By USACricketers.com Staff
A group of women cricketers and supporters in the New York metropolitan area met recently, and established the American Women’s Cricket Movement (AWCM), aimed at advancing women’s cricket in the United States.
Out of the first meeting of the AWCM, an all-women Exploratory Committee was formed to ascertain the level of interest within pockets of women’s cricket in the USA, and members of the committee were assigned to liaise with specific stakeholders and sections of the country that have an interest in developing the sport among women, or already have existing programs.
Although the original meeting was held in New York, the AWCM is aiming to involve women cricket stakeholders across the country, in an effort to help provide a basis for the further development and growth of the sport among the fairer sex.
As a result of the outreach by members of the Exploratory Committee, an in-person meeting is scheduled for this Saturday. At that meeting the committee is expected to report to the other stakeholders on the progress of their outreach effort over the past three-weeks, covering the state of women’s cricket in the USA.
The meeting will be held on Saturday, January 9, 2016 from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm at 4702 Farragut Road, at the corner of Schenectady Avenue, in Brooklyn, NY.
Given the current state of women’s cricket in the USA, the AWCM is expected to focus on devising strategies to accomplish the basic objectives of the Movement.
Among some of those objectives, according to the AWCM are:
• Uniting the various women’s cricket groups across the USA
• Establishing a sustainable women’s cricket program
• Recruiting and training young females to play the game
• Participating in local, national and international tournaments
The AWCM is seeking to attract females who have played the game, are current active players, or those now wishing to learn the game.
According to Venelda Wallace, the Interim Chairperson of the Movement, “We are also looking for support stakeholders who have an interest in moving the game forward. AWCM is looking for people to serve on various committees, coaches, managers, fundraising specialists, information technologists, umpires, parents and teachers.” Ms. Wallace added, that a national teleconference will be conducted shortly, and involving stakeholders across the USA.
It is unclear at this point how such a movement would ultimately position itself within the context of a suspended USACA or any pending resolution of the ICC. However, credit should be given to the AWCM stakeholders for holding aloft the torch of women’s cricket in the USA, and attempting to move its development in a singular direction, for the benefit of all women cricketers.
Anyone interested in being a part of the AWCM should send an e-mail to AWCM2016@gmail.com indicating the level of their interest, and how they may be able to help the movement continue in the right direction.