By Julie Morgan, Lindfield Cricket Club
If you come down to Lindfield Common on a Friday evening in early May until the end of June, be prepared for a big surprise! In a world consumed by solitary behaviours, with children stuck indoors on phones and tablets, there is still an oasis of joy and activity to be found on your doorstep. Boys and Girls aged four to eight are outside in the fresh air, having a fantastic time learning how to play cricket!
In the early summer months, Lindfield Cricket Club hosts up to150 children. It is a much sought after ticket every year to get into our young cricketers Programme and we are always oversubscribed. Parents can sign up via the English Cricket Board’s initiative to encourage more children to get involved in sport and cricket in particular. It is called ‘All Stars’ and we at Lindfield Cricket Club have been running courses since its inception in 2017. We also have the largest number of children attending a programme in Sussex.
The Friday evening extravaganzas are run entirely by our wonderful volunteers from the club. Many of the volunteers’ train as Activators by attending a short course to facilitate the teaching of the drills and games. No cricket experience – or knowledge - is necessary but a love of sport and imparting a love of sport to children definitely is!
We encourage our younger Academy membership to get involved with volunteering as well. So, we have children from the ages of 11 to 14 from our junior age groups coming along, some possibly unwillingly at first, because its Friday evening and they want to be elsewhere. They help set up the drills, coach and demonstrate the different techniques and all, without exception, say how much they enjoy helping the younger children. We are very proud of these young volunteers and know this experience will help them by giving them confidence and a community spirit.
We love the fact that parents stay on the common as well. Many follow their children around, helping them enjoy this new experience. Many help out by keeping wicket or retrieving balls. Others have picnics and meet up with friends and make new friends. It is a very social and enjoyable atmosphere. It is making use of the Common when otherwise it would be empty on a Friday evening and Lindfield Cricket Club is delighted to facilitate this for the village.
At the end of each eight-week programme our hope is that firstly, the children have enjoyed themselves. Secondly, that they have enjoyed the freedom to run around the Common with some of the independence that used to be commonplace but is now not so available to young people. Lastly, that some of them might have discovered new skills and an enjoyment of sport and / or cricket. It is the reason we do it – to give the generation coming through a love of exercise and the characterbuilding ups and downs you can get from sporting endeavours. Seeing the smile on a child’s face when they take a catch or bowl the ball straight or hit the ball far into the distance for the first time, is what it’s all about.
Well done all our Lindfield All Stars 2025, you’ve been amazing!