Delivers on Promise to Nurture "Next Great Cricket Moment"
St John’s, Antigua – Scotiabank has renewed its exclusive sponsorship of the West Indies Cricket Board’s Kiddy Cricket Programme for a record 12th consecutive year.
The 2011 sponsorship renewal will see both organizations expanding the existing programme to introduce a range of new initiatives geared towards enhancing the cricketing experience for primary school students. Greater emphasis will be placed in 2011 on growing the programme’s regional scope, increasing technical coaching staff in each territory and introducing a year long calendar of sustained activities to expose Kiddy Cricket to the wider community.
On Friday, December 3 at the Scotiabank headquarters in St. John’s Antigua, Country Manager Marlon Rawlins symbolically handed over new kiddy cricket equipment to the WICB Director of Cricket Tony Howard as a demonstration of Scotiabank’s commitment to continue sponsorship of the Kiddy Cricket programme throughout the Caribbean.
These new kits and playing gear will be distributed to schools at the start of the new school term in January.
Mr. Howard stated: "The WICB is committed to all levels of cricket development throughout the West Indies, and at the kiddy cricket level our interest is to give children the opportunity to play the game in its purest form and develop a long lasting love for the game, while developing fundamental cricketing skills. Scotiabank has shown continued support and commitment to the Kiddy Cricket Programme and shares in the WICB’s main goals to develop strong cricketing bases and solid academic foundations for youth across the region."
Mr. Graham commented: "Scotiabank has always been keen on involvement with West Indies cricket because it is a part of who we are as Caribbean people and our commitment to Kiddy Cricket is a strong demonstration of this."
Speaking about the sponsorship renewal, Heather Goldson, Scotiabank’s Regional Marketing Director said that "Scotiabank recognizes cricket as a huge part of our West Indian heritage and we want to make sure we pass this tradition on to our children. Our investment is an indication of our commitment to deliver the next great cricket moment through a new generation of cricketing greats."
She further noted that "coaches have been paying special attention to developing core skills and we have seen where this is paying off in the talent discovered each year."
Among the new activities to come on stream will be the development of an official accreditation programme that will see all Kiddy Cricketers receiving certificates of participation while outstanding players will be steered into cricket development clinics and training camps.
"This year we will be placing special emphasis on identifying players who will graduate beyond Kiddy Cricket, giving them the opportunity to join various special development programmes. Our quarterly skill display festivals and summer camps will be administered by trained WICB coaches and will be the main avenues for us to indentify, showcase and nurture talent among players in different territories."
Since 1999, over 200,000 students have been exposed to Kiddy Cricket in schools with the aim of developing skills and love for the game among young children.