Jatin Patel with volunteers.
American Cricket Federation
The American Cricket Federation (ACF) today announced the recipient of its first ACF Volunteer Recognition Award. From a number of nominations received, Mr. Jatin Patel was selected as the Volunteer of the Month of October 2013, and will receive a Certificate of Recognition, and be eligible for the ACF Volunteer of the Year Award, next Fall.
The ACF recognizes that cricket in the United States is driven primarily by thousands of volunteers, many of whom go unheralded, but toil none the less at helping the overall growth of the sport. ACF further recognizes the important role all such volunteers play, and is seeking to acknowledge those who stand out head and shoulders above their peers.
VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH OF OCTOBER 2013
JATIN PATEL
Jatin Patel is no stranger to the sport of cricket, having played the game in his native India. He is actively involved in coaching and educating others, while promoting cricket in Indiana, where he resides.
Coach Patel migrated to the United States in 1987 from Gujarat, India, and is the proud father of two kids in college, both with an interest in attaining medical degrees. His daughter is at a medical school in the Caribbean, while his son is doing bioengineering with Pre Med, and is in his third-year at Purdue State University.
Jatin Patel with prominent coach Mike Young.
Jatin Patel is an NFHS – Accredited interscholastic coach with a High School soccer coaching Diploma. He is also a NSCAA and National USSF licensed D-National soccer coach/Referee/Assignor/Administrator, with a passion for cricket as his primary sport. The former cricket all-rounder from Gujarat, India, along with some faculty members and others, developed a 10 week cricket study curriculum to train future cricket coaches at Indiana University, as part of that college’s undergraduate program. The curriculum will be a part of the Physical Education degree program, and will include active and academic disciplines of the sport.
Jatin started “Basics of Cricket” and “Introduction to Cricket” certification programs during 2012, and to-date has trained more than 100 PE teachers who are now certified in the basics of coaching cricket, which has become the cornerstone of an explosive cricket program within the Indiana State School System.
An engineering technology and computer science professional, Jatin has spent more than 25 years in State Government Administration and Management (IT SAAP), and more than 30 years in the Information Technology sector. The Cricket Australia level 2 Coach has played cricket at the youth level and the National Under-22 College level in India, before migrating to the USA and playing for the USA National XI.
Jatin says, now that his two children are grown and are in college, coaching soccer and cricket has become his hobbies and on-going passions. He has completed several high school level coaching programs, as well as certifications in CPR and First Aid. Jatin completed an NSCAA (The University of Colorado Springs, Accreditation) high school soccer coaching diploma with NCSS and NATA sports and safety courses for high school and college sports in the USA.
Coach Patel has a very simple coaching philosophy, “Create an environment where players can become the best they can be and enjoy playing the game. Experience is the best teacher, so ‘Let them play and learn the game,’ while they practice which makes them perfect.”
An accomplished coach, Jatin Patel derives pure joy from watching youngsters learn the sport of cricket and seeing them accomplish and master skills they did not have before. It’s the joy of most coaches, but Patel is quick to tell you that the real joy of coaching is not about financial earnings, but earning the respect and admiration of those you are coaching.
The founder and chairman of the Indiana Youth Cricket Association, is also the founder and a Trustee of the USA Center for Excellence in Cricket. He is a former president (1993-2003) of the Indiana Cricket Association, current 2nd Vice President of the United States Youth Cricket Association, and a National Joint Committee member of the USYCA-ACF.
According to Kelley Newman, a Physical Education teacher in the Beech Grove School District of the Indiana School System, “Jatin is extremely deserving of this award due to his overwhelming efforts in extending his knowledge, expertise, equipment, and help to the physical education classes in area schools.
As a PE teacher, I am always looking for ways to engage my students in physical activity, while educating them on the world around us. Jatin was able to provide me that exact opportunity. He gave me a cricket set, taught me the basics, and away we went. My students were actively engaged in the sport of cricket, and want to learn more about where the sport came from, as well as the countries who are dominating the sport of cricket! Thanks to Jatin and his efforts, my students have expanded not only their Physical Education knowledge with a new sport, but also their Social Studies (history) knowledge as they learn about other countries!”
As a part of the Indiana Youth Cricket Association, Mr. Patel has been helping develop youth cricket, by organizing regular coaching camps, and is always available for any type of volunteer work that helps promote Cricket in United States.
Matthew Shirk, a Gambold Preparatory Magnet High School PE teacher, with the Indianapolis Public School system, says, “Mr. Patel, or Coach Jay as I call him, came to the high school where I am a physical education teacher and taught all of my freshmen classes the fundamentals of cricket. He volunteered his time to teach my students the game and has been back on several occasions to help organize a successful historic high school cricket match. Mr. Patel has even taken the time to volunteer to train me, so I am now a Certified Cricket Instructor in the United States.” Adding, Mr. Patel has a passion for cricket and teaching the game to the youth of America.”
Awarding Jatin Patel the ACF Volunteer of the Month Award, is best summed up in the words of Indiana physical education teacher Kelly Newman, “Thank you Jatin for making a difference in the lives of our youth!”
As a result of Jatin Patel’s volunteer efforts, the game rules for an Indiana Inter-school T10 cricket tournament are now being finalized by some Indiana teachers. The Indiana Youth Cricket Association plans on hosting an official State championship tournament during 2015. That is quite an accomplishment indeed, and through the volunteer efforts of one man, with a passion, and a vision for the growth of cricket in America.
The American Cricket Federation is thrilled to recognize the efforts of Jatin Patel and others like him, who are voluntarily helping promote the sport of cricket all across America.
Congratulations Jatin Patel.
ABOUT THE AWARD
The ACF Volunteer Recognition Award was launched on September, 16, 2013 and will seek to recognize one volunteer each month from among the nominations received, culminating in a National ACF Volunteer Recognition Award in October 2014. Each month starting September 16, 2013, ACF will invite nominations from across the USA, and a three-person panel will identify and recommend the outstanding Volunteer of the Month. Each month the volunteer selected will receive a Certificate of Recognition and be entered into the pool of volunteers qualified for the National Volunteer Recognition Award in October 2014. The National Volunteer Award recipient will receive a beautiful plaque and a Certificate of Recognition.
Criteria:
This ACF Volunteer Recognition Award is open to ALL cricket volunteers resident within the continental United States, and is not limited only to members of the American Cricket Federation, or a member of a club, league or organization affiliated with ACF, provided the individual meets the minimum requirements of the award listed here.
Requirements:
Individuals nominated must be residents of the United States of America and over the age of eighteen (18) years, and as volunteers, are currently contributing to the growth and development of the sport of cricket in the United States of America, either through any of the listed areas or otherwise identified by the person making the nomination and/or petitioning the ACF Volunteer Recognition Award panel.
An individual cannot nominate his/herself, and each nomination must be endorsed by at least one other individual and not the intended recipient.
Each nomination must be accompanied by a photograph of the person being nominated. (Preferably a passport-sized photograph)