DreamCricket is a program of cricket-based activities modified for children with a wide range of disabilities to provide the opportunity for every child to play a sport. It encourages individual and team participation, builds confidence, self esteem, and increases mobility in children who would not otherwise be included in existing sports programs.
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It creates a link between the community, schools, cricket bodies, and expert medical advice by means of the Rotary network throughout Australia and overseas.
DreamCricket is a not-for-profit organisation established in 2010 with a partnership between the Rotary Clubs of the Southern Highlands, The Movement Disorder Foundation and the Bradman Foundation.
The annual Bowral DreamCricket Day provides a blueprint or model for other areas to follow as it has been so successfully implemented in regional and metropolitan areas of Australia and several overseas countries.
DreamCricket aims to deliver school-based clinics and “gala” DreamCricket Days in all areas of Australia and to assist the development of similar programs in other countries using the world-wide network of Rotary.
DreamCricket has involved more than 10,000 children with disabilities. Rotary Clubs have introduced these activities to schools in NSW, ACT, Vic, Qld, SA and WA.
It is now also established in the cricket loving countries of India, Sri Lanka and Nepal where Rotarians from Bowral have introduced the program.
Clinics are conducted in schools as part of a cricket experience which culminates in a DreamCricket Day on a significant local oval.
High school students, carers and friends, and Rotarians are asked to give of their time to assist the participants with special needs. Volunteers are trained to facilitate and modify cricket activities to suit each participant.
Therefore each participant reaches success in achieving their personal best.
They gain confidence through active participation in physical activities but it isn’t just the participants that gain from DreamCricket.
The program has more than 200 students registered who have come with their parents, their carers and their teachers.
They are all together on the oval having the most wonderful time.
They are assisted by 120 volunteers ensuring that for every child we have a helper to assist them, remembering that some of these children will never have played sport before. In fact, some may never have even held a ball in their hand or had the opportunity to swing a cricket bat.
For them this is a very exciting experience.
The Dream Cricket program will continue at Bradman Oval on Friday, October 26.
- Brian Pattinson, Dream Cricket committee
