Murdoch University Oval played host to the finals of the Belt Up Integrated Cricket League on Sunday March 16, with over 100 participants showing their wears in celebration of yet another incredible season.
The Belt Up Integrated Cricket League, supported by the Insurance Cricket League, supported by the Insurance Commission of Western Australia and the WA Cricket Foundation, plays an integral role in ensuring cricket is a sport for all abilities to enjoy.
It offers an accessible format of cricket for people with a disability to join teams and participate in club life.
For Jason Hemsely, or Coach PJ, as he is fondly known to his Coolbinia Integrated team, Belt Up ICL offers the participants a great introduction to their community.
“For a lot of my players, they don’t get a lot of social interaction with many people, they might go to a special school, or they work in a sheltered space,” he said.
“Integrated cricket gives these players a great opportunity to mix with other people in the club, as well as getting some exercise and achieving their potential.”
Hemsley said cricket is an ideal sport for people of all abilities due to the fact it is a very social sport.
“The off-field connections the players make are fantastic because most of our players will have either a support worker or parents come along with them, so we all get to know the whole family and everyone gets really involved,” he said.
“It is a really positive environment, no one groans or gets upset if someone makes a mistake, and they really celebrate every little victory.”
WA Cricket Disability Programs Coordinator Annie Rogan said it had been another fantastic year for the Belt Up Integrated Cricket League.
“We’ve had nine games today which is an amazing amount of games for a league which is still growing,” she said.
We’ve had a range of transition teams and senior teams playing for the grand finales.”
Rogan said the partnership with the Insurance Commission of Western Australia through their Belt Up road safety campaign is an important one, to make sure the league is ready and able to support a growing number of children.
“The partnership has been really integral to this league,” she said.
“They’ve helped us support the players with the equipment, training and for some coaches to make sure the players have got everything they need to succeed.”
The Belt Up campaign promotes public awareness about the importance of wearing seat belts and aims to educate the community to minimise the risk of injury from serious motor vehicle accidents.