He was built and molded by the Robertson-Burrawang Cricket Club system.
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Now this proud Robertson cricketer has made it to the pinnacle of the grading system and debuted in the firsts against the defending champions.
Dale Young has been surrounded in sport for as long as he can remember. His family had a big hand in getting him into sport and since then, he hasn't looked back.
"My mum and dad pushed me into sport," Young said.
"Having an older brother, I got into sport quite early. I started playing soccer quite early on.
"I began playing cricket on Bradman Oval and in Robertson. I wasn't at the age that I could play club cricket, but that's where it all started for me."
When he finally got to the appropriate age, Young joined the team that he has dedicated his talents to ever since.
"I started in the under 10s for Robertson," Young said.
"I've played every one of my years of cricket for Robertson. Starting in under 10s, then to under 12s, under 14s, 16s, third grade, seconds and now firsts. I went through Robbo's whole system."
All the sweat, hard work and perseverance paid off as Young found his name on the first grade list and would be making his debut against the reigning champions, Wingello Tigers.
"It was a really special feeling when I heard I had made the first grade squad," Young said.
"Considering I've been out for the past two years with an injury, to come back and within the first six weeks of the season and make the firsts, it was really special to me."
That injury derailed Young's cricket progression and sidelined him. It was then he had to dig deep, remain positive and prepare for the long road back to the game he loves.
"I had a bone problem in my knee," Young said.
"It left me out for two years. A lot of the recovery was just keeping the weight off of it and sitting around. I couldn't really do much.
"When it came time to rehab it, the specialist I saw suggested that I get into swimming, cycling and then a little bit of running.
"I spent my time off doing those activities and trying to stay as fit as possible. Once my knee was cleared, I had a bit of time before the season started, and I just focused working on my game."
All that hard work obviously paid off. Walking onto the Welby Oval turf after everything Young had been through made it all the more spectacular.
"It was really special walking out onto that pitch as a first time first grader," Young said.
"As I walked onto the oval, I was presented with a cap, similar to what they do with the baggy greens. Knowing a few of the boys on the team and playing alongside my brother made it a really special debut."
With all the great memories, the game itself was a major success for the team as they got the win over the Tigers, but it's a match that Young knows he can build and improve off of.
"It definitely wasn't the dream debut," Young said.
"I didn't have much individual success, but I didn't play too badly. It was a really good experience and something I can build off of."
The future for Young is still undecided. One thing for certain is that he wants to continue to improve his game and if the right opportunity ever did present itself, he would be ready with guns blazing.
"I want to continue playing as best I can for the rest of this season," Young said.
"No matter what grade I'm playing in, I just want to play to the best of my abilities.
"For the future of my cricket career, sure, it would be great to play professionally, but at this age, I'm not really keeping my hopes up. I'm just playing it by ear.
"I just want to play good cricket, have fun and hope for the best."
