Triggers Colts Cricket League in Houston
HOUSTON: With its ever increasing global fan base, playing and enjoying cricket is enjoyed by many, but the game is seemingly out of reach for many of its enthusiastic little fans – children in America! While many children in cricket playing nations are able to learn and play the game easily, such opportunities are very limited for youngsters in America. To address this huge unmet need in Houston, the Triggers Cricket Club (TCC) a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization has initiated plans to develop a Triggers Colts Cricket League (TCCL) in Houston, aimed at giving young children an opportunity to formally learn and play Cricket in a fun-loving environment of camaraderie, respect and sportsmanship. To achieve this goal, the TCC has organized the inaugural 8-12 age group TCC Colts Summer Tournament held over 10 weeks from May to July, 2014.
The TCCL had planned active weekly training sessions where dedicated coaches would teach participating children the art of batting, bowling and fielding to prepare them quickly to participate in competitive matches. There was an overwhelming response to the invitation to join the TCCL, with 70 children coming forward to learn the game, and leading to the formation of five teams named the Cubs, WildCats, Knight Riders (Katy), Super Kings (Katy) and New Territory (Sugarland). The children participate in weekly practice sessions which also include mock games together with their team-mates. In this ongoing tournament, it has been exciting to see youngsters quickly grasp all aspects of the game and develop a strong team spirit, tremendous enthusiasm, and a driving desire to win. The Grand Finale to crown the TCC Colts Summer Champions of 2014 of this inaugural season concludes on July 19, at Matzke Park and is intended to be a not-to-be-missed spectacle celebrating the arrival of a TCC Colts Cricket League in Houston over an evening of fun conducted in the format of a huge family picnic.
While these finals signal an end to TCCL’s inaugural Summer Tournament, the club intends to build on this enthusiastic beginning with exciting plans for consolidation and expansion. Their vision is to identify and groom talented youngsters toward more competitive forms of the game including National Level participation, while simultaneously introducing the game to children at the entry level. Formal training will be available for all children by dedicated coaches, and advanced training will be include coaches with international experience such as Rajeshwari Antani (former player of the Indian Women’s International Cricket team) and Sushil Nadkarni (Current player in the US International Cricket team). TCCL intends to work in collaboration with the children’s parents who will coordinate these efforts and be actively involved in their children’s progress. The TCCL will also have a dedicated website to keep everyone informed, motivated and connected. The exciting news is that TCCL is now planning to continue this momentum with a Winter 2014 TCCL Tournament to be hosted September – November with 5 teams, and expand to two tournaments in 2015 with 8 participating teams playing in 4 grounds. An effort of this magnitude requires support, and Nanda Kumar (President TCC) and Surya Saladi (Program Director, TCCL) thank Wells Fargo and KPIT for their generous support for the inaugural TCCL tournament, and invite additional sponsors to come forward and support children’s cricket in Houston.
Junior Cricket has arrived in Houston – let the games begin!
For further details visit
www.facebook.com/TCCcolts
or http://www.triggerscricket.com/colts/