The regular junior training sessions for all squads from U6s to U14s, both boys and girls, have now started. The time and venue of all squad sessions all on the boys cricket and girls cricket pages. Any specific questions should be addressed to the relevant squad manager or administrator, but here's some general information applicable to all squads ...
Confirming you are coming to sessions
We're operating the same availability/selection system for training sessions which we did last year so we know in advance who is coming to the sessions and have a record of attendance. As and when you get availability requests, please respond promptly. Alternatively, you can give your availability for future sessions by going to your dashboard on Teamtamer and clicking on "update diary".
Arriving, parking and leaving
If you're coming to Blackheath by car, as the vast majority do, please drive slowly and considerately in the village. There is a 20mph advisory speed limit in the village and a 5mph speed limit on the track up to the club. Please respect these at all times.
For those coming to Blackheath on Friday evenings, there are specific parking directions: see below. On any other occasions (whether for training sessions or matches), please always arrive and leave via the main track to the club and park in the club car park. Those coming to Grafham will find that the car park by the refurbished pavilion has been enlarged and the track resurfaced and widened in places so as to allow cars to pass.
There is more than one training session on each evening (whether at Blackheath or Grafham) and those attending the first session should generally leave promptly after the session so that the car-park is clear for those arriving for the second session. There is an exception to this on Fridays at Blackheath.
Parking on Friday evenings
Numbers on Friday evenings will be much reduced this year from previous years, but Fridays will still be busier than other evenings. If you can share transport, or avoid bringing a car into the centre of the village at all, please do so - a good option is the Hallams public car-park on Littleford Lane, from which it is only 200 yards across the heath to the club. However, if you do drive to the club itself, these are the arrangements:
If you arrive before 4.30pm: Please come up the main track to the club and park in the club car-park. Please leave the same way.
If you arrive between 4.30pm and 6.15pm: Please do not come up the main track to the club. Instead, carry on up Blackheath Lane. If there is space in the Villagers car-park, please park there. If there is no space there, then please carry on up to the top of Blackheath Lane and park in the public car-park if you can. If there is no space there either, turn right by the top car-park and proceed along the track and drive between the trees on to the top part of the ground, where you will be directed where to park. Please leave the same way. Please do not park on Blackheath Lane itself.
If you arrive after 6.15pm: Unless directed otherwise by our traffic marshals, please come up the main track to the club and park in the club car-park. Please leave the same way at the end. If the club car-park is full, you will be stopped at the bottom of the track and asked to continue up Blackheath Lane and park in the Villagers car-park, the public car-park at the top of the village or at the top of the ground (as above).
For a summary and map please click on this link: Friday Evening Parking Summary and Map.
We generally ask parents to stay for the sessions (see general rules below), but if you are just dropping your child off, please do so at the Villagers car-park or at the bottom of the track and not at the club itself. We are trying to avoid any use of the track alongside the ground on Friday evenings. Please follow the directions of our traffic marshals at all times.
What to wear and what to bring
There's no need to wear club kit to training sessions, though many do so. It is fine to come in t-shirts and shorts or tracksuit bottoms with trainers (in any event spikes cannot be used in the nets). It is a good idea to bring a named water bottle to all sessions.
For matches, everyone is asked to wear club shirts, which can be purchased through our Junior Online Store. Boys should wear white trousers. Girls should wear black shorts/leggings and the club yellow tops (see this link).
The younger age groups playing softball cricket (up to U9 boys and U11 girls) do not need their own cricket equipment, though many have their own bats. However, bear in mind that any shared equipment has to be sanitised between uses. This means that for those playing hard ball cricket, as well as having your own bat, it is a good idea to have your own protective equipment (i.e. pads, gloves, helmet and, for boys, box etc). For those getting this new, a good option is Romida in Leatherhead, which has everything you could possibly need, however to save a bit of money an alternative is ...
Our online second hand shop
As in previous years, we will be running a second hand shop for the first few weeks of the 2021 season. However, due to Covid-19 restrictions, instead of running a physical shop, this year the available second hand kit can be viewed in our new Online Used Kit Store.
There is a limited amount of kit already available, but members are asked to donate any other second hand kit or clothing they no longer want so it can be added to the store. Please bring it to the club any time there are organised activities taking place there and give it to the person in charge, who will put it in the home changing room.
As usual, all sale proceeds from the shop will be donated to the East Africa Character Development Trust, which supports grassroots cricket in deprived areas around Nairobi, Kenya. Any kit not re-sold to members will be donated directly to the EACDT.
Other general rules for junior coaching sessions
There are a few other general rules for junior coaching sessions, which we ask you to observe both at Blackheath and at Grafham:
Unless your child is aged 12 or older, we ask you either to remain at the club during the practice sessions or to find another adult who is willing to take responsibility for your child if necessary. If another adult is taking responsibility, please ensure that the relevant squad manager/administrator is told in advance who that adult is. This should be done by email, copying in the relevant adult.
Please keep any children you bring to the club who are not being coached under close supervision. If an unsupervised child wanders into a practice area they can easily be hurt by a stray cricket ball. Please also ensure that young children do not climb on things they shouldn't, such as log piles and heavy rollers.
At Grafham please ensure that children who are not being coached do not wander near the road. There is high netting along most of the road-side boundary, but there is gap where the public footpath enters the ground and children should be kept away from this.
Please do not temporarily extract your child from a coaching session, for example to feed them. If necessary, please give your child a snack and a drink before the coaching starts.
Please do not leave litter and ensure that your children do not do so either.
Bar and BBQ
An outside bar will be open at Blackheath on Friday evenings. There will also be an outside bar on other evenings at both Blackheath and Grafham, and a BBQ at Blackheath on Friday evenings from Friday 7 May onwards. However, all this is being kept under review, as we need to make sure that things are properly managed and all applicable Covid-19 regulations and guidelines are complied with. Watch out for further announcements.