The Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket for 2014 was launched on 28 January, 2014 at the GCB’s board room with a press briefing, immediately followed by the Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket Festival Preliminary for schools in the North Georgetown Zone on the grounds of GCC.

The press briefing of the launch was attended by representative (S) from the:

• Scotiabank – Marketing Manager – Jennifer Cipriani
• Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport – Director of Sports, Mr. Neil Kumar.
• Ministry of Education – Representative
• Guyana Teacher’s Union – President, Mr. Colin Bynoe and Fields Secretary, Mr. Lance Baptiste.
• Executives of the GCB – Hon. Secretary, Mr. Anand Sanasie gave brief remarks.
• Colin Stuart (TDO), who chaired the proceedings.

The Guyana Cricket Board and West Indies Cricket Board are honoured to be associated with Scotiabank, and other partners namely, the Ministry of Education and its Allied Arts department, and the Guyana Teacher’s Union in the delivering 2014 Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket Program.

History

The Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket sponsorship started 1998 and it has enabled territorial cricket boards in the Caribbean to provide valuable cricket intervention to children between ages 7 to 12.

Scotiabank sponsorship of this nature (aspect) of cricket intervention is of particular importance, since the program targets children at an early age. Attracting children to the game of cricket at an early stage in their lives, helps the GCB determine and build on the levels of the children’ interest and passion for the game,  by utilizing structured approaches that will greatly assist the children in increasing their knowledge, their skill levels and their mental processes in various contextual (circumstantial) situations. It is widely believed that the earlier the recommended coaching intervention is made in the children’s lives, the earlier these children will be able to display the requisites required to as a professional.

Personal Development Benefits include but is not limited to the following:

1. Be attracted to the game.
2. Have gained interest in the game.
3. Have developed a passion for the game from an early age.
4. Identify with a wider participation of youths in cricket.
5. Be part of a current large talent reservoir which feeds into the existing club system
6. Identify with experiencing the joys of the game while acquiring the basic skills of cricket.
7. . Identify with and improve their hand eye coordination, sharpen reflexes, agility, flexibility balance & speed.
8. Be Cognisant – aware of the rules of the game (through step by step instructions).
9. Identify with the need to develop self – confidence and self – discipline.
10. Identify with group work & ethics from playing as groups and within groups in schools & communities.

The Scotiabank Kiddy Program 2014

Some 207 primary schools have been invited to participate in Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket Program for 2014. It is the expectation of the GCB that, over 90% of these invited schools will actively be involve in the 2014 Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket program.

The 2014 Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket Program comprises a coaching education element, a Festival which shall consist of two aspects, namely the Scotiabank Festival Preliminary (which is a preliminary knock out competition) and the Scotiabank County Festivals (which shall be the finals with the top/winning teams in each county).

The training and coaching of students prior to a knock out competition is intended to target at least 190 primary schools, with a minimum of 150 primary schools being expected to participate.

Table 1 – Targeted Number of Schools

It is expected that each school will be represented by twelve students in the SKC preliminary and County Festival stages. However, where schools qualify to attend the Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket International Display (an activity which takes place during the lunch break of an international match) only ten (10) students per school shall be allowed to represent their educational institution at the SKC International Display.

As a consequence, the SKC Festival is expected to have a minimum student participation of 1,800.

Table 2 – Expected Number of Students’ Participation (1,800 – 75.6 % of Targeted Population)

The Guyana Cricket Board views Scotiabank sponsorship of the Kiddy Cricket Program for children age 7 to 12 as invaluable – vital and irreplaceable, and look forward to a continued partnership with Scotiabank in helping to develop both the cricket talents and aspects of personal development of these individuals.

Such personal development attributes will be associated with the building of motor skills, enhancement of self-esteem, heightening of discipline, value of commitment, worth of determination, goal orientation, team work, unity regardless of religion, belief, perception of life, race, ethnicity, status etc.

Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket Festival Preliminary

To date, the Scotiabank Festival Preliminary has been played in all three counties, with many Zones and some Districts completing their preliminary matches. The table below gives an indication of the progress. However, it must be noted that at the end of all Zone and District matches, the Scotiabank County Festival will be played. The reschedule dates for these Festivals are:

The Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket County Festival is tentatively set as follows:

• 16 April, 2014 – Essequibo County Festival
• 17 April, 2014 – Berbice County Festival
• 18 April, 2014 – Demerara County Festival