England Cricket stars coach children at ACE session in Bristol
1 February 2022
A trio of England Cricket players made a special appearance at an ACE session in Bristol to inspire the next generation of young cricketers from black and Caribbean backgrounds.
Dom Sibley and Sam and Tom Curran went along to a recent ACE community hub at the St Trinity’s School in Lockleaze, Bristol, to provide an unforgettable experience to youngsters who aspire to one day become professional cricketers themselves. The stars of English cricket took part in games and exercises, answered questions and provided hints and tips to the 20 participants at the ACE session, who were thrilled to get a chance to meet their cricketing heroes.
During the memorable evening, the youngsters got the chance to bowl at their professional counterparts, picking up invaluable advice and inspiration along the way. The Curran brothers and Sibley even stopped behind after the session to have their pictures taken with the children and sign autographs, capping off a thrilling night to remember.
ACE programme participant Omar, aged 10, said: “I never thought I would be coached by players like Sam Curran, Tom Curran and Dom Sibley. They were really good at showing me the basics. I like coming to ACE because cricket is a fun team sport; everyone gets involved. It’s really inclusive.”
The African Caribbean Engagement (ACE) programme is an independent charity which was initially set up by Surrey CCC in 2019 and was brought to Bristol in September 2021, thanks to a partnership between the Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation (GCF), Royal London and Gloucestershire Cricket. Through offering high quality coaching sessions, the programme aims to give more talented young people from black and Caribbean backgrounds genuine opportunities to access pathways into professional cricket.
Theo Gordon, ACE Development Officer for Bristol, said: “It’s great to be delivering the ACE programme in Bristol. It allows me to connect with young people in their communities and shows them cricket is a game for everyone, and with the right support, who knows where it can take you. Having the England players come along to the community session has had a huge positive impact on the children and I’m confident most will take the next step on their cricketing journey due to ACE.”
Susie Logan, Chief Marketing Officer at Royal London, added: “Royal London is proud of the partnership with ACE and it is exciting to see the programme making great progress at grassroots level to inspire the younger generation and break down barriers across sport and wider society. We look forward to supporting ACE as they continue to build on the success of the community hub in Bristol and we were delighted to arrange with the ECB for England international players to attend the session and help young people with their cricket skills.”
For more information on how to get involved with ACE, please contact ACE Bristol Development Officer, Theo Gordon, on Theron.Gordon@gloucestershirecricketfoundation.org.
