Kari Carswell steps down as head coach of Northern Spirit

Kari Carswell will be leaving her role as head coach of Northern Spirit to take up an exciting opportunity with New Zealand Cricket, it was announced on Friday (April 3). The former Scotland international started off as the female pathway manager at Northern Districts Cricket Association in September 2016 before taking up a role as amateur cricket manager.

Carswell, who represented
Scotland for as many as 18 seasons, initially moved to New Zealand on a two-year
work visa. However, she returned to the country within no time and was handed
the role of head coach.

“My plan was to do my two
years before heading home to see what I could pick up,” Carswell said.

“I remember rocking up to work on my first day at Seddon Park and thinking, ‘wow! I get to work here?!’ I was so used to working from an office within a school.”

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“I did head home for four
months, but then applied for the Spirit head coach and female pathway manager
role; I had a sense of unfinished business with ND, so was really chuffed when
I got offered the job.”

Carswell oversaw significant progress during her time at Northern Districts Cricket. Not only was she the first full-time female domestic coach and female pathway manager in Hamilton, but also in the entire county. Her appointment seemed to give greater scope to the development of women’s cricket in New Zealand.

One of her major
contributions as pathway manager was the establishment of the Northern Premier
League, giving more players within the area a chance to play competitive
cricket.

In the 2019-20 season she oversaw the team’s most successful season yet, leading them to a top-of-the-table finish in the round-robin stage of the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield. Spirit thus contested in their maiden final where they went down to a rampaging Auckland Hearts.

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Despite the achievements on the field, Carswell said that her biggest contribution to Northern Districts was making people more aware of the women’s game. The recent introduction of domestic contracts, and the gradual improvement in the infrastructure have been the icing on the cake.

“The main thing is it’s on
people’s agendas now; more people are talking about it more often,” she said. “Yes,
it’s been tough in the past, but I’m not one to look back at barriers and
obstacles, I much prefer to focus on the opportunities that are on the horizon.”

“The introduction of
domestic contracts has been a big step in the right direction, the growing
access to better surfaces for domestic teams to play and train on; these are
the sort of tools we can now provide the unbelievable talent within New Zealand’s
system to improve.”

Daniel Archer, Northern Districts general manager performance and people, praised Carswell for her contribution to the game in Hamilton.

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“Through her leadership and coaching, Kari has significantly contributed to the growth of a Spirit program that people want to be a part of,” he said. “The growth and development of all within the program, Kari included, is a great reflection of her professionalism and drive as a coach. She will be deeply missed at Northern Districts, but we are all excited and proud of her appointment with New Zealand Cricket.”

Speaking about the future of
Northern Districts cricket and where the team could go from their recent high,
Carswell admitted that there is a great deal of talent within the system, and
with time they could be a “force to be reckoned with.”

“There are a number of
quality youngsters in our age-group teams and if they keep progressing, they
could play international cricket in years to come.”

“Cricket can now be a
genuine career for these young players, which I think is incredibly exciting.”