Comparisons to the men’s game
“We are semi-professional cricketers so most of the girls in
the current England team have jobs or are still at
school/university. The ECB receive money from Sport
England Lottery funding which is distributed accordingly
across women’s cricket. 24 squad players receive different
levels of funding depending on their circumstances and 12 of
those receive money towards accommodation.
Women’s cricket used to have an independent governing
body but since we merged with the ECB in 2002 we have
jumped on the bandwagon in terms of kit, sponsorship and
facilities. In our summer we have international games held at
county grounds across the country including Taunton which
is now the Spiritual Home of Woman’s’ cricket and two
games are broadcast live on Sky Sports each year. We have
individual one-to-one coaches who we see on a regular
basis and are affiliated to county or university academies. We
also receive support from the English institute of Sport (EIS)
which means having a strength and conditioning coach who
produces tailor-made fitness programmes and includes
access to the best gym facilities in the country as well as the
use of medical doctors and physios.”
TASK: Read the experiences of Maggie Alphonsi
(England rugby player) on page 12 of
http://www.wsff.org.uk/documents/Spring_2007.pdf
Role models
“I grew up watching men’s cricket on television and aspired
to be like Darren Gough. I just loved watching him play for
his charisma and the way he would always make something
happen. He was a real fighter and I have massive respect for
anyone who can change a game even when the chips are
down. There were a few others too Malcolm Marshall and
Ian Botham to name a few. When I first played for England I
looked up to Clare Taylor because she had that same Darren
Gough attitude.
I’ve never really thought of myself as a role model in cricket
but I do feel like a role model for British Asian women. I have
always tried to get the message across that you can excel at
your sport and still maintain studying. I feel that a lot of
teenage girls give up to early. Saying that I did have a lot of
support from my parents which is extremely important. “
TASK: Watch Dame Kelly Holmes’ Norwich Union
GirlsActive video http://www.oncampwithkelly.co.uk/gvideo.html
Final things to do:
Watch the ECB’s ‘One Game’ video
www.ecbtv.co.uk/page/Promos/0,,11617~1119075,00.html ABOUT ATHLETES DIRECT
Athletes Direct is a simple, exciting new scheme designed to facilitate
Pledge your support to the one game pledge by adding your
school visits by elite athletes. Isa and other athletes can be accessed
name at www.ecb.co.uk/ecb/one-game/one-game-pledge
for visits to schools by visiting www.athletesdirect.org
50 Sport IQ : September 2008