I hope you are all well and looking forward to what we hope will be a more normal summer in 2021. Following the release of the government’s roadmap for moving out of lockdown, and the recent publication of the ECB’s guidance on what this means for the return of recreational cricket, I am pleased to be able to confirm the details of the Avoncroft CC Junior cricket programme for 2021 which is available to both new and returning junior members.
Training
Training will again take part on Friday evenings, with the first session taking place on Friday 16th April. The timetable for Friday evenings is as follows:
- 5:30-6:30pm – All Stars and Softball cricket training for U5s to U9s (Reception to Year 4)
- 6:30pm-7:30pm – U10s-U13s
- 7:30pm-8:30pm – U14s
U15s will no longer be training on a Friday evening. We will arrange some ad-hoc net sessions on weekday evenings for the U15s and they are also encouraged to join in with adult training sessions during the season. We would also encourage the U15s to continue to come along on Friday evenings and help with the coaching of some of the younger age groups.
The timing of these sessions will be under review during the first few weeks and may be adapted based on the number of juniors attending this year.
Competitive and Friendly matches
We expect all league and friendly games to be able to take place as normal this year, with some modifications to ensure Covid-safe protocols. For ages U10 and above, this will mean games starting from late-April/early-May. Softball festivals, for U8s and U9s, start in June. As with previous years, coaches will look to integrate juniors into games once they feel it is safe and they are ready to contribute.
We understand that, due to lockdown, some winter sports have extended their season into May and June and that this may cause clashes between sports. We are happy to be flexible about this – where you feel that this may create challenges for your son or daughter, please discuss this with your age group coach.
Covid-19 protocols
We obviously hope to provide a full season of junior cricket this year. In order to support this, the club will again be following standard Covid-19 protocols to ensure a safe environment for you and your children. These protocols are likely to change over the course of the year as we move through the various stages of the lifting of lockdown and we will update you accordingly as things change. We are now able to confirm will be able to open the bar from the first training session in line with guidelines around outdoor hospitality. The pavilion will again be closed to all parents and juniors, with the exception of toilet facilities (access will be signposted). We would encourage juniors to bring their own kit where they have it. For those who don’t have any kit, the club will provide this and look to limit the sharing of equipment, wiping down equipment after use where this is not possible.
In order to take part in junior training and games, we ask that you sign up to and abide by the following Covid protocols. There is a section on the registration form to confirm agreement to this.
- Do not attend if your child, or someone in their household, displays symptoms of Covid-19 in line with standard government guidance
- Good hand hygiene should be followed at all times, particularly before or after using shared equipment. The club will provide hand gel for use, however juniors are welcome to bring their own.
- Social distancing should be practiced at all times, except where this is not possible due the specific nature of the training task.
- Before and after the training session, and when accessing hospitality at the bar, families are asked to ensure that they follow the government guidelines for social interaction.
Final thoughts
Hopefully this is a reasonably comprehensive outline of our plans for the season however if you have any more questions, please let me or your age-group coach know. We are keen to offer as many boys and girls as possible to change to get involved in sport this year, after so many months stuck in lockdown, so please feel free to share these details with friends and family.
Kind Regards and fingers crossed for a warm, dry and (largely) Covid-free summer.
If you have any further questions, please contact our Junior Co-ordinator Paul Athey.
