Enthusiasm high at cricket camp

The enthusiasm of the next generation of Cayman’s cricket stars was on display at the Smith Road Oval over the course of a week in July.

Cricket camp 3

More than 50 youngsters between eight and 15 years-old turned out for the camp put on by Cayman Cricket and the Department of Sports.

Cayman Cricket’s treasurer, Rob Cox, who coordinated the camp said it was very successful.

“This is our annual grassroots programme,” he explained. “The ICC is very keen on ensuring that member countries invest in spending some time and effort with the kids at a grassroots level.”

Mr Cox said the association has been trying to instill in them the basic skills and techniques of cricket.

“We didn’t do anything fancy but to develop a love of the basics of the game at this level. From what I’ve seen [over] the past week, I can clearly say there are a number of kids I think I will see again. So, we have more or less achieved our goals this week,” he told CaymanSportsBuzz.com.

Six young cricketers were awarded with bats for being outstanding during the camp. They are:Kandre Amerally, Teejan Hansraj, Khalil Meade, Dhana Sambasivam, Dequan Kirchman and Taegen Williams.

More than 50 youngsters showed up for a week of fun at Smith Road Oval.

More than 50 youngsters showed up for a week of fun at Smith Road Oval.

Despite the enthusiasm for the camp and the optimism about the future, Cayman Cricket struggles to get increased numbers attending its regular youth clinics.  “We use this programme every year to try and get new youngsters coming into the sport. What we find is our programme on a Saturday morning is that there are some kids that experience a challenge in getting to the field on Saturday mornings.

Khalil Meade was rewarded for being one of the top cricketers at the camp.

Khalil Meade was rewarded for being one of the top cricketers at the camp.

“The challenge is to get these kids that we’ve had this past week to continue to come out on a Saturday morning when we have specialised coaches who are available to help them build their skills. So this is a foundation programme in order to get the kids to move on to a higher level.”

Increased participation in the regular sessions that resume in September at Smith Road Oval will help bolster the strength of the national programme as they feed into the Under 13, Under 15, Under 17 and Under 19 teams.

Parents interested in having their children be involved can contact Cayman Cricket at admin@caymancricket.com.

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