MORE than 100 children across Tynedale are being given an early opportunity to get into sports coaching.

Through five courses run by Northumberland Cricket Board (NCB) throughout the year, 150 pupils at the district’s schools have been given an insight into delivering training sessions through the popular Cricket Activators scheme.

Tom Cant, the cricket development officer for West Northumberland, has been into Hexham’s Queen Elizabeth, Haydon Bridge and Prudhoe high schools and Ovingham, Corbridge and Hexham middle schools to drum up interest among enthusiastic youngsters.

In addition, NCB has also run the course with Tynedale-based learning disabilities service Gateway into the Community.

The scheme exists to raise the profile of cricket within a young leadership role, and aims to inspire young people to get actively involved with the sport in a non-playing role too.

It develops leadership skills which not necessarily may be accessible to teenagers while providing volunteering opportunities within sport.

From there, the children will receive guidance on potential pathways for young leaders to expand on.

While also helping out the development of young people, it will provide support to keep the sport flourishing across the county with the youngsters stepping up and helping out at competitions.

The cricket activators programme requires youngsters to complete a one-off, three-hour module which combines both practical and classroom-based work.

Furthermore, it has to be followed up with at least 10 hours of volunteering in a cricketing environment, thus benefiting clubs, schools and disability groups within the local community.

Cant said: “There is a high drop-off in children but especially between the ages of 16 and 25, so Cricket Activators looks at coaching, umpiring, scoring and volunteering to keep people in the game, or sport in general.

“The course looks to identify and understand the various roles that make cricket happen, understand the expectations of people in these roles, and understand how to promote cricket to get more people playing more often.

“It will also signpost attendees to further opportunities to progress as part of the voluntary cricket workforce.”