Program Benefits

Step into the world of Cricket Blast, an immersive program igniting a passion for cricket in kids up to 10. Beyond skill development, it nurtures teamwork, resilience, and communication through activities and mini games. This program brings families together, forging bonds and strengthening relationships. After five years of success, Cricket Blast has evolved with a streamlined experience and a captivating national marketing campaign. With its warm, inclusive, and energetic essence, Cricket Blast weaves cricket skills with life skills, offering a journey of growth and shared experiences.

CLUB

• Create the ultimate cricket experience for new players, parents, and coaches at your club.
• A key to unlocking the huge potential at your club through boosting player numbers, exposure to the next generation of volunteers and stronger family bond to your club.
• The gateway to junior cricket through building their confidence in cricket using a structured curriculum focused on skill development.
• Showcase the possibilities of your facility and promote an active lifestyle for both your participants and their parents.
• Create stronger relationships to local community groups by building connections and reinforcing the inclusive nature of your club, welcoming children of all skill levels and backgrounds.
• Enhance your club’s financial strength through increased membership, drawing in more spectators than club cricket, leveraging merchandise sales, hosting fundraising events and expanding the audience reach for sponsors.  

NO UPFRONT COSTS

• Equipment provided.
• Online registration platform provided.

ALIGNMENT WITH JUNIOR CRICKET PATHWAY

• Cricket Blast is the first the step in the junior cricket pathway and is highly recommended as the starting point for cricket for those 10 and under.
• Utilising structured and unstructured play, skills are developed that prepare the participants for Junior Cricket.
• A skill progression framework provides participants and coordinators with the guidance on developing the skills required for Junior Cricket and allows them to build to the challenge of playing.
• The dynamic sessions for new participants expose them to the skills of cricket and give them a taste of games, as they progress through the levels of the program, they will find themselves having more game time.

ALIGNED WITH THE W/BBL

• Participant Pack items available in W/BBL and Australia colours or Indigenous Deadly Designs.
• Marketing material provided.

NATIONAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN

• New National Television Commercial – Imagine the Fun
• Promotions in schools across the country.
• Advertising for all programs across various media platforms – television, radio and social media.

MONEY CAN’T BUY EXPERIENCES

• Throughout the season there are several exclusive opportunities for select* Woolworths Cricket Blast participants to be a part of money can’t buy experiences at domestic and international matches. These may include meeting players, participating on the ground during a match or pre-match activities.

 *Eligibility criteria will vary from state to state.

 

Selecting a Cricket Blast Coordinator

Selecting a Cricket Blast Coordinator is the first step in building your Cricket Blast Program and getting kids started on their cricket journey.

A Cricket Blast Coordinator might have a cricket background, or they might be new to the sport. They could be:

• Parents and guardians.
• A school teacher.
• A volunteer from your community.
• Someone in the club network.
• A senior player, past or present.
• A club committee member.

When looking for Cricket Blast Coordinators, think about people who have the following personality traits:

• Fantastic with kids - brilliant with budding Cricket Blasters of all ages.
• A true people enthusiast – ultimate team player both on and off the cricket field!
• Organised – a person with awesome organisational skills. They ensure that every step of the Cricket Blast program is streamlined and efficient.
• Welcoming – can take parents and Cricket Blasters on a journey where they're not just participants – they're valued members of the program.
• Encouraging - celebrating every victory, no matter how big or small. From mastering a new skill to making progress toward a long-term goal, each accomplishment is met with applause and genuine excitement.
• Inclusive - connecting parents and kids of all backgrounds together in an atmosphere of mutual respect, creating a fun and safe environment for all!

RECRUITMENT TIPS

• Being a Cricket Blast Coordinator is a bit like organising a kids party, it’s about ordered fun! This means you don’t need to have lots of technical cricket knowledge, just be a great people person and organisational whiz.
• Don’t underestimate the power of asking for volunteers, you will be surprised who is in your network that may be able to assist.
• With this in mind think about your club’s network - who would make a great Coordinator?
• What incentives or rewards can you provide for taking on the role?
• Your coordinator might not come from a cricket background - highlight the great training and support available to anyone you approach.
• Have two Blast Coordinators instead of one, to support each other and share the workload.
• Having more people playing and enjoying cricket is good for everyone, including your club!

For more ideas, see below for an example position description for your Cricket Blast Coordinator.

Planning Your Cricket Blast Program

Get ready to be part of something extraordinary! Cricket Blast isn't just about cricket; it's a journey where families bond, life skills are nurtured, and friendships take root. Our mission: to spark a lifelong love for cricket, making every child a player or a passionate fan. As ambassadors of fun, inclusivity, and community, your dedication will shape bright futures and unforgettable moments. Thank you for being the heartbeat of Cricket Blast – let's make this journey unforgettable!

TALK TO YOUR CLUB (Approx. 4 MONTHS OUT)

Organise a meeting with your committee to:

• Talk through the program and how it can benefit your club.
• Work out when and where the program will be run.
• Discuss how you’ll recruit Cricket Blast Coordinators and who’d be great for the role. Don’t forget to think outside of the box (see tips in the Selecting a Cricket Blast Coordinator section).

