Youth cricket development in Shizuoka City, Japan
Miwa Primary School in Shizuoka City, Japan, has officially introduced cricket into its school curriculum
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The Shizuoka Kytes Cricket Club, formerly Shizuoka Prefecture Cricket Club, was founded in 1983 and played its first game on November 3rd, 1984. Shizuoka City is the capital of Shizuoka Prefecture, also home to Fuji City where the 2004 ICC-EAP Tournament took place. After 20 years of existence, its members felt it was grand time to develop the game at its roots, namely in schools. A 12-year programme was then designed to cover the 32 public Primary Schools (to which a half-dozen private establishments could be added), 19 Junior High Schools and a dozen Senior High Schools located in our city. Establishing such a programme is a slow "fanning-out" process, which will exponentially develop if successful. Therefore, great care should be given to its initiation as it will set a model and image for future developments.
The Miwa Primary School was approached by R-G. Martineau in November 2004 through one of its teachers, namely Mrs. Takako Nishida, a personal acquaintance of his. The School Headmaster was only too happy, as his school was in great need of a new activity for its pupils who hail from one of the less-favoured areas of the city. A demonstration was held by R-G. Martineau in March 2005 for the benefit of all the teachers. In April 2005 (the beginning of the scholar year in Japan), the Miwa Primary School introduced cricket in its curriculum as a subject in Physical Education and as an official extra-curricular activity (e.g. Club). Due to red-tape, the first session had to wait until June before it could be held.
Miwa Primary School, Shizuoka City
June 7th, 2005
The first practice session for the Miwa Primary School Cricket Club (i.e.officially endorsed extracurricular activity) was held on Tuesday June 7th under the direction of Robert-Gilles Martineau, member of the Shizuoka Kytes Cricket Club. The School is located across the Abe River from the Shizuoka Kytes CC ground. It is a comparatively small establishment looking after roughly 130 Children from 1st grade (1st Form) to 6th Grade (6th Form). Such activities at national schools are limited by the Japanese Board of Education to the 5th and 6th Grades. 24 kids registered with the activity and attended the first session. They represent half of the schoolchildren in those two grades with a 55/45% ratio in favour of girls. R-G. Martineau arrived at the school at 14:30 and helped with the preparations including safety precautions inside the vast indoors gymnasium (sessions will be held on the outdoors ground once the kids have assimilated the rules of real games to be conducted in the short future). The kids entered the gymnasium at 15:00 sharp. The presence of two teachers, including Mrs. Kazuko Nishida, the lady who made this venture possible, greatly helped control the energetic and enthusiastic boys and girls.
A Japanese-translated Kanga-Kwik Cricket pamphlet was handed to every kid for personal home study by Mrs. Nishida and the session started in earnest. Due to school-related time limits (the session finished at 16:15), R-G. Martineau kept to basics only.
All instructions were conducted in English with occasional help from the Teachers. Voice, whistle and gestures were used simultaneously for quick comprehension (e.g. the order "listen!" was accompanied by the instructor's gesture of a finger pointing at his ear). Warm-ups consisted of throws and later bowling (under arm, side arm and over arm; no bound, one bound, direct hits at the stumps). Before bowling at batsmen (batswomen), the instructor showed the proper ball hold and arm action.
We had time for each kid to receive 6 balls at the bats and bowling 6 each, interspersing the action with plenty of explanations.
The kids seemed to enjoy themselves greatly and sometimes had to be restrained into easy order. Some kids have already understood bowling, especially girls who are not hampered by baseball habits. Batting should easily pick up.
September 25th, Sunday, has already been set apart for a full-day cricket coaching and game under the supervision of the Shizuoka Kytes CC Members at the Shizuoka Kytes C.C. ground. Local newspaper and television will be present to cover the event.
Meanwhile kids will have further opportunity to familiarize themselves with the game during physical education classes where cricket is now part of the curriculum. The kids are also encouraged to play outside in their free time.
Shizuoka Kytes C.C. will investigate other schools now that they have a reference to fall upon.
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