The WACA and the WA Aboriginal Cricket Advisory Committee (WAACAC) support many programs that target all areas of the cricket pathway, from grassroots to high performance, for Aboriginal communities.
Cricket Programs
The WACA runs several programs, supported by the WA Cricket Foundation, that aim to engage young Aboriginal people in cricket and build their skills and love of the game.
For information on the 2021/22 season Reconciliation Round please click here.
Leadership Program
An offering for schools that provides students with personal development and upskilling in areas like leadership, goal setting, resilience and public speaking.
Delivered in collaboration with a selected number of Girls Academy and Clontarf Academies, using cricket as the vehicle for demonstrating and implementing these learnings, students get to combine the fun of playing cricket with the learning opportunities provided in the program.
Deadly Cricket
Cricket programs targeting youth and encouraging them that cricket can be played anytime, anywhere, in a fun, fast and accessible format.
Deadly Cricket provides a diversionary activity at locations where youths are gathering – linking participants to community cricket opportunities, replicating the fun of backyard cricket and more. structured environments.
Working with organisations like youth centres and local governments, there is no cost required and no equipment needed. Additionally there is leveraging of appropriate local health partnerships to foster outcomes around mental health and well-being.
National Indigenous Cricket Carnival
In conjunction with the Imparja Cup, States and Territories send representative teams to Alice Springs annually to compete in the NICC.
The tournament has featured Australian players like D'arcy Short, Dan Christian and Ash Gardiner, while talented WA players like Michael Bailey and Dane Ugle have developed their skills in this tournament. WA has won the Men’s division three times.
Supported by Healthway and the Alcohol. Think Again program, the NICC provides an opportunity for players to show their talent and push for selection in the Australian Aboriginal Squads. In 2018 this squad toured the UK as part of the 150 year anniversary celebration.
Ballardong Cricket Academy
Ballardong Cricket Academy is an excellent case study of a cricket program engaging the local community and contributing to crime and anti social behaviour prevention. Boys and girls participate in cricket teams in an after-school program. The program nominates two Under 13 teams in the Northam Junior Cricket Association and one B Grade Team in the Northam Senior Cricket Association.
The program is delivered by a dedicated set of volunteers who fulfil tasks such as coaching, driving the team bus, team management, cooking breakfasts and scoring matches.
The program was initiated by former WA Aboriginal Cricket Council member Mark Davis, a long time Northam resident, who was passionate about getting young students to play cricket. While the program targets Aboriginal youth, non-Aboriginal students and students from neighbouring schools are welcome in the program.
WAACAC
The WACA and the Western Australian Aboriginal Cricket Advisory Committee (WAACAC) support programs that target all areas of the cricket pathways, from grassroots to high performance of Aboriginal people and communities.
The WAACAC transitioned from the WA Aboriginal Cricket Council (WAACC) as a result of a 2013 report, undertaken by the National Centre for Indigenous Studies (NCIS) from the Australian National University. The researchers were focused on identifying best-practice actions for engaging Indigenous Australians and approached Cricket Australia (CA), which welcomed the opportunity.
Cricket Australia and the ANU in October 2015 released the final report of the pilot project titled “For the Love of the Game”, which provided a comprehensive history of the involvement of Indigenous Australians in cricket and presented a series of recommendations for the sport to guide its ongoing work with Indigenous communities.
One of the key recommendations from the report was for CA and all State and Territory Associations to review the present governance of Indigenous cricket. This included changing the current model and structure of each state and territory to better represent and advocate the needs and opportunities for the development of Indigenous Cricket across the country.
The WACA elected to adopt the advisory committee model for the restructuring of Aboriginal Cricket Governance, leading to the formation last year of the WAACAC as a sub-committee of the WACA Board.
WACA chair the Hon Tuck Waldron sits as co-chair of the WAACAC, alongside esteemed Aboriginal representative Prof Colleen Hayward AM, highlighting the importance the WACA has placed on growing and supporting cricket for Aboriginal people.
The WACA strengthened its support of developing Aboriginal cricket through its creation of the position of Aboriginal Programs Coordinator becoming the only state association in Australia to make such an appointment.
For anyone wanting more information about regarding Aboriginal Cricket, including how to be involved in representative teams, contact Project Officer - Aboriginal Cricket Adam Cockie.