JUNIOR CRICKET
All boys and girls aged between 5 and 16 are invited to play junior cricket with the Ashburton Willows this season! The Ashburton Willows are a proud, successful, sociable and family-oriented community club with a unique specialist coaching and play mentorship model.
We are passionate about the development of our junior cricket program and would love you and your families to be involved.
Our program for 2024/25
Based on the feedback received from our members, we will be putting teams in both the Under 11 and Under 13 ISEC competitions.
This will provide opportunities to play on a Friday or Sunday to avoid clashes with other sports. It also provides those juniors who are super keen to play across 2 competitions and gives them 2 games a week.
Our girls cricket has gone strength to strength and to fast track cricket progress for our girls, we will be offering girls the opportunity to play in mixed ECA teams over and above girls only cricket.
AWCC is pleased to offer the following programs for the 2024-25 season:
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Woolworth Blasters - Friday afternoons
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U10 (ECA) - Match Sunday morning
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U12 (ECA) - Match Saturday morning
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U14 (ECA) - Match Friday evening
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U16 (ECA) - Match Friday evening
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Junior Development Squad - Junior & Senior mix squad to play on Turf on Sunday
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Stage 1 and Stage 2 Girls
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U11/U13 (ISEC) - For juniors wanting 2 games a week.
Training days will be finalised after consultation with coaches and team managers. Whilst the fixtures are not out, we would expect pre-season training to commence in September with the matches starting in October.
Registration is now open at the links below:
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Eastern Cricket Association (ECA) competitions: Under 10, Under 12, Under 14, Under 16, Under 18
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Inner South East Cricket competitions: Under 11, Under 13
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Eastern Girls and Women's Junior Cricket competitions: Stage 1 and Stage 2
The fee for the season is $250, and players will be required to buy a playing shirt if they don't already have one. Juniors wanting to play an additional game/grade per week are requested to pay an additional $100 to cover costs for the season.
The AWCC Committee has developed a Junior Cricket Playing Policy. The policy is underpinned by the following:
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Philosophy of Player Participation
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Codes of Conduct
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Players Code of Conduct
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Parents / Guardians Code of Conduct
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Coach Code of Conduct
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Age Level Purpose & Selection Policy
These policies, codes of conduct and philosophy aligns with the clubs strategic plan to:
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Create a welcoming environment for our junior players and develop great young adults for our community; and
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Create a deep connection and engagement with every single club member.
Contact:
Junior Program Lead: Tom Harrington, tom@navyblueplanning.com
All training for junior teams is scheduled at either Ashburton Park or Ferndale Park during the week. Please speak with your junior team coach upon registering to confirm training days and times.
What to wear
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Long white or cream pants
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AWCC One day playing shirt
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The official club cap or a broad brimmed white hat
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A WHITE ONLY windcheater or cricket vest/jumper for colder weather
Normal runners or cross trainers are acceptable. However, rubber soled cricket shoes are encouraged for junior teams to minimise the likelihood of injury. Synthetic pitches and run-ups can be sandy and slippery, and cricket shoes provide the best level of grip for these surfaces. Please note that as all grades play on synthetic pitches, spikes are not allowed.
Players should always wear sunscreen and must bring their own water bottle to each match
A pair of cricket underpants, or skins with a built in pouch, or a pair of tight-fitting underwear are recommended for match day so they can firmly hold a protector.
Please note that bats, pads, helmets and other notable equipment items will be provided by the club, however you are welcome to bring your own if you prefer.
Weather
The AWCC is guided by the weather rules of the Eastern Cricket Association. Please refer to the ECA website under the "Match Information - Adverse weather information (wet and heat)" menu (link).