Bowie

Boys & Girls Club Cricket Programs

School Cricket On The Move in Maryland

November 2015
By
Sham Chotoo
cricket@bbgc.com
410-451-6799

First Elementary School Cricket League in the USA

The Bowie Elementary School Teams
(BEST) Cricket League started in 2014
with 131 children from 7 dierent
schools.

Format: 4 rst round matches followed
by playos, then championship game

In 2015, the BEST Cricket League
expanded by 50% with a total of 185
children from 19 schools.
60 girls played and one girl took the most
wickets in the enCre tournament.

Most parents, students, and teachers did
not know much about cricket before.
Now they all love the game!

BEST: Gold Division Teams 2015

Gold Division Runner-Up: Tulip Grove Whitehall 2

Gold Division Champs: Whitehall 1

Berwyn Heights

Rockledge

Heather Hills 1

BEST: Silver Division Teams 2015

Silver Division Champs: Bulldogs

Heather Hills 2

Silver Division Runner-Up: Kenilworth

Greenbelt

Hollywood
University Park

First Middle School Cricket League in the USA

Due to the huge success of the BEST
Cricket League and encouragement
from parents, the Washington Area
Middle School (WAMS) Cricket
League was started in April 2015.


Started with 63 students from 4
middle schools.


Format: 3 rst round matches
followed by the playos, then the
championship game

WAMS Cricket League Teams 2015

Champs: Kenmoor

Buck Lodge

Runner-Up: Samuel Ogle

Benjamin Tasker

2015 Maryland 11U State Champs: Bowie Bulldogs

The Top Performers from

the BEST Cricket League and
WAMS Cricket League
played for the Bowie 11U
Travel Team in the
Maryland Youth Cricket
Associa[on tournament.

The team was undefeated
and won the 11U Maryland
State Title.

Parents, Teachers, and Principals Support Cricket

Principals provide administra[ve support
to inform parents about the cricket
league, allow matches and prac[ces at
the schools, and have assemblies for
cricket awards presenta[on.
PE teachers incorporate cricket in their
curriculum and encourage students to
register for cricket.
Some PE teachers coach their school
teams.
Parents volunteers are key:

Coaches and Assistant Coaches

Team moms
Score keepers
Provide snacks and refreshments
Umpire matches
Organize fundraisers
Help run the cricket program

And most of them knew nothing about

cricket before!

Students Just Love Playing Cricket

New Cricket Pitch at Rockledge Elementary School

In September 2014, a new cricket pitch was
built at Rockledge Elementary School in
Bowie.
Concrete slab 74` x 9` x 4ins covered with inch
ar[cial turf.

The funding was provided by the Bowie Boys

and Girls Club (BBGC) and the United States
Youth Cricket Associa[on (USYCA)


The cricket eld was heavily used for cricket
prac[ces and matches by the

BEST Cricket League

WAMS Cricket League
BBGC 11U Travel Teams
BBGC Summer Cricket program

In the News
NBC TV Story
hep://www.nbcwashington.com/video/#!/news/
sports/Cricket-Gains-Young-Fans-in-Bowie/
254627741
Washington Post ArCcle
hep://www.washingtonpost.com/local/prince-
georges-cricket-league-is-geing-them-while-
theyre-young/2014/04/22/b0da0cb4-c018-11e3-
bcec-b71ee10e9bc3_story.html

CTV Story
hep://youtu.be/aJDggFbNVdc
Capital GazeZe ArCcle
hep://www.capitalgazeee.com/
bowie_bladenews/ph-ac-bb-bowie-
cricket-20150513-story.html

Next Steps: 2016

BEST and WAMS leagues started in
Prince Georges County, Maryland.

Add more elementary and middle schools

in PG County
Already did cricket at 5 more elementary
schools and 2 more middle schools
Expect a 50% increase in the number of
elementary school teams, and a 100%
increase in the number of middle school
teams.

Expand leagues to other coun[es in

Maryland
Howard
Anne Arundel
Montgomery

Howard County

Recs and Parks and the public school

system are eager to par[cipate in cricket
leagues.
Recs and Parks will administer the cricket
program with guidance from the BBGC.

Anne Arundel

Public school system already gave

approval to start cricket program.
Submieed paperwork to Recs and Parks
for use of school facili[es for prac[ces
and matches.
Already did cricket at two elementary
schools and teams are forming there.

Montgomery County
Build more cricket pitches

Concrete slab covered with ar[cial turf

Clay pitches

Reached out to public school system and

wai[ng for response.

Long-Term Goals
Establish playo system to
determine Maryland schools state
champions.

Get more kids on the pathway to

tryout for the na[onal youth teams

Get more youth cricket clubs

Make cricket a high-school varsity

sport

Form new clubs

Or, get cricket in established clubs

Build more cricket pitches

Establish hard ball school cricket
league at middle and high school
levels.

Get college/universi[es to oer

cricket scholarships.
Replicate program throughout the
USA!!!