Junior Cricket has kicked off with a bang in Darwin, with 534 Juniors participating in cricket matches across seven competitions, an increase of 11.5% in Junior participation from the previous year (up from 479 participants in 2023).
For the first time in the Darwin & Districts Junior Competition, all seven clubs are fielding an Under 9s side – with a whopping 10 sides taking the field on Saturday mornings; almost double the number of teams that took part last year. This significant jump in numbers from 2023 (6 teams) is reflective of the huge effort that the clubs invested in their Woolworths Cricket Blast programs during the pre-season.
165 participants took part in this year’s Woolworths Cricket Blast program, across all seven clubs, a huge leap in participation compared to the 2023 ‘hub model’ which saw just 37 participants take part. Credit must be given to all the DDCC clubs and their fantastic volunteers for their commitment to creating a fun and welcoming environment for these prospective new junior cricketers.
Games of cricket don’t just happen though and with a growing number of players and teams, there needs to be an increase in the recruitment and support of volunteers as well. 49 members of the Greater Darwin cricket community have already been upskilled and accredited as ‘Level 1 Community Coaches’ so far this year and in order to help support the sustainable growth and development of our junior cricketers. These coaching courses will be offered to club volunteers throughout the season.
Increasing cricket’s presence and visibility in local Darwin schools was another key focus to help grow Junior Cricket participation numbers this season. Throughout Term 4 and the beginning of Term 1, NT Cricket worked closely with local Darwin schools to deliver 14 different school programs including Sporting Schools Cricket Programs (Australian Government initiative designed to help schools increase children’s participation in sport), Front Gate Challenges (a free and fun initiative to engage with students and parents before or after school) and Woolworths Cricket Blast HPE Programs (4-6 week, in-school, teacher delivered HPE Programs).
The various programs delivered a dedicated 25+ hours per week of cricket in schools during Term 1, and helped us see a significant spike in both ‘School to Cricket Blast’ and ‘School to Club Cricket’ transitions. All of this program delivery in schools wouldn’t have been possible without the fantastic work of a core group of casual NT Cricket staff and support of the amazing club volunteers who attended their local schools to help promote cricket and connect students and parents with their local clubs.
Be sure to head down to your local club to support the Territory’s newest up and coming superstars!