as a coach. Structure every session. Solve every problem.
Lewis pushes the opposite.
The player has to own it. Their development. Their decisions. Their direction.
The coach’s role? Guide, support, challenge — not dictate.
Because long-term growth doesn’t come from being told what to do. It comes from learning how to figure it out.
The takeaway: Great coaching isn’t control — it’s ownership.
“The basics are what allows you to do the extraordinary.”
In a world of complex drills and high-performance buzzwords, this stands out.
Lewis keeps coming back to fundamentals.
Not because they’re easy — but because they’re essential.
The best players don’t skip the basics. They double down on them. Over and over again.
And from that foundation, creativity and flair can actually show up.
The takeaway: Master the basics before chasing brilliance.
“Talking; as coaches we talk too much, explain too much…”
It’s a trap most coaches fall into.
Over-explaining. Over-coaching. Filling every silence.
Lewis sees it differently.
Give direction. Then step back.
Let players think. Process. Try. Fail. Adjust.
And when they need help — be there.
It’s not about saying more. It’s about saying what matters.
The takeaway: Clarity beats volume. Say less, mean more.
“‘What is the most important thing we can talk about today?’”
Every session starts with that question.
And sometimes, the answer has nothing to do with cricket.
That’s the point.
Lewis is big on creating space. Space for players to talk. To vent. To be heard.
Because performance isn’t isolated from life. It’s connected to it.
When athletes feel safe, understood, and supported — they learn better. They trust more. They perform more freely.
The takeaway: Coaching starts with the person, not the player.
There’s a clear thread through everything Lewis does.
Connection first.
Whether it’s scaling a coaching business, mentoring young coaches, or working one-on-one with players — it all comes back to understanding people.
Not just their technique. Their story.
Because once you understand that, you can actually help.
And maybe that’s the simplest way to sum it up.
Lewis isn’t trying to reinvent coaching.
He’s just bringing it back to what matters.
Want to connect with Lewis? Jump into the SKILD Coaches community and say g’day!
Sources: