"Enjoying" Cricket

[The Omega Man]

This gets said all the time. Most important part of cricket is that the bairn "enjoys" it.

Errr well yes. Why do something you don't enjoy? Same with everything in life.

Although if the bairn plays football no one ever says "as long as he enjoys it".

Who do people use the "enjoy" word to such overkill in cricket ?

 

[Robanner]

Because cricket is a more specialised game which not all kids play (eeveryone plays football even if it's in the park or the play ground) and it takes a bloody long time and you can spend a lot of it not involved - either when your team is batting but you are not or in the field when you are not bowling. For the wrong kids it can be a game that isn't enjoyed.

 

[Harry Lime]

Kids are playing organised sports (not just cricket) at a much earlier age now, and yes, it's important that they enjoy whatever it is they play.

I spent many years coaching on the DCB courses over the winter months and most of the bairns that attended enjoyed being there, but there were a few who didn't. Those were the ones who were dragged along by parents who wanted the kids to play cricket more than the kids did. It didn't happen often, but when it did the kids stuck out like sore thumbs, and they just didn't want to be there.

Parents with unrealistic expectations will always be a problem in any sport, especially for the younger age groups. Kids all develop at different rates, they all need time to learn and improve at their own pace. There's some kids who look like world beaters at 11 but fall away later, and others who can't hold a bat at that age but improve their game enormously as they get older.

I've seen kids getting bollocked off their dads after a session is finished because they didn't have a very good net, some kids even went away in tears, that's not right in any sport. We have parents obsessed with averages for 11 year olds, kids that continually change clubs because of adult politics, kids pushed into games they're not ready for. So yes, enjoyment is a major thing for kids, let them enjoy it, after all, that's what kids are supposed to do, PLAY GAMES for FUN.

We all want what's best for our kids, and we all do what we think is right for our kids, that's nature, but every now and then we should take a step back to check our kids ARE actually enjoying the game and not let ourselves get blinded by results and averages.

So, just because " The most important thing is that kids enjoy it" is a regularly used cliche, it doesn't mean it's not right.

 

[Greavsie]

Kids are playing organised sports (not just cricket) at a much earlier age now, and yes, it's important that they enjoy whatever it is they play.

I spent many years coaching on the DCB courses over the winter months and most of the bairns that attended enjoyed being there, but there were a few who didn't. Those were the ones who were dragged along by parents who wanted the kids to play cricket more than the kids did. It didn't happen often, but when it did the kids stuck out like sore thumbs, and they just didn't want to be there.

Parents with unrealistic expectations will always be a problem in any sport, especially for the younger age groups. Kids all develop at different rates, they all need time to learn and improve at their own pace. There's some kids who look like world beaters at 11 but fall away later, and others who can't hold a bat at that age but improve their game enormously as they get older.

I've seen kids getting bollocked off their dads after a session is finished because they didn't have a very good net, some kids even went away in tears, that's not right in any sport. We have parents obsessed with averages for 11 year olds, kids that continually change clubs because of adult politics, kids pushed into games they're not ready for. So yes, enjoyment is a major thing for kids, let them enjoy it, after all, that's what kids are supposed to do, PLAY GAMES for FUN.

We all want what's best for our kids, and we all do what we think is right for our kids, that's nature, but every now and then we should take a step back to check our kids ARE actually enjoying the game and not let ourselves get blinded by results and averages.

So, just because " The most important thing is that kids enjoy it" is a regularly used cliche, it doesn't mean it's not right.

Brilliant post. We're lucky that pushy parents aren't the issue in cricket as in other sports but thats not to say there isn't a problem.
Sport is to be enjoyed but I still think that there should be an emphasis on winning. In my experience (10yrs in primary classroom) kids dont enjoy losing but need to learn how to. Thats life.