As the new school year starts, and the end of quarter 3 approaches, I find it is a great time to reflect on initial targets for the year and what needs to be achieved to meet them, or if I need to revise my expectations. There are many other aspects of my job but my main core area as South Dublin Cricket in the Community Development Officer is working with primary and secondary school teachers to bring cricket into their sports programmes.

There are still a number of schools that were identified at the start of the year with the local clubs that could be possible feeder schools for them, which have not been delivered in to date. In recent meetings with the local clubs it was also noted that an area that I am concerned about is whether or not we are starting cricket in the schools early enough. This is my first year being full-time with Cricket Leinster and South Dublin County Council. Every week I find more information that feeds into this job and changes my perspective on how best to approach the school club link. One of my recent readings was the 2010 Children’s Sports Participation and Physical Activity (CSPPA) Study.

(https://www.sportireland.ie/Research/Childrens_Sports_Participation_and_Physical_Activity_Study/CSPPA_Study_Report_2010_/CCLSP_Study.pdf)

Figure 16. was from the CSPPA 2010 Study Report 2010, pg. 95

I’ve summarised some stats below from the South Dublin County Council area.

Primary Schools

In 2017 there were 1,887 participants in 404 sessions delivered across 14 primary schools in the South Dublin County Council (SDCC) area.

My aim set at the start of the year was to run over 450 sessions across 20 primary schools with the aim to have over 2,500 participants in the SDCC area. Giving children from 2nd class to 6th class the opportunity to play cricket with their peers.

To date we have delivered 238 sessions (53% of target) with 3,082 primary school children participating (123% of target) in 20 schools (100% of target) across South Dublin.

Secondary Schools

In 2017 there were 285 participates in 33 sessions delivered across 4 secondary schools in the South Dublin area.

My aim set at the start of the year was to run over 100 sessions across 12 secondary schools with over 700 participants in the South Dublin County Council area. Giving children from 1st and 2nd year (main aim) the opportunity to play cricket with their peers.

To date we have delivered 60 sessions (60% of target) with 700 secondary school children participating (100% of target) in 7 schools (58% of target) across Leinster.

Conclusion for the future of Cricket in Schools in the SDCC area

Next year, it will be my intention to increase delivery to 4th class and below, i.e. U9s. At the moment, of the 3,082 primary school children we are delivering to in the SDCC area, 49% of them are from 4th class or below. If the 2010 Irish study is anything to go by then it will be imperative to increase the numbers at the lower age groups in order to increase their exposure to cricket at this defining period in their sporting lives and therefore increase the potential for kids choosing cricket as one of their sports.

Written by Naomi Scott-Hayward [South Dublin Cricket in the Community Development Officer (CCDO)]