MIDLANDS UPDATE 2.7

Cricket Leinster’s development programme continues to grow in the Midland area in 2021, and is now transitioning from the school sessions into the summer programme. Under his role as the Development Officer for the Midlands, Bernard O’Mara has been working with local clubs to organise and deliver sessions throughout the Carlow, Kilkenny, Laois, and Westmeath areas.

Schools:

There has been a compilation of coaching visits during the summer term to schools of all class groups and sizes, delivering cricket to 14 schools in the region. Cricket Leinster wants to thank the schools for allowing cricket sessions to be delivered during this period, as well as to thank local club members for volunteering time to assist with sessions.

There has been an unprecedented response from both staff members and students at schools, and this is reflected with the increase in youth registrations across the Midlands area, with over 125 more youth players registered to date, an increase of over 600% compared with last season.

Edmund Hart, Secretary of Kilkenny CC said on the school’s programme: “It has been fantastic to have school cricket locally and since these sessions have started, we have seen a massive increase in the number of youth registrations at our club. Delivering cricket in schools has really paid off, with children who have never played cricket before, joining our club. We want to thank Cricket Leinster for completing these series of school sessions.”

School sessions where cricket has been delivered to in the Midland area include:

-Kilcleagh NS Athlone

-St. Mary's NS Bagenalstown

-Queen of the Universe NS Bagenalstown

-Askea Boys NS Carlow

-Scoil Mhuire Carlow

-Kilkenny School Project NS

-Model School Kilkenny

-Cosby NS Stradbally

-St. Colman's NS Stradbally

-Mullingar ETNS

-All Saints Mullingar

-Gainstown NS Mullingar

-Scoil Mhuire Mullingar

-Presentation Mullingar

Youth:

With all clubs having shown strong growth in their youth sections due to the success of the school’s programme, it has been encouraging to see that Midland clubs now have the opportunity to be able to arrange and play games against other local Midland clubs, where previously they would have had to travel longer distances to play enough games to make a season worthwhile. It is heartening to see that clubs are supporting each other in their efforts to grow cricket at their own club, while at the same time having a benefit in strengthening youth cricket across the region.

Coach Education:

Due to the increase in activity in youth training numbers, there was a need to increase the number of qualified coaches in the region, as well as further upskilling members in delivering youth training sessions.

Cricket Leinster was delighted to have delivered a ‘Welcome to Cricket’ course at Carlow CC on 2nd June, to assist with local members on the start of their coaching journey. Overall, 13 members from both Bagenalstown CC and Carlow CC participated in the course. As well as this, three coaches from Mullingar CC, and one from Carlow CC successfully completed their ‘Coaching Cricket’ Course in May. Many congratulations to all for their successful completion of coaching courses.

By having qualified coaches at their underage programmes, clubs will have the opportunity to deliver safe and fun sessions for their youth members, and in the future this will improve the standard of youth cricket in the area.

Women & Girls:

Cricket for women & girls continues to progress strongly across clubs in the Midlands. With the positive response coming from initial sessions, more players have joined training at their clubs and it highlights that cricket is available for female players in the region.

Fixtures have already taken place, with the first being Carlow CC playing Kilkenny CC on the 30th June. It is really exciting to see that Mullingar CC have also arranged girls’ fixtures with Terenure and Pembroke, highlighting the success of their girls training sessions on Tuesday nights.

These examples are showing the rapid increase in activity within women & girls’ cricket in the Midland area.

Summer Sessions

As part of the Midland youth summer programme, U15 fixtures have been arranged against Adamstown CC and North Kildare CC. The Midlands team will be made up of players from Bagenalstown CC, Carlow CC, Kilkenny CC, Laois CC and Mullingar CC. These games are for players to get a chance to play age group cricket, where they may not be able to do this at their own clubs at the moment, as well as to give players more opportunity for their development, by playing more games than they would have normally had otherwise.

Along with this, a summer camp has been organised in the midland area for the end of July. This is in conjunction with Carlow CC and Carlow Regional Youth Services. This highlights that cricket clubs in the Midlands have the ability to be able to organise cricket summer camps, and it also shows that there is now the demand from children and parents to oraganise summer camps, due to the increase in youth memberships in the area.

The schools programme having been a massive success for Midland clubs, there is a strong emphasis to have these new participants in cricket to stay in the game, through providing quality youth coaching, having as many youth fixtures as possible, as well as delivering well organised summer cricket programmes across Midland clubs, so that players continue to have positive experiences in the game.

Any queries regarding cricket in the Midlands area please forward to Bernard O’Mara at bernard.omara@cricketleinster.ie