Big drop in participation

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Get into schools more and find more volunteers. Simple! Just look at the thriving clubs and that is exactly how they do it.

Free to air stuff is rubbish IMO. As a kid I had zero interest in sitting watching the cricket on the beeb all day, I wanted to be outside playing it in the street.
 
Get into schools more and find more volunteers. Simple! Just look at the thriving clubs and that is exactly how they do it.

Free to air stuff is rubbish IMO. As a kid I had zero interest in sitting watching the cricket on the beeb all day, I wanted to be outside playing it in the street.

What you've suggested is very important but it isn't the first step.

If the people going into schools are going to get the sort of interest/attendance levels needed, then there has to be some interest in the game to begin with. Kids have a lot of options these days - not just with other sports etc but also with computers and the like. If they are going to choose to get involved in cricket, the seed of interest has to be planted and raising the profile of the game is essential to doing that. Free to air is a massive part of raising awareness of, and interest in, the game.
 
I disagree a bit to be honest. When I was at school we had a bloke come in from the Durham Wasps ice hockey team. Nobody there had every seen ice hockey on the telly, but the bloke was hugely passionate about it and gave a demonstration (well the best you can without actual ice), and about a dozen kids proceeded to spend the winter training at the ice rink.

Having looked after a few junior cricket teams I really dont think any of the kids there would ever watch the cricket on the telly. Most of them spend their days hanging around street corners and their nights chasing girls around and are simply after something to do. That or playing on social media all night on their phones.

Dont get me wrong, free to air cricket would be great, and might attract a few, but I dont think it is as hugely important as some make out.
 
The reason could be quite simple TBH. I said a while ago that the demise of the England cricket team recently and the humiliation at the hands of the Aussies was bound to have an impact on participation. It also doesnt help that the ECB has treated role models like Peiersen very badly. Loads of kids look up to him as someone to aspire to. They love the way he plays.

Get into schools more and find more volunteers. Simple! Just look at the thriving clubs and that is exactly how they do it.

Free to air stuff is rubbish IMO. As a kid I had zero interest in sitting watching the cricket on the beeb all day, I wanted to be outside playing it in the street.
My son did nothing in junior school cricket wise and plays about 4 or 5 games a season at senior school. The senior school setup is run by 2 lads who play themselves, one IIRC plays for The Lintz.

I was told last year that the MCC has a huge war chest available to contribute to the expansion of cricket into junior schools and senior schools, we're talking tens of millions of pounds. Not sure what the latest is on this.

Get into schools more and find more volunteers. Simple! Just look at the thriving clubs and that is exactly how they do it.

Free to air stuff is rubbish IMO. As a kid I had zero interest in sitting watching the cricket on the beeb all day, I wanted to be outside playing it in the street.
Isnt there also fewer kids participating in football as well? May well be a society/cultural thing.
 
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The demise of the colliery teams has has a massive affect in the Yorkshire and north area of the country. Ive never heard anyone from the ECB ever mention this?
 
The demise of the colliery teams has has a massive affect in the Yorkshire and north area of the country. Ive never heard anyone from the ECB ever mention this?

Bear Park and Coxhoe have gone this year. I dont know if there have been any others on the NE in 2014
 
I work as a secondary PE teacher - for a long time :neutral: . The introduction of CRB checks and Level 2 Coaching Certs for after school coaching is a hinderence to access schools. The local cricket club finds it hard to supply a coach to local schools because of these reasons. We may argue tough standards like this is a good thing.

Secondary school cricket is suffering from expensive costs. Helmets, equipment, travel but especially the up keep of wickets. Even astro turf wickets can be damaged and not maintained. PE teachers get drawn into other sports commitments too - lots of sports to cover after school.

We do need more qualified coaches, transport and facilities. Otherwise it will die in state schools.

Lovely to hear Hetton School doing something new. Well done them. Head teachers worry about OFSTED. Not whether they turn out a cricket team to develop the sport.
 
Do any comprehensives play cricket any more?

See Pietersen has offered to coach at some schools. People will slag him off saying it's a cheap publicity stunt and that maybe but if more players of that standard did the same thing it could be inspirational for any kids who attend.
 
Do any comprehensives play cricket any more?

See Pietersen has offered to coach at some schools. People will slag him off saying it's a cheap publicity stunt and that maybe but if more players of that standard did the same thing it could be inspirational for any kids who attend.
Yes we do. Not as much as we would like. Kids need to start at primary though - with a club linked. Works best this way.
 
I work in primary.

Used to work in peterlee. Local clubs always keen to provide coaching, strong SSCO (led by eppletons garry purcell) providing lots of opportunities to play inter school tournos (albeit kwik cricket). Added to this, 2005 was a recent memory. High participation rates as a result.

Worked in sr4 for past 5 years. Nothing apart from a city wide kwik cricket day in june time. No clubs calling or knocking on my door. Added to that, the nature of the job means I have bugger all time to fo much coaching of own. Result: in 5 years, ive never met one childwho played at any club - around 500 kids i reckon.

Tomorrow when i go in, am gonna see if anyone can name me a current cricketer. Will post results.

Good read here
http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/story/801903.html
 
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It is really difficult when I was 10/11 in the winter I was out all weekend playing football and in summer all weekend playing cricket and I mean all day.

You just to do not see kids doing that nowadays other forms of enterainment.

Difference now is the culture all kids want to do nowadays is play on X box,wii etc.

Don't know whether just me bit kids seem lazier these days as well and I suppose a lot of parents in the world we live prefer their kids to be in the house so they know they safe.
 
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