Young guns help launch Cricket Kindness Project

Cricket Australia's philosophy about creating not just better cricketers but better people was in full swing at the National U17 Championships in Mackay earlier this month, where a number of players engaged participated in a series of activities organised by the Cricket Kindness project.

'Cricket Kindness' was devised with the intention of developing a wider sense of gratitude, empathy and kindness among Cricket Australia's younger players, specifically males and females between 15 and 19, with the idea that seemingly insignificant gestures can have a far-reaching positive impact.

"These are our future leaders, our future Test captains, and there was an opportunity there to run more than just games of cricket," said CA Cricket Operations Specialist, National/Pathway Championships Laura Piekarski of the recent tournament in Mackay.

"There's been a lot of change within Cricket Australia, and our strategy talks a lot about good people, we've got selection philosophies around picking good people, so it was about trying to embed these values that create those good people earlier.

"We do a lot at senior level Australia-wide in terms of giving back to charity partners, being role models, those sorts of things, so the idea was really just to introduce that earlier in the pathway.

"Our cricketers are pretty lucky and it's important they realise how lucky they are – and not just the opportunities that sport provides them personally but how that can inspire others as well."

The Cricket Kindness Project teamed up with the RSPCA and the Natural Environment Centre in Mackay, as well as local organisation the Grapevine Group, who work in youth suicide prevention, to give the players some volunteer work on their rest days through the tournament.

Players also ran a coaching clinic through Queensland Cricket with the Endeavour Foundation, a disability service provider, and Anglicare, which runs an emergency relief pantry and a low-cost food centre in Mackay.

"We got all the teams as well as the umpiring group to donate any leftover food and additional food items, and went and visited Anglicare to see the pantry and hear their stories," Piekarski explained.

"That had the most impact on the players. We had the Cricket Australia XI group and some Tasmania and NSW Metro representatives there, and we would've donated over $1000 worth of food and other items to Anglicare."

Throughout the initiative, Piekarski felt the young players learned important lessons in the key areas the Kindness Project is targeting.

"The boys were amazing," she said. "We really pitched it to them as a simple concept – that a small donation can make a big difference.

"We asked the Cricket Australia XI for a gold coin donation that we would match and then purchase items to donate, and the boys themselves put in about $250, which was phenomenal.

"They saw that by each of them donating $10-15 they could pool their resources together and make a big difference.

"It really resonated with them – it was just a small moment to think about somebody other than themselves, and at the same time realise how lucky they are.

"Hopefully this is just the start of something pretty big."