More than 70 female students from high schools across the Perth metro area came together to participate in the inaugural Team Connect Gala Day held at the WACA Ground on Friday 6 November.
Team Connect is a social inclusion and engagement program that was established two years ago with an aim of connecting at girls from traditionally low participation groups with their local community cricket club, via their school, at low socio-economic high schools across Perth
The program is one of many supported by the WA Cricket Foundation.
“The WACA has been so supportive of this program and the WA Cricket Foundation is so valuable and it’s given me the opportunity to this season to provide uniforms for every kid, buy equipment for every team, and organise transport to get every team to the game,” Team Connect Program Director Margie Oldfield said.
This program is all about opportunity, the program allows every kid across Perth to have equal opportunity to be part of community sport, which we all know has such a positive impact on wellbeing.”
The students, as well as the teachers, took part in a number of fun cricket skill clinics and games run by Player’s Choice and were also treated to a lunch put on by the WACA catering team at Langer’s Loft.
“The event was a great success, it gave the girls an opportunity to be in an environment where there are a hundred girls all in the same place, the same age, playing the same sport,” Oldfield said.
“I hope all the girls had lots of fun, sport is about socialising, getting to know people and it’s about wanting to do it not just tomorrow, but next month, next year and hopefully the rest of their lives.”