Former Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) and St Lucia Kings player Kristopher Ramsaran is quietly shaping the future of American cricket — one young player at a time — as head coach of one of San Francisco’s fastest-growing academies.
Ramsaran, who moved to the United States a year and a half ago, was assigned to lead structured sessions at a branch of the Blazers Cricket Academy.
When he arrived, there were just a handful of children enrolled.
“When I came, there was roughly about five or six kids,” Ramsaran recalled. “Now at this branch, we are up to like 60 kids.”
The Blazers programme, which began as a minor league team before transitioning into an internal academy structure, now boasts approximately 400 active players across its system — making it one of the largest cricket academies in the San Francisco area.
Ramsaran credits his time in regional cricket and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with shaping his approach to coaching.
“From being in those regional setups and CPL, I saw how coaches operated and how they structured sessions,” he said.
“I took that same thing into this academy. I basically copied what they have done. I try to emulate everything and make sure that kids understand that it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to become a professional.”
Still active as a player, Ramsaran believes his move to the United States has revitalised his own cricketing journey.
“Since moving to the US, I thought my career somewhat revamped,” he said. “I think I was accepted a little more and a lot of people saw a lot of potential in me.”
He was later invited to travel with the Seattle Thunderbolts, further expanding his exposure within American cricket circles.
While many Caribbean players are known for their intensity, Ramsaran describes himself as a calm and measured coach, influenced by figures he observed in franchise leagues.
“I watched a few coaches in Major League Cricket — guys like Matthew Mott, Ricky Ponting, Ian Bell,” he explained. “They were all so calm. They never pressured players. They were always on that good side. I took a lot of that into my coaching.”
He added: “I tend not to pressure kids. We are all humans and people deal with things differently. I try to take that more subtle coaching style instead of being that loud coach. I’m not that type.”
His approach appears to resonate.
“As the kids say, I am actually the fun coach in the academy,” Ramsaran laughed. “I always laugh around with them. At games we always have jokes, we play little games. I think they have adapted well to my style.”
San Francisco’s cricket community is largely driven by the area’s significant South Asian population, but Ramsaran says the game is steadily widening its appeal.
“A lot of the kids are from the Asian community, but they are all born in America,” he said. “And we are seeing more American kids — not of Indian descent — starting to be interested in the game. That’s something good, because obviously it’s still growing in America.”
The sport’s profile received a significant boost last year when Major League Cricket matches were hosted at the Oakland Coliseum — formerly home to the NFL’s Raiders.
“We had Major League Cricket here in the Oakland Coliseum and there were a lot of crowds at the games,” Ramsaran said. “It just shows how cricket is filling that vacuum.”
With favourable weather allowing cricket to be played year-round, he believes the Bay Area is primed for further growth.
“There’s cricket here 24/7, all year round. On weekends it never stops because winter does not affect any cricketing background here.”
The inclusion of cricket in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics could prove transformative for the West Coast.
“Because cricket is in the Olympics and Los Angeles is so close, San Francisco basically is the hub of cricket for the West Coast,” Ramsaran predicted. “I think it will pick up a lot of interest.”
Ramsaran also sees strong Caribbean fingerprints in the development of American cricket.
“In the US, especially in Texas and New York, there are a lot of coaches from the Caribbean,” he said. “I think USA is surely adopting the West Indian style.”
With several American players boasting West Indian heritage, that cultural exchange could deepen as the sport evolves nationally.
For Ramsaran, success is measured not in trophies, but in opportunity.
“Success for me as a coach would be seeing the majority of my kids play for the US — Under-15, Under-19 — going to World Cups and so on,” he said.
He also harbours ambitions of launching his own academy in the future.
“I actually have dreams and hopes of opening my own academy someday,” he revealed. “It would be more relaxed, focused on skills and good mental health.”
Mental well-being, he emphasised, is crucial in a demanding sport like cricket.
“Mental health plays a big part in cricket. Once they are in good mental health, then I think their career should go on.”
From five students to 60 in just 18 months, Ramsaran’s impact in San Francisco is already tangible.
And if his vision materialises, the next generation of American cricketers may well trace their roots to a calm, smiling Caribbean coach who believes in structure, patience — and a little fun along the way.
