THUNDER BAY – For a lot of people, the sport of cricket is something that might take some time to figure out if you aren’t familiar with it.
Locally, the Thunder Bay Cricket Council is helping to accelerate that process for those new to the game.
For the second straight summer, youth lessons are being held at the Chapples Park cricket field for those between the ages of seven and 15.
“That’s really the perfect age group to get to know the sport well,” said Abhiram Giri, who is a member of the Cricket Council’s board of directors and also plays for the Thunder Bay Kombans cricket team.
“I learned cricket at a younger age from watching the game and then playing it before I actually learned all of the skills. With the talented coaches that we have here, it’s a great way to learn all of that early on and also build up that team spirit for a large experience.”
David Fozard is one of the coaches for the youth program.
He’s been playing cricket off and on for 30 years and said it’s been great to give back to the community and help teach the kids about the sport that he loves.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” Fozard said.
“Most of the kids haven’t played before, even those that are in cricket households. So, to have a group of kids to play cricket with is great, especially as we welcome more newcomers to the group.”
Giri said there have been a lot of improvements from those returning to the program from last year, especially as the council held indoor lessons over the winter.
“They are getting better each and every day,” Giri said.
“A lot of them were pretty shy at first and not sure how to swing a bat, but there’s been a great change and the kids are now ready to come out and play.
“There’s a real bright future and our goal is to have a youth team from Thunder Bay that can represent the region at events across the province.”
The youth summer camp runs weekly on Wednesday evenings from 5:30 – 7 p.m. until the end of August.
More information on the program can be found on the Thunder Bay Cricket Council’s website.
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