Cricket Australia Junior Formats
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
CRICKET AUSTRALIA APRIL JUNIOR CRICKET POLICY 2004 CRICKET AUSTRALIA JUNIOR CRICKET POLICY 1 Table of Contents 1.0 Everyone Can Play: Fostering Equity of Access and Enjoyment of Cricket • Fun in Cricket • Girls’ Participation • Benefits of Physical Activity in Children and Adolescents 2.0 The Cricket Pathway: Player Development and Game Formats • Children’s Development in Sport • Nurturing our Young Cricketers’ Skills • Snapshot of Skill and Game Progressions for Club and School Cricket • Social and Participative Cricket • Representative Cricket 3.0 Safety Guidelines: Strategies to Promote Safety and Prevent Injuries • Injury Prevention • Bowling Guidelines and Restrictions • Helmets, Field Placements, Ground and Weather Conditions Introduction • Guidelines for Heat, Hydration and Sun Protection 4.0 Strategies for Managing and Growing Enhancing the Junior Cricket Clubs • Player Recruitment Cricket experience • Player Retention • Implementing Junior Cricket Guidelines and Welcome Administrators, Coaches, Procedures Teachers & Parents • Make cricket fun for • Cricket Australia Modified Cricket Programs t is my pleasure to introduce you to the Cricket everyone; system. As the custodians 5.0 Spirit and Etiquette of the Game: Australia Junior Cricket Policy. The purpose of the • Develop safety guidelines and responsible for the future of the The Unwritten Laws of Cricket IJunior Cricket Policy is to provide a framework for all principles to prevent injuries; game of cricket, we must be • Spirit of Cricket those involved in the game at junior level and to allow • Foster the spirit of cricket and committed to ensuring others • Cricket Etiquette for a consistent, safe, and nurturing environment for all etiquette of the game; enjoy the rewards of life-long cricket involvement. junior players. Adopt appropriate codes of Adopting the guidelines provided in the Junior Cricket 6.0 Codes of Behaviour • The Junior Cricket Policy has been produced based on behaviour for all participants; Policy will go a long way to ensuring quality cricket • Coaches the feedback received from coaches, teachers and Understand a child’s experiences for boys’ and girls’. With children enjoying • Teachers • administrators on the organisation of junior cricket. development, particularly in their participation in cricket the game in Australia will • Umpires With an increased awareness of risk management and relation to his/her cricketing skills; continue to grow and prosper. • Parents duty of care issues I strongly urge all clubs, schools and Implement appropriate game formats for children aged Most of all, remember to enjoy the game and have • Players • associations to carefully consider the Junior Cricket Policy 5-18 years of age; and fun - that’s what cricket is all about! • Accreditation & Screening of Coaches and adopt the relevant sections. Recruit and retain players, coaches and volunteers at • Racial and Religious Vilification Code • While the Junior Cricket Policy is extensive, it has your club/school. Yours sincerely 7.0 Contacts for Junior Cricket been designed in a way that allows associations, clubs • Cricket Australia Contact Details and schools a means of quickly referencing key While Australia has worked hard to become the world’s • State Cricket Association Contact Details issues and guidelines to assist them in developing leading cricket nation in both women’s and men’s cricket, • Sports Medicine Australia Contact Details their own policies for junior cricket. In particular, the we would not have been able to achieve this without the James Sutherland • Australian Sports Commission’s Junior Sport Unit Junior Cricket Policy will help you: values, principles and experiences of our junior cricket Chief Executive Officer CRICKET AUSTRALIA JUNIOR CRICKET POLICY CRICKET AUSTRALIA JUNIOR CRICKET POLICY 2 3 Benefits of Physical Activity in Children and Adolescents Cricket can provide many benefits for children and adolescents physically, socially and psychologically. With continued participation the benefits of cricket Although traditionally for boys, many junior are transferable to many aspects of life. cricket associations are now enjoying the benefits of participation by girls. These include: The benefits of regular activity can include: • Increased membership PHYSICAL • Enhanced social environment • Improved fitness – lower resting heart rates, higher • More ‘family friendly’ atmosphere oxygen-carrying capacity during maximal exercise, • Potential for increased volunteers enhanced muscle growth and bone density, • Enhanced Local Government relationships • Decreased incidence of obesity and weight problems • don’t take yourself too seriously, get involved, Generally the physical differences between