Hello, I’m Ruth Hopkins and I took over the position of Chairman of Old Hill Cricket Club Youth Section Committee towards the end of the 2009 season.

 

I was fortunate to follow Keith Thorn, who had laid some firm foundations for the Youth Section, and I hope that with your hardworking Youth Section Committee, more involvement from parents and support from the Club we can continue to grow and improve.

 

My aim is for all our players, regardless of age, gender or ability to enjoy their cricket and be given the opportunity to achieve their potential.

 

Old Hill Cricket Club is proud of its Club Mark accreditation and we treat child safety and protection seriously. We are constantly reviewing our standards and ensure adults coming into contact with children meet the ECB guidelines for CRB, training, First Aid, Safeguarding and Child Welfare. More information can be found on the ECB web site :

 

http://www.ecb.co.uk/development/clubs-and-leagues/clubmark/clubmark-process/

 

 

We have many young players achieving County and District selection and an impressive number of players appearing in the Old Hill Cricket Club First and Second XI teams. Our Third XI side is predominantly made up of Under 16s and the Fourth XI gives even younger players valuable match experience alongside some of the Clubs more “established” players.

 

I also manage the Old Hill Cricket Club Womens XI and sit on the Womens Midland League Committee so I am passionate that girls are given equal opportunities. Womens Cricket is one of the fastest growing sports in the UK and Old Hill prides itself on having a long established Girls Section with many players going on to play County and League cricket. We welcome beginners and experienced players of all ages.

 

We have recently set up the Old Hill Cricket Club Coaches Group as a forum for all our qualified ECB Coaches to ensure they are supported by the Youth Section and they have the chance to progress through their Coaching Certificates.

 

Fundraising plays an important part of the Youth Section to ensure we can afford valuable coaching equipment and supplement some of our functions. We hold regular Family Quiz Nights and events throughout the year. Please try to support us.

 

I recognise the commitment and hard work from our Youth Section Committee and parents but we are always looking for more people to get involved. The ECB website “Be Involved” has a few suggestions :

http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/30/30362/30362.html

 

Cricket has always been part of my life ….. I married a county cricketer and was probably a WAG without knowing it !  David was a professional at Warwickshire and played 36 First Class Matches and 24 One Day Matches from 1977 to 1981. His full statistics are actually published on Cricket Archive if anyone is interested : http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/30/30362/30362.html

He has now resurrected his Coaching Certificates and is actively supporting me at Old Hill. His knowledge and experience are invaluable.

Our daughter, Lois, decided a few years ago that she wanted to play cricket and we saw an advertisement for players at Old Hill. She enjoys her cricket, plays for OHCC Womens XI and recently completed her ECB Level 1 Coaching Certificate. I feel very lucky to be involved in a sport I love with the support of such a hardworking committee and my family.

 

Details of Training Nights, Pre Season Registration and Team News will be posted soon. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to contact me at any time.

 

Youth Section Chairman

Ruth Hopkins

ruth@oldhillcc.co.uk

Tel : 0121 422 6156

Mob : 07815 462796