Topic: Cricket - The sport that doesn't want kids?? (Read 4638 times)

Calzehbhoy · « **on:** October 11, 2018, 04:42:36 PM »

My boy turns 2 next month and we've started looking around at sports related activities for him to do so he can interact with other kids and also start getting (Albeit early) exposure to sports.

To my shock the only sport that doesn't appear to be interested in kids is cricket! From 18 months onward he could have gone to a football themed class, from 2 onward he can also go to gymnastics, Rugby, swimming. From 3 onward he can add Trampolining, tennis, martial arts to the list...

Cricket?? As far as I can see 5 is the youngest to start All-Stars Cricket.

It really is no surprise the participation levels in our great sport are dropping, especially if the kids are getting pulled in at such an early age into other sports!!

kaustav · « **Reply #1 on:** October 11, 2018, 04:46:42 PM »

To add to that: the cost of playing cricket, with the equipment, facilities etc., is way more than football and some other popular sports. This is a major hindrance.

Buzz · « **Reply #2 on:** October 11, 2018, 05:07:48 PM »

Try PlayBall.
There isn't much preschool cricket around, 2 year olds are far too unstructured!

If this rant was about the ECB cutting team sizes for u8s and 9s as was recommended today then we have a different story...!

InternalTraining · « **Reply #3 on:** October 11, 2018, 05:12:13 PM »

Quote from: Calzehbhoy on October 11, 2018, 04:42:36 PM

My boy turns 2 next month and we've started looking around at sports related activities for him to do so he can interact with other kids and also start getting (Albeit early) exposure to sports.

To my shock the only sport that doesn't appear to be interested in kids is cricket! From 18 months onward he could have gone to a football themed class, from 2 onward he can also go to gymnastics, Rugby, swimming. From 3 onward he can add Trampolining, tennis, martial arts to the list...

Cricket?? As far as I can see 5 is the youngest to start All-Stars Cricket.

It really is no surprise the participation levels in our great sport are dropping, especially if the kids are getting pulled in at such an early age into other sports!!

I think it is easier to dismiss cricket or lack of cricket's infrastructure for younger players but there are a few things to keep in mind:
1. Cricket is a team/group sport even at the adult level. You need a group of willing 24 guys to have a proper game. Sociologically, ability to build social groups is a key factor in the game of cricket. You kick a football around by yourself where as in cricket a group must have a focus and desire to make a game work, very tough for kids under say 7 or 8. Cricket is suited for older kids. I know players who started very early but mostly with a handful of siblings or close friends (swinging a bat around or throwing a tennis ball) before progressing to larger team structures but it took reaching a certain age.
2. Attention span: kids have shorter attention spans out in the field and may not be willing to participate in a rule-intensive sport like cricket. Easy to kick a football around and run, it is a simple game to follow.
3. Gear, equipment, ground, and logistics make it awfully hard to have young kids organize a game by themselves. Clubs can only dedicate a few hours a week for a few weeks in the season to support a kids camp. Ultimately the responsibility falls on parents, close group of friends and kids of the same age.

The best thing a parent can do is to take kids to their own games to foster the kids' interest. If the clubs are family friendly, they will become the focal point for young players and the younger/next generation(s).

cricketbadger · « **Reply #4 on:** October 11, 2018, 05:18:53 PM »

Quote from: kaustav on October 11, 2018, 04:46:42 PM

To add to that: the cost of playing cricket, with the equipment, facilities etc., is way more than football and some other popular sports. This is a major hindrance.

A plastic bat and a soft ball doesn't cost really cost much does it, that's all needed for a youngster say 4 years old. Not gonna kit them out in full whites and softs

Northern monkey · « **Reply #5 on:** October 11, 2018, 05:20:11 PM »

2yr old?
Get in a park with him,her and let them hit a ball, or the nets whilst at games.
Some stumps and a little bat,(cut an old bat down) and one of those orange balls is perfect
From the limited jnr cricket I�ve taken my kids too, it�s more or less an after school chill out for the parents
The all stars may get the kids interacting, but it has very little relevance to playing cricket from what I�ve seen
My 4yr old was bored witless, and couldn�t believe the kids couldn�t even catch a ball etc, never mind hit one.

Still I suppose it gets them off the PlayStation etc

cricketbadger · « **Reply #6 on:** October 11, 2018, 05:25:09 PM »

From a coaches point of view, coaching them at a very young age is difficult from what I've experienced for a number of reasons, for example lack of attention span or patience. It's hard cos they can't just be left to their own devices with a bat and ball, and wouldn't follow instructions too well.

I'm pretty sure any club running all stars wouldn't have any issues with participants younger than the 5yr old limit, our club had a few. But it is difficult to control them and often cause chaos, which to some extent is all part of the fun and learning, but can have a negative affect on other participants

In conclusion I think the best bet is the parents doing whatever they can with them whilst they are so young. My son is 14 months old, has a small autograph bat and numerous balls allover the house. He picks the bat up, whacks the ball around, throws the ball back and forth to me (granted maybe not intentionally) and that I believe is good enough for now. I won't start recording his technique and analysing it with him just yet...... Not for another 2 years at least

SLA · « **Reply #7 on:** October 11, 2018, 07:00:59 PM »

Quote from: Calzehbhoy on October 11, 2018, 04:42:36 PM

My boy turns 2 next month and we've started looking around at sports related activities for him to do so he can interact with other kids and also start getting (Albeit early) exposure to sports.

