Junior Selection Policy

Selecting Junior Cricket Teams

These guidelines provide the framework for the selection of Kumeu Cricket Club junior teams for Saturday morning club cricket. The guiding principles that underpin the selection policy are:

  • Enjoyment and participation by the boys and girls is a priority for Kumeu Cricket Club.
  • Cliques of players/families associated with one school should be avoided.
  • The club provides opportunities for players to advance and play in the highest grades of club cricket.
  • Players must play in the same Grade as their School Year. From Year 3 all players must play in the grade that is equivalent to their school year. No player can play in a grade higher than their school year except with the Junior Committees approval.

Midget Grades: Year One to Four – Have a go & Kiwi grades

These two introductory grades are administered “in house” by the club and take place on on a Friday night . This is to remove the burden of travel and provides a club, family friendly community atmosphere for players and parents in there first years of cricket.

Year 2 Have A Go teams are selected based predominantly on social networks and groupings from previous participants in Year 1 Have-A-Go. Teams may involve players from the same school or from other sources such as other sports teams or friends. However, teams should not be comprised of players from one school only. Players need to have experienced some skills based.

Years 3 to 4 Kiwi teams are selected on the basis that all teams:

  • Include at least one and preferably two friends of each player in their team.
  • Are balanced as to skills.
  • Mixes the schools players attend.
  • Distribute higher performing players evenly amongst the teams.

The aim is that any two teams in kiwi grade at Kumeu will be competitive with each other. Some parents will want a group of players to stay in the same team from Year 2 as the boys are often friends, have been successful in a team, or some other reason. Kumeu Cricket mixes its teams as it provides:

  • A better environment for players of all abilities to develop.
  • An opportunity for the players to meet other players from the Club. Over time players will experience playing in the same club team and playing against each other in school teams.
  • In general players who play in weak teams that lose all or the vast majority of their games become disillusioned with the sport. Players who play in teams where there is a mix of skills develop as they learn from other players in the team.
  • The Club also seeks to emphasise participation in and for a team, rather than winning. Thus, in this grade the policy is not to select teams that have the “best” players.

Junior Grade – Under 10 Hard Ball
Under 10 is the first year of 8 aside hardball.

Kumeu has the following criteria for selection of its junior cricket teams for participation in the Saturday morning competitions. The aim is that any two teams in a grade at Kumeu will be competitive with each other. That teams playing against Kumeu will meet teams of the same relative playing ability on any given Saturday. Some parents will want a group of players to stay in the same team from kiwi grade as the boys are often friends, have been successful in a team, or some other reason.

Junior Grades – under 11 to 13

It is noted that the competitions for under 11 and older are administered by Auckland Cricket. These competitions are typically graded Blue Grade,White grade and Red Grade in descending order. Kumeu teams for these competitions will be selected on the basis of: Knowledge of the player’s development over the previous seasons.

Preseason trials organised by the Grade Coordinator, with the support of the Junior Chair/Club Cricket Coordinator, at the end of the registration period.

In Under 12 to 13, the preference of the Club is to enter at least one team in the Limited over grades, to offer opportunities to the widest group of players for individual development at the highest grade.

LIKE ALL SPORTS CLUBS KUMEU CRICKET CLUB RELIES ON VOLUNTEERS TO RUN EFFECTIVELY. PARENTS & CAREGIVERS ARE URGED TO BECOME ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THEIR CHILD’S TEAM. NOT ONLY DO CHILDREN ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE MORE WHEN THEIR PARENTS ARE INVOLVED BUT THE TASKS BECOME EASIER WHEN THEY ARE NOT LEFT TO ONLY ONE OR TWO ADULTS. OUR AIM IS TO MAKE PARTICIPATION IN CRICKET AS EASY AS ENJOYABLE AS POSSIBLE – FOR BOTH CHILDREN & PARENTS.

© Kumeu Cricket Club
Huapai Recreational Reserve, 46 Tapu Road Huapai
022 043 4615
chair@kumeucricket.co.nz