For the Altona Sports Cricket Club, inclusivity and diversity are among the main priorities, which has been reflected in the club’s accomplishments at the Cricket Victoria awards.
Cricket club junior president Dean Bryden said winning the award for Inclusion and Diversity Initiative of the Year was recognition enough for the club’s fully funded junior program.
“What the program does is allow children in the western suburbs to play the sport without the usual cost,” he said.
“This year we have also extended that program to include six deaf cricketers.”
In the past, Mr Bryden said that deaf cricketers have had their own team, but the club desperately wanted to change that.
“We wanted them to be included in the club as a whole in our range of teams,” he said.
“This way they feel part of the club instead of feeling segregated and isolated amongst themselves.”
It was only last year when the club introduced the fully funded program, which Mr Bryden said had gone “gangbusters”.
“It is open to everyone, but our main target is underprivileged and new Australians, so they have a space where they can feel included in the community.”
With 100 junior players and 130 senior players, Mr Bryden said the club is going from strength to strength.
“Next year, we’re probably going to try and expand as we have the funding there to expand to 50 juniors a year,” he said.
Kids who join get a full kit with pads, gloves, uniforms as well as professional coaching.
“Hopefully within the next four or five years, we have 200-250 kids from the western suburbs (involved).”
