Hundreds of children and young people took to the WACA Ground for Saturday’s Autism Come and Try Session, marking another milestone for a program that continues to create opportunities and pathways into cricket across Western Australia.
Delivered by the Autism Association of WA with support from the WA Cricket Foundation, the event celebrated the eighth year of the Autism in Cricket Program, bringing together participants, families, volunteers and community cricket clubs from across the State.
The session attracted more than 240 registrations, setting a new benchmark for an event that has become a staple of the WA Cricket Foundation calendar.
Autism Association of WA Director of Therapy Services for Children Mathew Johnson said the annual session was designed to provide a fun first experience of cricket while helping families connect with ongoing opportunities in the sport.
“It’s important we do this every year. Today is all about a fun first experience with cricket,” Johnson said.
“From today, that’s where the magic really does happen, which is going off to local community cricket clubs with the support provided by our program.
“Our staff help families connect with inclusive cricket clubs where children can have a great time in their local community, make friends and enjoy the game.”
The Autism Come and Try Session has become a key entry point into cricket, with many participants progressing into local club programs through the support of the Autism Association of WA and WA Cricket Foundation.
Following last year’s session, 49 participants registered to play cricket during the 2025-26 season. The program’s network of Endorsed Autism Inclusive Clubs has also expanded this year, growing to 14 clubs across Western Australia.
Johnson said the program’s success highlighted the importance of creating welcoming environments for autistic children and young people.
“Every year we get roughly 200 kids down here to the WACA Ground to enjoy cricket for the first time, and we usually see at least 50 kids go on to sign up with a local club and play organised cricket in their community,” he said.
Among those attending was former participant Alex Hayes, who first took part in the Autism Come and Try Session eight years ago and now represents Western Australia in Intellectual Disability cricket while working part-time at WA Cricket and studying through the Perth Scorchers Institute.
“I started at the Autism Come and Try Session eight years ago. From there, I’ve come a long way and had lots of opportunities,” Hayes said.
“I play for WA now and I’ve built my way up through all the programs held at the clubs I’ve played at.
“It’s been pretty amazing. I couldn’t have done it without everyone from the WA Cricket Foundation, WA Cricket and the Autism Association of WA.”
Hayes said the program’s greatest strength was the sense of community it creates.
“Days like today are really important because it gets people coming, it gets people knowing about the sport and it builds communities together playing sport who might not have been able to before,” he said.
“It gets everyone together, it’s a good team sport and you make a lot of friends. I’ve made lots and lots of friends and through cricket everything has been amazing.”
WA Women’s captain and WA Cricket Foundation Ambassador Chloe Piparo was among the players and volunteers supporting participants throughout the day.
“It’s super important to showcase that cricket is a sport for all and give different people in our community the opportunity to experience cricket,” Piparo said.
“Over the last few years I’ve seen kids really engage with cricket and it’s not just this Come and Try Session. It’s the Integrated Cricket League as well, where they can train regularly, participate with friends and involve their families.
“Just seeing the confidence of kids as they get involved with different programs has been really special.”
The Autism in Cricket Program was showcased at the 2025 Asia Pacific Autism Conference, highlighting its innovative approach to inclusion in sport.
As the program prepares to enter its ninth year, Saturday’s Autism Come and Try Session once again demonstrated the power of cricket to build confidence, create friendships and connect families with opportunities in their local community.
