21st May 2015
| Mallory Gray
Kidwelly Juniors a Couple of Decades Ago!
A West Wales cricket club is seeing a boom in youth
participation – thanks to a man who revived the junior section a quarter of a
century after being one of the last players through the club’s junior ranks
before they closed.
Kidwelly Cricket Club now has teams at under-9, 10, 11, and
12 age group, with plans for an under-14 team to start next year.
Andrew Bailey was among the last players to come through the
club’s junior ranks before the section closed in the mid- 1980s. Having moved
away, he returned to Kidwelly 10 years ago, and after starting to play cricket
again, he relaunched the junior section in 2010.
“It’s really important to bring on the next generation of
players,” he said. “We’ve now got two qualified coaches, and the programme is
working well. It’s a contrast with what I remember, when there was just one
junior team, and no proper coaching.”
The junior programme is producing high quality players, with
six representing their county, and Andrew’s son, Owen being selected for the
Wales U11s.
The club’s reputation as a thriving hub of junior cricket
has been recognised by its being chosen to host the Carmarthenshire Primary
Schools Festival on June 8th.
Andrew, aged 48, is vice-chairman of the club and head coach.
“I still play occasionally, too,” he added. “But I’m trying to retire.”
Cricket Wales chief
executive, Peter Hybart, said: “It’s gratifying to see the progress at
Kidwelly, since Andrew revived the junior programme. The game depends on a flow
of properly-coached young players coming through, and this is a great example
of what can be achieved when committed volunteers step up.”
Chwaraewr iau ‘olaf’ clwb yn
dychwelyd i lansio adran ffyniannus
Mae un o glybiau
criced Gorllewin Cymru’n gweld cynnydd mawr yn nifer y chwaraewyr ifanc sy’n
cymryd rhan - diolch i wr a aeth ati i adfer yr adran iau chwarter canrif ar ôl
bod yn un o’r chwaraewyr olaf i gael lle yn rhengoedd iau’r clwb cyn iddynt
ddod i ben.
Erbyn hyn mae gan
Glwb Criced Cydweli dimau yn y grwpiau oedran dan 9, 10, 11 a 12, ynghyd â
chynlluniau i ddechrau tîm dan 14 y flwyddyn nesa.
Roedd Andrew
Bailey ymhlith y chwaraewyr olaf i ddringo rhengoedd iau’r clwb cyn i’r adran
honno gau tua chanol yr 1980au. Symudodd
i ffwrdd, yna dychwelyd i Gydweli 10 mlynedd yn ôl, ac ar ôl dechrau chwarae
criced eto, ail-lansiodd yr adran iau yn 2010.
“Mae’n bwysig iawn magu’r genhedlaeth nesaf o chwaraewyr,” meddai. “Erbyn hyn mae gennym ddau hyfforddwr
cymwysedig, ac mae’r rhaglen yn gweithio’n dda.
Mae’n wahanol iawn i’r hyn dwi’n ei gofio, pan roedd ‘na un tîm iau yn
unig, a dim hyfforddiant iawn.”
Mae’r rhaglen iau’n cynhyrchu chwaraewyr o safon uchel, gyda
chwech yn cynrychioli’u sir, ac mae mab Andrew, Owen, wedi’i ddewis i chwarae i
dîm D11 Cymru.
Mae enw da’r clwb
fel canolbwynt criced iau ffyniannus wedi’i gydnabod yn sgil y ffaith ei fod
wedi’i ddewis i lwyfannu Gwyl Ysgolion Cynradd Sir Gâr ar Fehefin 8fed.
Mae Andrew, 48, yn is-gadeirydd y clwb ac yn brif
hyfforddwr. “Rwy’n dal i chwarae bob hyn
a hyn hefyd,” ychwanegodd. “Ond dwi’n
trio ymddeol.”
Meddai prif
weithredwr Criced Cymru, Peter Hybart: “’Mae’n
rhoi boddhad mawr i weld y cynnydd yng Nghydweli ers i Andrew adfer y rhaglen
iau. Mae’r gêm yn dibynnu ar gael llif
cyson o chwaraewyr ifanc, ac mae hon yn enghraifft wych o’r
hyn y gellir ei gyflawni pan fydd gwirfoddolwyr ymroddedig yn mynd ati.”