ForestRowSeagull
Well-known member
Not personally involved in it but interesting to see the Sussex prem title is going down to the wire!!
Great stuff! Out of curiosity, do you feel the interest was there for your junior sides or did it require a lot of extra work? It's something we're looking into a pushing with youth days, going into schools etc, but finding it very hard for kids to hold interest. That, or they move to our rivals who have an established youth setup...Oh, and aside from blowing my own personal trumpet - to balance the doom and gloom around the state of amateur cricket - here's some background to what has been going on at my club.
When I joined the club, just THREE years ago, we had two teams, and no junior section. The facilities extended to a pitch and a pavilion (which is owned by the parish council, but really only used by the club and a playgroup who use the main room in the week). And covers - they did have the pitch covers.
In those three years, we have grown to three Saturday league sides (with the first team gaining two promotions).
The junior section that started with a single U9 side two years ago, now comprises 6 teams, 3 at U11 and 2 at U9. At least 4 of our juniors have been chosen for Hampshire teams, and we've won a promotion and an indoor league.
This season has seen the club form it's first women's team - they secured their first ever victory last week, and the club achieved ClubMark status.
Facilities-wise, the addition of the extra teams has helped hugely with our attractiveness to those that allocate grant funding - and in the three years we have added site screens, and electronic scoreboard. Just in the last two weeks we have had two artificial nets installed (yet to be opened) and over the winter we are adding an artificial strip on the edge of the square.
The Parish council have become a bit more relaxed on the pavilion, and allowed us to put up new club signage and some honours boards, which has made it feel more of a proper cricket pavilion.
Remarkable effort (as with any club, by a few incredibly dedicated people).
It began with the club signing up to the ECB's Allstars program.Great stuff! Out of curiosity, do you feel the interest was there for your junior sides or did it require a lot of extra work? It's something we're looking into a pushing with youth days, going into schools etc, but finding it very hard for kids to hold interest. That, or they move to our rivals who have an established youth setup...
Scoreboard is an excellent addition, but blimey they're expensive!
Fantastic! (Minus one point for the Southampton FC on the flag but I guess, being where you are, that's inevitable and will be fun when we turn them over this season).It began with the club signing up to the ECB's Allstars program.
Every kid that signs up gets a shirt, cap, and their own plastic bat and rubber ball. They get 8 sessions (all run by club volunteers) on Friday evenings in the early summer. It went well, and properly spiralled.
On the busiest nights we had 150 people (kids and parents) at the club. The parents enjoy a drink from our tiny little club bar, while the kids play, and the takings are far from insignificant. Record for an Allstars evening I think is about £700 from the bar and the BBQ.
This all funnels back into facilities - and as previously mentioned - if the club can demonstrate it is inclusive, and providing opportunities for lots of kids (and in our case now, a women's team), then any grant applications you make are received far more favourably. I'm not privy to the exact figures but we've 'won' significant grants from Sport England and from the Parish Council to improve the facilities.
The scoreboard I think was around £2,000. I think the huge sight-screen at the bottom end of the pitch (has to be double height because of the slope) cost more than that. The nets were thousands.
Allstars warming up:
View attachment 188327
Kids teams:
View attachment 188328
Pitch:
View attachment 188329
Women's team celebrating first win:
View attachment 188330
Brand new nets - yet to be unlocked:
View attachment 188331
2024 new scoreboard:
View attachment 188332
(Tiny) club bar (with visiting touring side from Bahrain!):
View attachment 188333
They were very bullish on play-off final day. To the point that the skipper wanted a bet with me that they'd finish 'above your lot'.Fantastic! (Minus one point for the Southampton FC on the flag but I guess, being where you are, that's inevitable and will be fun when we turn them over this season).
This is fantastic, thanks for this! I know there is something similar over here but it's practically useless, the website doesn't even work properly so it's useful to see this and give feedback though to the KNCB. We held 2 sessions over the summer but retention has been our biggest problem.It began with the club signing up to the ECB's Allstars program.
Every kid that signs up gets a shirt, cap, and their own plastic bat and rubber ball. They get 8 sessions (all run by club volunteers) on Friday evenings in the early summer. It went well, and properly spiralled.
On the busiest nights we had 150 people (kids and parents) at the club. The parents enjoy a drink from our tiny little club bar, while the kids play, and the takings are far from insignificant. Record for an Allstars evening I think is about £700 from the bar and the BBQ.
This all funnels back into facilities - and as previously mentioned - if the club can demonstrate it is inclusive, and providing opportunities for lots of kids (and in our case now, a women's team), then any grant applications you make are received far more favourably. I'm not privy to the exact figures but we've 'won' significant grants from Sport England and from the Parish Council to improve the facilities.
The scoreboard I think was around £2,000. I think the huge sight-screen at the bottom end of the pitch (has to be double height because of the slope) cost more than that. The nets were thousands.
Allstars warming up:
View attachment 188327
Kids teams:
View attachment 188328
Pitch:
View attachment 188329
Women's team celebrating first win:
View attachment 188330
Brand new nets - yet to be unlocked:
View attachment 188331
2024 new scoreboard:
View attachment 188332
(Tiny) club bar (with visiting touring side from Bahrain!):
View attachment 188333
It began with the club signing up to the ECB's Allstars program.
Every kid that signs up gets a shirt, cap, and their own plastic bat and rubber ball. They get 8 sessions (all run by club volunteers) on Friday evenings in the early summer. It went well, and properly spiralled.
On the busiest nights we had 150 people (kids and parents) at the club.
I'm sure he's going to have a fantastic time. I'm hugely jealous - I'd love both, to have done this, and to have been good enough to have been invited to do it!Well, just 3 weeks now until Jnr hits the Southern hemisphere for a winter of Aussie cricket. Hes just done his Level 1 coaching course too, so will be coaching the school cricket team where he will be boarding, and also coaching privately with North Tamworth CC who he will be padding up for at weekends. Its going to be a real adventure for him over the next six months.
Its going to be a long 6 months for mum and dad though!I'm sure he's going to have a fantastic time. I'm hugely jealous - I'd love both, to have done this, and to have been good enough to have been invited to do it!
I have tickets but as it is a 45 min journey each way I’m a little unsure. Forecast has cleared up a bit on the bbc app?Anyone going to Sussex this evening? Forecast is crap
That's fantastic to read when so many club's are in decline, great effort.Oh, and aside from blowing my own personal trumpet - to balance the doom and gloom around the state of amateur cricket - here's some background to what has been going on at my club.
When I joined the club, just THREE years ago, we had two teams, and no junior section. The facilities extended to a pitch and a pavilion (which is owned by the parish council, but really only used by the club and a playgroup who use the main room in the week). And covers - they did have the pitch covers.
In those three years, we have grown to three Saturday league sides (with the first team gaining two promotions).
The junior section that started with a single U9 side two years ago, now comprises 6 teams, 3 at U11 and 2 at U9. At least 4 of our juniors have been chosen for Hampshire teams, and we've won a promotion and an indoor league.
This season has seen the club form it's first women's team - they secured their first ever victory last week, and the club achieved ClubMark status.
Facilities-wise, the addition of the extra teams has helped hugely with our attractiveness to those that allocate grant funding - and in the three years we have added site screens, and electronic scoreboard. Just in the last two weeks we have had two artificial nets installed (yet to be opened) and over the winter we are adding an artificial strip on the edge of the square.
The Parish council have become a bit more relaxed on the pavilion, and allowed us to put up new club signage and some honours boards, which has made it feel more of a proper cricket pavilion.
Remarkable effort (as with any club, by a few incredibly dedicated people).