USYCA membership keeps rolling along and growing

Jamie Harrison, the United States Youth Cricket Association president, said months ago that his organization would grow as it helped to promote and grow cricket from the grassroots level.

USYCA has not let the grass under its feet grow during winter as its team has grown rapidly. The most recent is the Cricket Association of Nebraska (CAN).

CAN, which sounds like a political slogan, was established last year with a charter to promote and develop the game in the Midwest region. It believes that development process must start at the grassroots level through the development of youth cricket in the local schools.

To accomplish this, CAN has promoted cricket to youth within its community through a series of demonstrations in schools and cricket camps.

In the past year CAN has organized several junior cricket camps for students at Beveridge Magnet Middle School in Omaha, Nebraska, under the guidance of a certified level II coach, Deepali Rokade.

CAN has also conducted many cricket demonstrations at multiple Magnet centers within the Omaha public schools system.

This year CAN and the Omaha Public Schools Magnet system have unveiled plans to organize a youth tournament and further expand the cricket demonstrations program in the Omaha public schools system.

 “The partnership with USYCA is a continuation of our vision to promote and market cricket to the younger generation,” said Dr. C.S. Manish, President of CAN.

 “We are very excited about the various USYCA initiatives, especially the USYCA Schools Program, which will help provide schools with the necessary equipment and resources to encourage them to add cricket to their standard curriculum. This is the best way to gain local acceptance for the sport we love.

“I would like to take this opportunity to commend Jamie Harrison and the USYCA for their enthusiasm and vision for developing cricket at the grassroots level in the United States.”

Harrison said: “USYCA is very excited to have as a member such an active and engaged organization as the Cricket Association of Nebraska.

“Building on the youth cricket foundation already there, we look forward to spreading our game throughout the region.”

In addition to the junior development program, CAN’s adult team will take part in the Heartland Cricket League as the Nebraska Cricket Club team.

The club’s youth cricket, adult cricket team, and outreach activities are funded by its members and through advertising and fund-raiser revenue from the local community in Omaha.

The club’s 2010 fund-raising activity generated revenue in excess of $9,000 for the fiscal year. This revenue was in addition to the club’s membership dues and other income streams.