United States: California Youth Programme

There is a saying (In California), that what California does today, America will do tomorrow! That is already proving true with Junior Cricket.

In the summer of 1998, Southern California set the ball rolling by persuading Malcolm Nash, ex-Glamorgan CCC stalwart, to journey south from British Columbia, where he had been leading a junior program, to start a schools program in the L.A. area.

It didn't take Michael Miller, a northern California stalwart, long to realize that here lay the embryo of the real future of cricket in America.

With Southern California still stretched to afford a full time coach, Mike persuaded Malcolm and the SCCA Junior Program, to share his time with Northern California.

The Board of the NCCA were equally excited by the prospect of a working junior schools program in the Bay Area, and agreed to support the program for half the week.

The picture of a California based pilot program began to emerge with the prospect of a future national program based on the experiences garnered here. The first questions that needed to be answered, were: Will American kids take to the game? Will schools accept the program?

The answer to both questions? A resounding YES! The kids in both public and private systems, low income and high income, took to the game and enjoyed it like kids anywhere else in the world!

The schools not only embraced the program, but within a short while, there was awaiting list of schools to join up. With Abid Ali joining the coaching staff in the north and Stephen Speak in the south, the California program was soon servicing 3000 kids 8-10 years old with cricket coaching for at least one lesson per week.

A national organization, United States Junior Cricket was formed in 1999 and received 501(c)3 status, as a Federal non-profit corporation, with a view to taking the program to the country.

Sadly, it was not long before initial funding, and local organizations enthusiasm for funding a growing junior program began to show signs of strain.

It soon became obvious that more cost effective ways of reaching more children must be found and avenues of funding which did not rely on adult cricket organizations must also be found.

Consequently, with the California program in the lead once again, a program of teaching teachers was instigated. A basic US specific coaching manual and a one day intensive PE teacher training course has been developed.

The first course was held this summer, qualifying 8 East Bay PE teachers as USJC "level 1" coaches. The idea is to take this program to the polytechnics to reach large numbers of teachers who will in turn be able to reach many times more children with a basic cricket introduction.

To address the pressing problem of funding, US Junior Cricket, spearheaded by a group of dedicated NCCA and Marin Cricket Club members, are working to produce and publish a prospectus and five year plan to enable fundraisers to have a tool with which to approach potential sponsors and donors.

As we approach the end of our second full year, we find promising young programs operating in Florida and Connecticut and approaches to schools being made in New York and New Jersey. Dedicated individuals operate programs in States as far apart as Georgia and Utah.

The one event which might be regarded as a milestone in United States cricket was the United States/ Canada Under 13 series played in Marin County northern California.

Played over three days, the event was gauged by all concerned an unqualified success. Although the Canadian eleven featured children from only British Columbia, the US team drew on children from New Jersey, Colorado, Florida as well as north and south California.

Funded by Challenger Corporation, a Silicon Valley softwear company, the event gave selectors from both countries the impetus to get out and look for promising young cricketers.

Both groups reported the same surprising result. Once they started looking and asking, young cricketers turned up all over. With events now scheduled for next year, young products of the national coaching program will have goals to set their sights on. The prospects for North American cricket has never looked so bright.