To my shock the only sport that doesn't appear to be interested in kids is cricket! From 18 months onward he could have gone to a football themed class, from 2 onward he can also go to gymnastics, Rugby, swimming. From 3 onward he can add Trampolining, tennis, martial arts to the list...

Cricket?? As far as I can see 5 is the youngest to start All-Stars Cricket.

It really is no surprise the participation levels in our great sport are dropping, especially if the kids are getting pulled in at such an early age into other sports!!

Let's be realistic, an 5 year old let alone a 2 year old isn't old enough to either appreciate or understand different sports, or benefit from sport specific coaching.

These sessions are just a glorified creche, the nominal association with some sport is purely for the parent's benefit. Team sports should begin at 8 at the earliest. before then, just focus on fun and the abcs.

FattusCattus · « **Reply #8 on:** October 11, 2018, 07:38:10 PM »

I coach 5 and 6 year olds occasionally and their attention span is awful! I think cricket as a sport doesn�t lend itself to this age group.

I end mixing basic skills with running races, roly-polys and sleeping Lions.

I can�t see under 5�s working.

KettonJake · « **Reply #9 on:** October 11, 2018, 08:31:12 PM »

I did a couple of all stars sessions. Fantastic fun but barely resembled cricket, essentially glorified babysitting with a few base skills like hand eye, throwing etc, translatable into many sports. It could have easily been called all stars sports and removed from the idea of cricket entirely.

Can�t imagine how one would go about making provision for a 2 or 3 year old.

Football is easy, it�s the nations biggest sport, and even at 7 and 8 years old still consists of a gaggle of kids moving around a pitch like a shoal of fish with a ball somewhere in the middle.

Cricket is niche, involves specialist skills and is an extremely unusual combination of team sport with individual skills/competition.

Buzz · « **Reply #10 on:** October 11, 2018, 09:23:39 PM »

I have bought a few of these for 60mph throw downs for the u6s I will be coaching in the summer, they will love it...

kaustav · « **Reply #11 on:** October 11, 2018, 09:27:11 PM »

Too slow....the kids these days have lightning reflexes...try 90mph

beaver5 · « **Reply #12 on:** October 11, 2018, 10:11:45 PM »

I'm a PE teacher and go into first schools and teach cricket from reception upwards. It doesn't need to resemble cricket at that age. It's simple throwing and catching games, races fetching and placing a ball on cones, simple striking a ball at a target for points. It just needs to be fun and then they'll want to play, skills come later.

Calzehbhoy · « **Reply #13 on:** October 11, 2018, 10:28:41 PM »

Quote from: beaver5 on October 11, 2018, 10:11:45 PM

I'm a PE teacher and go into first schools and teach cricket from reception upwards. It doesn't need to resemble cricket at that age. It's simple throwing and catching games, races fetching and placing a ball on cones, simple striking a ball at a target for points. It just needs to be fun and then they'll want to play, skills come later.

Finally somebody gets it!

Maybe the responses so far are symptomatic with the games problems! Cricket is an inward looking sport only!

I�m not expecting him to be padded up facing the bowling machine!! It�s introducing them to the sport! Running around stumps, throwing & chasing tennis balls. They are all introducing the sport getting the kid excited about �cricket� and it�s possibilities

Yes I sit and play catch with him most evenings and he�ll run around hitting balls with his autograph bat but it�s funny to think that without me driving it he wouldn�t and won�t play the sport at all as he�s simply not exposed to it until after other sports have taken the vast majority of young children.

six and out · « **Reply #14 on:** October 12, 2018, 05:51:33 AM »

Quote from: Calzehbhoy on October 11, 2018, 10:28:41 PM

Finally somebody gets it!

Maybe the responses so far are symptomatic with the games problems! Cricket is an inward looking sport only!

I�m not expecting him to be padded up facing the bowling machine!! It�s introducing them to the sport! Running around stumps, throwing & chasing tennis balls. They are all introducing the sport getting the kid excited about �cricket� and it�s possibilities

Yes I sit and play catch with him most evenings and he�ll run around hitting balls with his autograph bat but it�s funny to think that without me driving it he wouldn�t and won�t play the sport at all as he�s simply not exposed to it until after other sports have taken the vast majority of young children.

But what the PE Teacher says going into Reception classes is great and the right thing to do...... That's not the age 2 or even 3 you are after though is it..... It's the same as All Stars age 4/5.

Believe me I have been into the Soccertots and the likes when my boy was 2 and it isn't football really. It it would be exactly the same with all the other sports with kids at that age. What it is really about is getting you to to start early, use them as a babysitting service, with the promise that it will become the full sport it is on the TV and your kid will be doing it all. All the while you are paying a monthly fee etc...

To set up a Crickettots for example would be interesting because it would be that early period where the kids aren't really doing anything to much cricket related that you have to get through. If you could devise overcoming that bit then it's doable

Author Topic: Cricket - The sport that doesn't want kids?? (Read 4638 times)

Calzehbhoy

Cricket - The sport that doesn't want kids??

kaustav

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Buzz

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InternalTraining

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cricketbadger

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Northern monkey

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cricketbadger

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SLA

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FattusCattus

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KettonJake

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Buzz

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kaustav

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beaver5

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Calzehbhoy

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six and out

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