REGISTER YOUR CLUB

• To register your club as a Woolworths Cricket Blast Centre, contact your local Cricket Manager or the Woolworths Cricket Blast Helpdesk at:
  • cricketblast@cricket.com.au or 
  • call 1800 CRICKET (1800 274 25 38)

SELECT A CRICKET BLAST COORDINATOR

• Once you’ve had your club meeting, approach people you think would be best for the role. You can find tips more information in the Selecting a Cricket Blast Coordinator section.

SELECT A LOCATION

• Cricket Blast is a great way to get new players interested in cricket and where you run your program can help. Think beyond your cricket club; consider running some of your sessions at a local school or location familiar to those outside of cricket like a local park.
• Remember girls at this age tend to favour individual artistic sports, so factor in when and where these are run locally.
• Whichever location you choose, make sure it has appropriate facilities to cater for children and parents of all abilities, and for those new to the sport.

CHOOSE A DAY AND TIME

• Try and choose a day and time that doesn’t clash with other sports programs or local family activities in your area (i.e. school markets or sports presentation nights).
• The program recommendation is to run for 8 weeks, try and avoid days where it will fall on a public holiday.
• For young girls, cricket is probably their 3rd or 4th choice of sport so try to find a time that doesn’t clash with local movement-based sports (i.e. dance and swimming), or make it convenient to them in other ways (i.e. straight after school hours).
• Consider what other cricket is running at the same time. For example, you may want to run your Cricket Blast program at the same time and location as your Junior Cricket teams. This will make it easy for parents/guardians and kids see the next step in their cricket journey.
• Splitting your program between Term 4 and Term 1 or pre and post-Christmas provides opportunity for more kids to join your program each season.

SET YOUR PRICING MODEL

• Woolworths Cricket Blast has an RRP of $99. Review what other programs in your area charge. Consider additional costs such as reward and recognition items like medals and trophies, costs of social events like hosting BBQ’s and the inclusion of club shirts.

GOVERNMENT SPORTS VOUCHERS

• State Government Sports Vouchers are subsidies for parents and guardians, so kids can participate in sport. To find out more about Government Sports Vouchers, and to see if they’re offered in your State, see below:
  • Australian Capital Territory
  • New South Wales
  • Northern Territory
  • Queensland
  • South Australia
  • Tasmania
  • Victoria 
  • Western Australia
• Remember to let parents know about the scheme, so they can check if they’re eligible.

PARENT/GUARDIAN ENGAGEMENT

Now your Cricket Blast Coordinator is in place and your program is taking shape, it’s time to engage your parents to see who can help. Parent helpers are the key to unlocking a successful program. It's a great idea to send your parents a welcome email, introducing your coordinator and providing some information about how the Cricket Blast program will run at your club. 

Here is an example of what to include.

TRAINING

• Before your program starts, your Cricket Blast Coordinator needs to complete training.
• The online training module can be found here: Cricket Blast Online Learning Module
• For more information regarding training, contact your local Cricket Manager.

PROMOTE YOUR PROGRAM

• The first step in promoting your program is making it live on PlayCricket. It is a critical step to ensure interested Cricket Blasters find your program.
• Including your Coordinators contact number can be helpful for parents new to cricket to start to build a relationship with cricket. New parents will have more questions than those that are from cricket background.
• For lots more details, ideas, and strategies on how to promote your Woolworth’s Cricket Blast Centre, see the Marketing section within our Resources page.

CRICKET BLAST EQUIPMENT

• Head to the Cricket Blast Shop via PlayHQ to purchase your centre equipment or go direct to https://shop.cricketblast.com.au.

 

Program Preparation Checklist

What makes Cricket Blast unique is its ability to unite families, impart life skills, foster friendships, and build a thriving community. Here is a consolidated checklist to assist your club create a fun, engaging and inclusive program – just imagine the fun!

 

Engaging Parents/Guardians and Volunteers

Volunteers are a huge part of making Woolworths Cricket Blast a success. Engaging parents and volunteers to help run your program is critical to the success of the implementation. It will help the program run smoothly, ensure the kids have fun, and everyone walks away having had a great time.

• Parent and Volunteer support is key in Cricket Blast. More helpers allow the kids to be engaged, to stay on task, to be challenge at the right level and not become bored, allowing them to learn new skills, participant and have fun.
• The best option is to often go to parents, but there are many people in the broader community who would also make excellent helpers:
• Junior and Senior Club cricketers.
• Senior college and high school students.
• Community-minded people.
• Older siblings and other family members (such as grandparents).

Tip – If you can afford to incentivise some helpers or event pay Cricket Blast Coordinators or Coaches, this is a great way to invest in the program.

CRICKET BLAST COORDINATOR

1 Per Program An organisational whiz! Cricket Blast Coordinators manage the program from start to finish. They look after administration, work with the local cricket club or centre to organise and oversee sessions.

 

CRICKET BLAST HELPERS

As many as possible! All other parents/guardians and volunteers that can’t help as Cricket Blast Coordinators but are still happy to assist with the program on and off the field. Try and allocate 1 x parent per group to facilitate activities and games. HOT TIP: Being a Cricket Blast Helper is a great first step for those new to cricket. Your might find your next Cricket Blast Coordinator from this groups, so fer as many involved as possible!