Layout 7 - Biggleswade Rugby Club

26 BULLETIN DECEMBER 2011 TEL: 01234 843905 EDITORIAL: editorial@biggleswadebulletin.co.ukSPORT – CRICKETSandy Cricket ClubsANDY Cricket Club has been playing in East Bedfordshirefor many decades, and is currently based at sunderlandroad recreation Ground, in sandy. the playing surface isregarded as one of the best in the area. the Club is located inthe excellent Jenkins Pavilion, which boasts six teamchanging rooms, two changing rooms for match officials,plus an electronic scoreboard.sandy CC has worked hard toachieve the ECB’s Clubmarkstatus, and this status confirms theClub’s commitment “to being asafe, effective and child-friendlycricket club”. Within our Club, wehave a major focus on youthdevelopment and in 2012 willhave teams competing at under 10,under 12 and under 14 levels in theBedfordshire Youth Cricketleague. the main emphasis is forchildren’s participation within afun and safe environment, ratherthan a result driven atmosphere.Within the Junior section wehave a number of ECB QualifiedCoaches, all of whom are CrBchecked and have attended 1st aidand child safeguarding courses.the Club also has a Club Welfareofficer, and adheres to the ECB’ssafe Hands guidelines.Junior Cricket Coachingsessions run throughout the whole12 months of the year. in the wintermonths these sessions arelocated in the sports hall at sandyUpper school. From april throughto the end of september, the sessionsmove outdoors to theoutdoor Cricket net area atsandy Upper school.sandy CC also participates inthe 'Chance to shine' initiative,which is a charity that aims tobring cricket back to state schools.in partnership with BedfordshireCricket limited (formerly theBedfordshire Cricket Board), freecricket sessions are offered at anumber of the local sandyschools.For more information, hereare some FAQ’s:Q: Is my son / daughter oldenough?a: We take children from schoolYear 2. remember, we offertrial weeks, so you can try it forfree.Q: Should I practice before comingto the first training session?a: simple throwing and catchingwith a tennis ball. if you have abat, get used to the feel andweight. this will all help whenyou start, but whatever you’restandard, the main thing we arelooking for is plenty ofenthusiasm.Q: What should we bring andwear?a: normal, comfortable sportsclothing and trainers, a waterbottle. During the summermonths bring sun block and ahat on sunny days.Q: Where do you play?a: During the summer we arebased in the outdoor nets area,behind the “toybox nursery”in the Upper school. Duringthe winter we have our sessionsin the indoor sports hall withinTO PROVIDE ALL YOUR PARTY NEEDS;Filled party bags, helium balloons, tableware,decorations, for all occasions and themes.Affordable competitive prices and deliveredto your door.Please email: partypax4u@live.co.ukSee us on Facebook – for a price list or callJodie 07758 596936Emily 07976 251299 / 01767 318744the Upper school.Q: how much does it cost?a: We charge just £20 for 6months play. this covers allcoaching sessions and matchfees.Q: Do you play matches?a: During the summer we takepart in matches against otherlocal clubs. all children whowish to take part are invited toplay.Q: how can I find out more information?Please contact our CoachingCo-ordinator, ian Hurst, on 07941876292 or email ianmark.hurst@ntlworld.comas well as offering the opportunitiesto participate in cricket,sandy CC also offers opportunitiesto watch professional cricket.one of the highlights of the year isour Junior section Day out, whenthe Junior Members and theirfamilies come together to watch at20 match at one of the localCounty grounds.We also encourage family participationin the highly anticipatedend of season Parent v Juniormatches. these matches areplayed at all age levels, and in2011 the Juniors gained revengeafter the previous seasons defeats.sandy CC runs senior teams onboth saturday and sundayafternoons throughout the summermonths. on sunday’s the seniorsquad plays in the BedfordshireCounty league, and on saturday’sthe Club will be entering a seniorXi team into the newly restructuredBedfordshire invitationalleague. We also arrange friendlymatches to give less experiencedplayers the opportunity to gainconfidence within a match environment.the Club will, in thevery near future, be looking toform a Development team, to helpcreate a structured pathway forjunior players to progress throughto senior cricket.the qualified coaching staffalso run practice sessions for thesenior squad, at the outdoor nets atsandy Upper school coachingstaff also run practice sessions forthe senior squad, at the outdoornets at sandy Upper schoolthroughout the summer months.During the winter months, thesessions move indoors to thesports hall at sandy Upper school.senior players can use thesesessions to practice all parts of thegame, and particularly hone theirbatting skills against the coachingstaff’s bowling machine (potentiallyrunning at up to 80mph).these sessions are open to anyadults who wish to practice theircricket skills, irrespective ofexperience and ability.the Club also offers indoorleague cricket during the winter.We participate in the 6-a-sideindoor league at the BunyanCentre, in Bedford; the Club isalso hoping to start a second teamwithin this league structure.as well as the men’s cricket onoffer, sandy CC also runs ladiesonlycricket coaching sessions. itis hoped to offer league cricket fora ladies-only team, and this couldpotentially be via a joint venturewith other local clubs under acombined East Beds ladies squad.sandy Cricket Club is fortunateto have two local venues that kindlysponsor the club. the BellPublic House sponsors the seniorsection, and the akbar indianrestaurant sponsors the Juniorsection. social events are organisedat both of these venuesthroughout the year.sandy CC welcomes all newplayers to the Club, irrespective ofexperience and ability. We offerparticipation for all age groups,and especially encourage allwomen and girls to try participationin the sport.For more information checkthe Club’s websites: sandy.playcricket.comor www.sandycricketclub.co.ukVolunteersneededsANDY Young People'stuesday Youth Club needsvolunteers. this is for childrenof between eight andtwelve years old and there arenormally between 24 and 45children in attendance.they meet tuesdays6pm–8pm at the YouthCentre,sandye PlaceAcademy Campus.if you can spare some timeplease contact 01767 681739