COVERED 2024 Winter

COVERED 26 TRENTBRIDGE.CO.UK “Whether it’s about girls coming into All Stars, Dynamos, Kwik Cricket (all cornerstone participation programmes), or young families coming in to watch professional cricket, it’s about connecting that pathway to help girls stay in the sport.” Jemima is candid in discussing the current landscape for girls entering the game.There is a game-wide target to meet for women’s and girls’ participa- tion overall, but she understands that there are not only several cogs that need to be kept well-oiled if the sport is to continue progressing, there are some which need manufacturing in the first place. The most crucial element is enabling participation; removing potential barriers. “There is a big drop-off around 12/13 years old. A big part of the problem is the move into hard-ball cricket,” Jemima explains, “A lot of clubs have this view that once you get to the end of Kwik Cricket, you go straight into hard-ball, and that doesn’t work for a lot of girls. “Our Girls Development League and Development Days are about creating a transitional pathway which allows girls to stay in cricket and enjoy it.” A flagship programme of Jemima’s work in the women’s game, Girls’ Development Leagues – which span across various formats of junior cricket – aim to build sustainable women’s and girls’ club cricket for the years to come. The key is having a pathway with flexibility to suit the playing population. “What we’ve really championed this year is giving girls different routes.We’ve introduced the offering of a format using the Incrediball (a hybrid ball made of rubber with a stitched seam, designed to emulate a hard leather ball) which has been hugely successful. “There’s also a real conversation about ‘stage’ as well as ‘age’, and we’ve marketed the format as Under-11s to Under-13s, but realistically we’re seeing girls from age seven to 14 who are getting involved. “Having that wider age range helps girls transition to women’s soft ball cricket as well as eventually to hard-ball if they wanted to.We get the girls all padded up to get used to the idea of it and moving with the pads on. It’s about breaking down those transition periods for the next stage of their journey in cricket.” Representation is equally a big theme in Jemima’s approach.The phrase ‘see it to be it’ is inevitably knocked around. “Having that all-female environment, like using an all-female coaching team for Development Days, is really crucial. It’s little things like girls putting batting pads on for the first time, or learning how to tie their hair properly to allow the helmet to fit on. “When I started my role, we had a big problem as we didn’t have a female coaching workforce, and we knew that the best way to engage with girls is by having female coaches.That’s not to disparage male coaches as many of them are fantastic, but there are nuances which aren’t obvious to men.” Development Days, a sub-programme of the Girls Development Leagues, is where the gateway to a strong county- wide recreational game really opens up. These tailored sessions allow girls to get a taste of cricket for the first time, or further develop their existing skillset, and ultimately to play games of cricket “THE BIG PUSH THIS YEAR HAS BEEN SPECIFICALLY ABOUT GIRLS’ CRICKET AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO CREATE MORE ENTRY POINTS, AND – MORE IMPORTANTLY – TO RETAIN GIRLS IN CRICKET.” Jemima Dalton