Club calls to keep filling gender gap

MEMBERS of the Mount Clear Cricket Club are calling out for new players to join their gender diverse, and women’s squads.

With teams established across from master blasters into seniors, junior coordinator Steve Young said the club is keen to continue breaking the stigma behind a traditionally male-driven sport.

“We’ve got the full pathway right through from the start and the ask is to keep bringing more girls and people who identify as gender diverse into cricket,” he said.

“It’s a sport they historically haven’t naturally gone into. Probably the hardest spots to attract new players is in that under 17s and women’s sides so there’s a bit of a need there.

“The idea is that cricket’s not just for boys, and it’s not even just for girls and women, but for those who identify as gender diverse, there’s a place for them in cricket as well.”

The club established a gender diverse, and women’s program during the 2015/2016 season and were one of the first clubs to take part in the latter initiative when it was introduced by the Ballarat Cricket Association three seasons ago.

The program has grown from about 12 members to about 60 across all sides.

Young said it’s important cricket is accessible to everyone.

“Part of our strategy is we’re a family-oriented club and you’re only truly a family club if you’ve got everybody involved,” he said.

“We try to market our cricket as cricket for everyone. It’s picking up on the contemporary nature of the community nowadays.”

To join, visit Mount Clear Cricket club’s page at the Play Cricket website.