Families with children from ages 6 – 16 years are being invited to come along to Stockland Green for a free four-week cricket coaching camp during the summer holidays.
A new initiative to build cricketing talent in inner cities has launched and local children have already started to come along from 12 – 3 pm on 5 August 2019 to learn how to bat, bowl and field.
Run by the Highcroft & Great Barr Cricket Club, and being subsidised by the Warwickshire Cricket Board, the lessons will take place on the full-sized cricket pitch at Highcroft Community Centre on Slade Road.
With up to 100 placements available, children from Erdington, Castle Vale, Perry Barr and surrounding areas are encouraged to come along and find out if they’re the next World Champion bowler or batsperson!
Semi-pro club cricketers, Head Coach Khalid Sadiq and Assistant Coach Siraj Ali are driving the local initiative. They are both Welfare Officers and Warwickshire Cricket Board Chance to Shine and Diverse Community Coaches.
Sadiq commented on the initiative:
I’ve always wanted to set up a youth section for inner-city kids, where cricket can open doors and pathways that youngsters around this area may never have considered. With minimum cost to families, a safe environment and the possibility of district trials, we offer the support to nurture our future cricketers.
The Highcroft & Great Barr Cricket Club is a fantastic opportunity for inner-city children to gain district and county-level training to shine alongside children who partake in cricket across the whole county.
Khalid and Siraj are also responsible for coaching many of the junior teams to spectacular success despite some of them never having played cricket before this season. 40 children are already signed up to play for the club throughout the year, with the unbeaten Under 13s winning the Warwickshire Under 13s league, while the Under 15s team also won in their age group.
Cheryl Dockery, Chief Officer, at Stockland Green Opportunity Housing and Training (part of The Pioneer Group) that manages Highcroft Community Centre, comments:
With England’s recent Cricket World Cup win, there is a buzz around the sport, and we’re excited to offer children and adults the Highcroft Community Centre as a safe space to try out new activities.
Over the summer, it will be extremely busy at the Centre but bringing the community together and creating opportunities for recreation and learning is exactly why we exist.
In addition to the cricketing activities, Highcroft Community Centre will be busy hosting the Happy Healthy Holidays project which is a free holiday activity programme beginning at 10am on 5 August 2019.
For more information about either project run at Highcroft Community Centre, please call 0121 382 5101 or email khalidmsadiq@hotmail.com