Is Cricket the catch-all wonder sport for your kids?

In this guest blog, sports journalist and Dad of two James Fallows explains how and why cricket became a permanent fixture in his family household and the benefits it brings to kids of all ages.

As a parent, it’s hard for me not to be concerned about my children’s increasing use of screens, especially now that they’re using them in schools too. (What happened to blackboards and text books?!) Introducing a sport into a child's routine is the most obvious way to get them outside but, it's so much more than that - it also gives them the opportunity to develop in other ways that will benefit both their physical and mental wellbeing.

Being a sports journalist and having different sports on in the house regularly, I assumed that my son would like the sports I do which are football and American football. It turns out it doesn’t really work like that! A few years ago my son took a shine to playing cricket at school during a PE lesson. He came home with a leaflet about joining the local All Stars Cricket programme with some of his friends and so, having shown little interest in other sports up to that point, we of course said yes. Four years later and he’s still going strong, still learning the game and has even had the opportunity to train at Derbyshire County Cricket Club several times.

When it came time to sign-up again for this year, we were surprised to learn that my daughter of five, also wanted to get involved in the sport and so we’re currently a fully committed, full-time cricketing household - and that includes plenty of TV coverage. (My wife always said she’d do anything to avoid being a football mum, I’m not sure she was expecting this.)

Why Cricket?

Cricket has a rich history, having originated from our shores during the 16th century, evolving from a simpler bat and ball game played in the countryside. During the 18th century the sport spread throughout the British Empire and by the 19th century, it was being played internationally. It might surprise many, as it did me, to learn that the first international fixture was played between the USA and Canada in 1844 and, in 1877, the first Test match between Australia and England took place and was the beginning of international Test Cricket. Since then the sport has evolved drastically but remains one of the most popular global sports, with various formats now being played, including the hugely popular and family friendly Hundred tournament.

Getting out into the fresh air of the cricket field leads to better overall fitness and sure, there are more physically exertive sports such as football and rugby; however, cricket requires a different type of stamina for both the body and mind.

As a two-time cricket Dad I am still seeing the benefits of playing the game that I overlooked when I was younger. The All Stars programme offers children between the ages of five and eight an introduction to the sport and offers so much more than just learning how to throw and catch a ball.

Physical Development: It helps in the development of hand-eye coordination most obviously but also; balance and agility, overall fitness and, as they develop further, their core strength.

Social Skills: Children learn teamwork, communication, and sportsmanship by playing cricket with other children that they might not have known to begin with but eventually become life-long friends.

Strategic Thinking: As they learn more about the game, cricket involves strategic thinking and decision-making, how many runs do they need to average when the game is entering its final few overs, does the batter have a preference of where they hit the ball - these are things that can help children develop their problem-solving skills. Also, understanding the slightly more complex scoring system will absolutely aid in the development of their maths skills!

Cultural Significance: As a game deeply embedded in the cultures of British Empire countries (including India, Pakistan, The West Indies and Australia) it really can help children understand and embrace different cultures and traditions; not to mention encourage diversity.

Long-Term Engagement: Starting early can lead to a lifelong love for the sport, potentially leading to continued participation in cricket leagues or clubs.

The game that keeps giving 

There’s also learning how to multitask, improving concentration and teaching kids the importance of teamwork to consider alongside everything else and, speaking from my own experience, I feel as though, in being able to learn and develop a combination of some, or even all of these valuable traits, cricket is such a unique sport over many others.

As a youngster at school, being less than interested in academic pursuits, I played football, squash, tennis, basketball, rugby, volleyball, hockey - basically anything that might get me out of the classroom for an extra hour or two - but never cricket. I wonder now if, despite probably having learned all of the skills that I outlined before through doing all of those other sports; I might have developed in exactly the same way having just focused on cricket instead?

There are benefits for parents too of course. Involvement with a local cricket club invests you into the local community. You get to know other parents with whom your child might befriend, active participation is encouraged - helping you to form a closer bond with your child, and, of course, most facilities have a clubhouse of some sort where you can sit back for an hour or so in the sunshine and enjoy a drink, watching your child have fun. Win, win!

All Stars Cricket programmes are designed to introduce children to the sport, teaching them new skills, helping them make new friends and have a great time doing so. There are over 2,200 UK clubs and centres registered to run All Stars courses. Costs are around £30 for the full course but vary according to the host club. You can find out more here.