boys and SOCIAL don’t be afraid to fail girls under 12 years are considered irrelevant. Often, • Meeting a variety of new people • maintain a fun attitude, with lots of laughter and however, socialisation can prevent girls from developing • Developing new friendship groups 1.0 Everyone Can Play: a sense of humour their sporting abilities as fully as the boys. • Working as part of a team • create training sessions that provide maximum • Development of responsibility Enjoyment and Accessibility activity, skill development and enjoyment Ideally, specific competitions for girls should be available • Development of communication skills • treat all players equally at a variety of age groups to allow participation from 5 • see the lighter side of mistakes years through to senior women’s cricket. For many PSYCHOLOGICAL Fun in Cricket • create opportunities for all skill and ability levels regions in Australia that currently do not have • Increased self-esteem Fun is the major motivator for kids in sports. When ever • be well planned, organised and resourced established structures for all levels of junior girls cricket • Development of strategies to deal with mistakes children are surveyed as to why they play sport, the (equipment and helpers) Cricket Australia recommends the following: and challenges prime reason is always “to have fun”. Winning is on the • avoid isolation type punishments (laps of oval, • Separate girls’ competitions are developed to reduce • Confidence list but it is last on the list. Kids like to compete, but it's push ups etc) gaps in the pathway to senior women’s cricket. • Concentration skills the fun of competing, the excitement of competing, not • praise in public, however never criticise in front • Girls teams play in a traditional boys competitions just the winning. Junior coaches should not be measured of their peers (after under 12) two years above the competition age What is it about sport that appeals to on win – loss ratios but rather on how many players wish limit where ability dictates eg. Under 16 girls team to children as an attractive form of physical to continue to play the following season! Girls’ Participation play in Under 14 boys competition. activity? Due to a number of factors including the success of the • Individual girls play in traditional boys’ teams (after • fun and belonging How to create an atmosphere of fun within a team: Australian Women’s Cricket Team and the popularity of under 12) two years above the competition age limit • cooperative and competitive experiences • get down to the kids’ level and see what they cricket for girls as a school sport, many girls are now where ability dictates eg. 16 year old girl may play in • established and consistent challenges consider to be fun seeking playing opportunities outside of school hours. Under 14 boys competition. • developing a great sense of “community” CRICKET AUSTRALIA JUNIOR CRICKET POLICY CRICKET AUSTRALIA JUNIOR CRICKET POLICY 4 5 Early years Middle primary Early Adolescence Middle Adolescence Late Adolescence 2.0 The Cricket Pathway: Player Age range Age range Age range Age range Age range Development and 5-7 8-10 11-14 15-16 17-18 Game Formats SKILL DESCRIPTORS SKILL DESCRIPTORS SKILL DESCRIPTORS SKILL DESCRIPTORS SKILL DESCRIPTORS Children’s Development in Sport • Mastery of basic movement skills • Able to apply skills • Refine skills, and understanding of • Specialisation of skills • Continue skill specialisation and It is important for administrators, teachers, e.g. throwing, hitting, catching and • More structured modified games game strategies. • Progress through puberty results refinement coaches and parents to understand the various running e.g. Kanga / Pairs Cricket • Modified rules and safety remain in increased muscle mass for • Can meet increasing demands in stages of skill and social development that • Can build sequences of two or • Can develop sense of team important strength explosive power in performance children are experiencing, particularly between more skills • Can select a sport to specialise in males • Continued increases in speed, 5 -12 years of age. Recognising these general • Effort more important than without being a “SPECIALIST” • Can evaluate strengths and strength and size outcome within it weaknesses of own play • Sophisticated awareness of how stages of development will assist clubs and their body moves in skill execution schools in preparing developmentally appropriate games and activities for children participating in cricket. SOCIAL DESCRIPTORS SOCIAL DESCRIPTORS SOCIAL DESCRIPTORS SOCIAL DESCRIPTORS SOCIAL DESCRIPTORS Remember… • Children work well individually, in • Work well in pairs, small groups • Attracted to fun, belonging, • Improved ability to understand • More realistic goals about • Young people learn through