USA Cricket today announced their final quarter assessment, one week after their December 17 quarterly board meeting. The announcement includes a 2020 progress report, breaking down achievements across five strategic objectives this year:
- Grow engagement
- Increase participation
- Improve performance of national team
- Deliver financial stability
- Build trust in the community
Listed 2020 accomplishments include Grand Prairie stadium in Dallas, umpires pathway and program, zonal talent IDs, appointed tech partner to develop new membership portal, completion of volunteer recruitment, hiring of national team coaches, naming of selectors, foundational plan launch, revision of committee structure, anti-doping code, creation of covid-19 waivers/indemnity, new regulations for approval of domestic cricket, the 2019 inaugural AGM, and more.
Included in the announcement is news of the development of an ‘Entry Level Program to increase participation and grow engagement.’ Australia based strategic management company Alacria has consulted with the USAC Development Committee to develop USAC’s Entry Level Program (ELP) ‘for roll-out across schools, clubs and communities in 2021.’
In the release, USAC Development Committee Chair Venu Pisike reasoned ‘In order to achieve our vision of making cricket a mainstream sport in the USA, one of the biggest priorities is to develop an ELP that puts bats and balls into the hands of boys and girls at an early age. Whilst there is a lot of youth cricket already played across the USA, much of this is hardball cricket played mainly by boys and within private Academy structures. We are looking forward to completing the design and delivery of a program that will provide both boys and girls with a fun, enjoyable and accessible entry point to the sport at an earlier age that will increase participation levels and grow future engagement levels with the sport.’
The recreational side of cricket featured again in the release, as the USAC board revealed that plans are in the works ‘to consider how best to engage’ with the vast softball cricket community in the USA. The hope is to conduct a ‘national softball tournament at some point in 2021.’
Among other topics covered in the release is clarification on the upcoming player selection process from Cricket Committee ChairSushil Nadkarni, announcing that ‘The six Zonal Selection Panels will now convene to select Men’s and Men’s Youth Zonal training groups, as well as to review and add to the Men’s and Women’s National training groups where appropriate.’ These selections should be announced ‘early in the new year.’
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Will be watching this entry Level project VERY CLOSELY. Doubt these Alacria people have ever worked with
Americans at cricket. There’s been nothing but a long, sad, unbroken series of failures for cricket at the entry level for Americans. Someone better do their homework if USACricket doesn’t want to end up as the next failure.