14th October 2024
| Claudia Vaughan-Johns
Last month our Cricket Development team delivered at the third annual Gareth Bale – Festival of Sport. Children from underserved communities, involved with Street Games Hubs, were invited to explore various sports, with a focus on discovering pathways in sport and experiencing the benefits of active participation
Why choose cricket? Our sport is multi-dimensional on many levels and encourages a diverse range of individuals to come together and perform as a team. From batters, wicketkeepers and bowlers to fielders’, scorers and umpires, cricket offers a range of roles for everyone. However, we know that it’s more than just what happens on the field during a game.
At the festival, the Cricket Wales team spent time educating children and national governing bodies about the variety of journeys through our fantastic sport. Whether that be playing, coaching, scoring, umpiring or groundwork. The children walked away inspired and excited after competing against our team… and Gareth Bale in a series of challenges!
“What a day! Partnering with Street Games and interacting with so many children from across South Wales was fantastic. The Cricket Wales team and I were able to show the breadth of activity and opportunity that is on offer in our sport, in keeping with the theme of the day. I have to say that Gareth Bale getting involved with our bat tap challenge was a highlight. We struggled to get the bat and ball off him afterwards! This just goes to show that cricket is a sport that everyone can enjoy” James Williamson, Cricket Wales Development Officer.
Cricket Wales is passionate in furthering the growth of participation. By supporting events like the Gareth Bale – Festival of Sport we hope to encourage newcomers into cricket through non-traditional pathways. Cricket continues to showcase its power to bring people together, offering diverse opportunities both on and off the field.
To see more from the day watch this Street Games YouTube video: https://youtu.be/JFcZmiURmyo
