Worcestershire Cricket Board Limited are playing a major role in the ECB's new 'All Stars Cricket' initiative aimed at attracting 5-8 year-olds to the game for life – and also finding the next Daryl Mitchell or Joe Leach.
WCBL have helped to set up 29 centres across the County where youngsters can participate in the All Stars Cricket (ASC) scheme.
For an all in cost of just £40, children will receive eight weeks coaching at one of the centres, plus a bag, ball, bat, cap, water bottle and personalised shirt.
The activity and game based programme is suitable for all skill levels, providing children with the foundations to begin a life-long love of physical activity and cricket while also making friends in a safe and enjoyable environment.
But the more children who take up the game, the more opportunity there will be to discover a new Mitchell, Leach, Joe Clarke or Ben Cox.
WCBL Cricket Development Director Tom Hill cannot disguise his enthusiasm for 'All Stars Cricket' and said: "If I'm honest, this is probably the most exciting programme we've been involved in because it is so well thought out and so well planned.
"It really is about inspiring the next generation of five to eight-year-olds who are the future of the game to get involved in cricket – and it couldn't make it easier for them
"We have 34 clubs across Worcestershire who have all had trained activators (coaches), so they are ready to go.
"From a parents perspective, they will get everything they need for £40, a bag, a bat, a ball, a cap, a shirt with their name on it, and eight weeks worth of coaching, no additional costs.
"All the things you worry about as a parent, how much will it cost, will my child have what they need, are all taken away.
"It's just ensuring kids have a great experience and hopefully sharing that experience with their parents and having a really good family time at their local club."
So how does an interested five to eight-year-old join the All Stars Scheme? Hill explained: "Basically they need to log onto the All Stars Cricket website, put their postcode in and find their nearest centre via www.ecb.co.uk/play/all-stars
"It's got all details of the coaching dates and local centres. They can pay on-line, order their kit which arrives before the sessions start so they can rock up with their kit bag, looking the part, make some friends and go from there.
"Most of the centres are starting the coaching on May 19 so we are encouraging as many parents and kids to sign up to what we believe is a brilliant offer.
"Hopefully the kids participating will also get a chance to come and view a game at New Road. We want these kids to have a great experience, to have all the kit, feel part of something.
"You look at cricket and what it has to offer. No doubt, we will find the next professional cricketer.
"It is about not only finding the next Daryl Mitchell, Joe Leach, Joe Clarke, Ben Cox, but also just giving kids a chance to try cricket and hopefully they will stay and carry on playing, become a volunteer or even just a lifelong fan.
"Starting cricket at that age and being exposed to the appropriate training, they will learn the basics. For us it is about providing these kids and families with a great experience so they want to come back.
"Cricket teaches nine out of the ten fundamental skills – throwing, striking, catching, running, jumping etc
"As five to eight-year-olds, you meet your mates for life generally so it gets kids engaged with other kids, learning about themselves, learning about other people, and really helps them learn those softer skills which are so important to young children."
Hill added: "We've already had over 100 kids sign up in Worcestershire in a short period of time.
"We would love to get to 1,500 kids from Worcestershire signing up for local kids this summer.
"It has never been more difficult to win the hearts and minds of young people and hopefully by this programme it gets more kids with bats and balls in their hands so they can fall in love with the game."
Sam Wyles, WCBL All Stars Cricket co-ordinator, said: "The programme is directly linked into ‘Big Cricket’, essentially the England national cricket team. It’s got most of the county cricketers involved as well so these are exciting times.
"For example, Worcestershire captain Joe Leach has done his fair share of social media work to promote the concept and we are also lucky to have players like Joe Clarke and Ed Barnard sharing their stories on how they got into cricket.
"Already 30 centres are live. The biggest centre we have at the moment is Droitwich, who has 33 children signed up already which is staggering especially with the programme being live for only over two weeks.
"Lot of clubs have generated interest through social media and they have benefited from that immensely.
"For example, Rushwick CC posted in the local Facebook group for the village and on the back of that they had 17 new sign ups. We encourage clubs to take advantage of social media as much as possible.”
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The full list of participating clubs with the relevant coaching dates are found below (please visit the website to find latest details):
Bredon CC
Tewkesbury, GL20 7EU
Fri 19th May – Fri 7th July £40.00
Overbury CC
Tewkesbury, GL20 7NT
Fri 19th May – Fri 7th July £40.00
Evesham CC
Evesham, WR11 4LE
Sun 14th May – Sun 2nd July £40.00
Kempsey CC
Worcester, WR5 3SA
Fri 19th May – Fri 7th July £40.00
Worcester Cricket Club
Worcester, WR52PP
Fri 19th May – Fri 7th July £40.00
Harvington CC
Evesham, WR11 8NR
Wed 3rd May – Wed 21st June £40.00
Old Elizabethans CC
Worcester, WR3 7SN
Mon 22nd May – Mon 7th June £40.00
Himbleton CC
Droitwich Spa, WR9 7LE
Fri 19th May – Fri 7th July £40.00
Hagley CC
Stourbridge, DY9 9LG
Sun 21st May – Sun 9th July £40.00
Lye CC
West Midlands, DY9 7DH
Mon 22nd May – Mon 10th July £40.00
Halesowen CC
West Midlands, B63 3EG
Fri 19 May – Fri 07 July £40.00
Kidderminster CC
Kidderminster, DY10 1TH
Fri 19 May – Fri 07 July £40.00
Chaddesley Corbett CC
Kidderminster, DY10 4RD
Thu 25 May – Thu 13 July £40.00
Coombs Wood CC
Halesowen, B62 8NA
Fri 19 May – Fri 07 July £40.00
Barnt Green CC
Birmingham, B45 8LN
Sat 27 May – Sat 15 July £40.00
Avoncroft CC
Bromsgrove, B60 4DN
Sat 20 May – Sat 08 July £40.00
Five Ways Old Edwardians CC
Nr Birmingham, B48 7BD
Fri 19 May – Fri 07 July £40.00
Bewdley CC
Bewdley, DY12 2DP
Fri 26 May – Fri 14 July £40.00
Barnards Green CC
Malvern, WR14 2ET
Wed 24 May – Wed 12 July £40.00
Malvern CC
Malvern Link, WR14 1EB
Sun 21 May – Sun 09 July £45.00
Worcester Nomads CC
Bransford, WR65JH
Mon 22 May – Mon 10 July £40.00
Rushwick CC
Rushwick, WR2 5SU
Fri 19 May – Fri 07 July £40.00
Martley Cricket Club
Martley, WR6 6PE
Tue 25 Jul – Tue 29 August £40.00
Ombersley CC
Droitwich Spa, WR9 0ET
Sun 21 May – Sun 09 July £40.00
Droitwich Spa CC
Droitwich Spa, WR9 7AN
Fri 19 May – Fri 07 July £40.00
Cookhill CC
Cookhill, B96 6NB
Sat 20 May – Sat 08 July £40.00
Astwood Bank CC
Redditch, B96 6EP
Thu 25 May – Thu 13 July £40.00
Redditch CC
Redditch, B97 4SP
Sun 21 May – Sun 09 July £40.00
Wythall CC
Wythall, B47 6LZ
Thu 25 May – Thu 13 July £40.00
