Photo Credit: Cricket NSW
In a bid to have more women and girls playing cricket this summer than ever before, Cricket New South Wales (CNSW) is launching girls-only programs in multiple formats across the state, tailor-made for females.
This season, CNSW will launch 112 girls-only Cricket Blast programs across the state along with bespoke junior girls’ team programs in association with 37 clubs. Added to that, there are over 10 regions that are currently working with other sports to encourage girls to transition to cricket from the winter sports they are currently playing.
Finally, with the help of the NSW Government’s ‘She Can Play’ grant that Cricket NSW received earlier this year to increase and improve female coaching, 10 associations in Sydney and the regions will have female teams coached by female coaches.
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Cricket NSW’s female engagement department is also looking to create a holistic experience for women and girls who want to play cricket this season. Some of the initiatives include:
- Dedicated marketing and promotions directly to attract girls to play in local competitions
- Mental health workshops for teenage girls across NSW funded by the Cricket NSW Foundation
- Coaching courses for females across NSW to upskill as coaches
- Leveraging CNSW’s award-winning WiCKETS (Women in Cricket) network as a connection platform for all women in clubs to promote leadership and relationships among the sport’s wonderful female volunteers
- Twilight Women’s Cricket League, a new competition in four locations across Sydney for women and girls aged 16+ to get back into the game
Some of the initiatives have been made possible through grants CNSW has received earlier this year to bolster women’s and girls’ cricket. Through the Leading Clubs Grant from Cricket Australia and sponsors Commonwealth Bank, 37 clubs across NSW will encourage more girls to play junior club cricket and form girls-only teams. In addition to that, various programs have been committed for schools and local clubs across NSW with the help of the Commonwealth Bank’s Growing Cricket For Girls Fund.
Julie Stafford, Female Engagement and D&I Manager said:
“It’s been a fantastic month for our friends in football and we’ve all loved seeing the success of the Matildas, following on from the Australian Women’s Cricket Team retaining the Ashes.
“Summer is upon us and cricket is now open for business! We know we have a great game for every female in NSW, whether they be starting their journey through our revamped Cricket Blast where you can play in a girls only option or a mixed option, with our girls only Junior Leagues for girls aged 9 – 18 and then onto our local Premier Clubs or into a more social version of the game with our new Twilight Women’s Cricket League or social women’s competitions around the state.
“Cricket is a fantastic sport to play and great for kids to develop every movement skill – running, batting, fielding etc. It’s also a great way to connect with your friends and get back into fitness with your local community.”
