All Stars and Dynamos, the ECB’s junior participation programmes, are having a successful summer across Warwickshire in cricket clubs and schools.
By the end of July, a total of 3650 Warwickshire children were enrolled in either All Stars (2622 children aged 5-8) or Dynamos (1028 children aged 8-11). It is also great to see that 1082 (30%) of participants across both programmes are girls.
Whilst All Stars has been running for four years, the Dynamos programme is new for 2021 and is strongly linked to The Hundred. The figures above (to the end of July) don’t yet reflect the increased interest in cricket being generated amongst children since the start of The Hundred tournament. Keeping in mind the enthusiastic young faces we see at matches and on social media, it’s a good opportunity to delve a bit deeper into the delivery of All Stars and Dynamos, and to find out how they are working in Warwickshire clubs and schools.
The Club Perspective
After a hot July, it is easy to forget the junior cricket season started in awful weather conditions at the start of the summer, with many sessions called off because of poor weather and sodden outfields. Peter Wreford at Berkswell CC needed to hire an astroturf pitch in order to deliver All Stars sessions in the last two weeks in May.
Poor weather problems aside, Peter is delighted how All Stars has impacted positively at Berkswell CC over the past four years. He highlights the following benefits:
- With over 200 children coming through All Stars, there has been a significant boost to junior membership, with the club now running six teams across U10s and U11s (previously they had two). This includes the club’s first all-girl teams;
- Increase in the number of parent volunteers to ensure the club can cater for the extra numbers in new softball and hardball teams;
- A new collaboration, facilitated by the WCB, with the local primary school which means Balsall Common Primary School now provides over 60% of All Stars intake at Berkswell CC;
- Improved awareness of Berkswell CC in the community as a result of engagement with the local school.
Aaron Baker of Massey Ferguson CC uses the word “reignition” to describe the effect of All Stars on junior cricket there. “We have 44 five to seven year olds with us each week, all with smiles on their faces, loving the game and improving their technical skills very quickly. This is the first step for us. Next year, we hope to run multiple All Stars and Dynamos courses and then develop this into a full junior cricket section.”
There is a similar positive feedback from Solihull Blossomfield CC, and their journey with All Stars is featured in a separate case study running alongside this article. Junior manager Liz Steventon summarises the Solihull Blossomfield experience, “We highly recommend that every club, no matter how small, runs All Stars. It’s an amazing way to build your junior section, boost your softball kit, increase food and beverage income, raise awareness of your club, and to ensure your cricket club has regular stream of new young players and a bright future.”
Dynamos in Schools
During the summer term, Dynamos sessions sponsored by Sky Cricket were run by WCB coaches at eight schools in Birmingham as after-school clubs. The schools were chosen based on their location and the lack of local opportunities to play cricket elsewhere. Danny Maskell, WCB Schools Manager, says, “After all the challenges of lockdown and the pandemic, it was amazing to see 24 children at each of the eight schools enjoying cricket, many of them playing the game for the first time. The schools will also receive a kit bag, enabling cricket to continue thriving in these schools. We will support teachers in developing their skills to deliver cricket sessions, and each participating child has also received a Dynamos t-shirt, bat and ball.”
In addition to running the eight Sky Cricket Dynamos sessions directly, WCB staff have also supported other schools delivering Dynamos through the provision of advice and expertise. One such example is the close working relationship established with Lee Trust schools, who have funded their All Stars and Dynamos sessions through Funds for Runs.
Judging from the numbers of All Stars and Dynamos t-shirts on show at Edgbaston’s Hundred fixtures and other grounds across the country, All Stars and Dynamos programmes have had a hugely positive impact so far this year on children, in cricket clubs and schools. From All Stars and Dynamos sessions held on soggy outfields in May to sunny action-packed Hundred matches at Edgbaston in the summer holidays, this could just be the summer many children remember as the one which sparked their lifelong love of cricket.