Lanzarote are developing cricket in the region by engaging the local youth population with various events such as presentation days where Lanzarote cricket members go into schools with power point presentations, explaining the history as well as the ethics of cricket along with some of the more basic laws of the game.
This is then follow up with a practical session out on the school sports area. Cricket coaches recently did this at a school in Arrecife, the island capital, and it went down very well with the staff and students. The morning was spent at the Blas Cabrera Institute, where 15 – 16 year olds were involved.
Other various events are scheduled through the course of May, June and July to try and encourage youngsters to take up the sport. These include a annual Junior cricket day which normally brings around 40-50 kids of all ages to do cricket related activities.
This is then followed by the start of the Lanzarote Junior Cricket Club season, where the kids come down to the nets on a Tuesday and Friday evening to practice with our Youth development coach.
Crickets is present every year at the local summer musical festival where we have several teams playing Street 20 Cricket. The concert is over three days and we normally have three or four teams per day playing in friendly matches of six a side.
The aim is to create a few junior teams to compete in a league and develope cricket here just off the coast of Africa.
Jack Talbot
Regional Development Officer, Lanzarote.
