SmashPlay
Who
Appropriate for school years 0 and 1 girls and boys who want to smash a few balls around and give cricket a go. Players will be grouped in appropriate age groups.
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When and Where
The sessions run on Friday afternoons from 4.15pm to 5.15pm at Colin Maiden Park, normally from the 1st Friday after Labour weekend to mid-December, then from early February to the end of March. In total, you will receive 15 weeks of cricket over the Summer season.
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Cancellations due to weather will be posted on our Noticeboard on the home page by 3pm on the Friday afternoon, and all registered players and parents will be advised by email as soon as the call is made.
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What is Smash Play Cricket?
The NZC Smash Play programme, is an introductory experience run by our Club Coaches. It is designed for beginners and incorporates high participation with skill development. It provides an opportunity to have fun and to learn the fundamental batting, bowling, and fielding skills of the game, and to experience and enjoy New Zealand’s most popular summer sport. We do this through a series of planned sessions in which the children participate in a variety of activities and modified games.
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Smash Play is an excellent programme, with the emphasis on fun and positive encouragement as our key objective. It is the perfect introduction to cricket and small ball skills as it is played with plastic stumps and bats, and with tennis balls.
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Want something more than Smash Play? From Year 2 to Year 4, the Club offers children a modified game of cricket with a softball on Friday night or Saturday mornings. There is a girls only competition played with a softball on Saturday mornings for all ages.
Please advise our Club Manager on manager@aucc.co.nz if you would like to enroll a Year 1 child in the Year 2 cricket grade. Year 1 players who are familiar with cricket and keen to be involved in team games can enroll in the Year 2 grade. In considering your preference to play in Year 2 rather than Year 1, you should note the Club generally requires Friday/Saturday cricket players to play in their correct grade, unless the player concerned has exceptional skills, and accordingly the player may be required to play the following season in Year 2 again.
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What to wear
Players should wear a t-shirt, shorts, a cap, training shoes and socks. The AUCC playing shirt and cap is not required for Smash Play however is available at Cricket Express.
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Parental Involvement
Whilst our Club Coaches run the sessions with the players, AUCC encourages parental involvement for the development of young cricketers. The programme gives parents an opportunity to observe skills and drills being taught by our coaches which you can then use at home, the backyard, or the beach! The club also offers free training courses to parents of players in this grade - details are on our Coaching page.
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Friday Evening at the Club
Friday evenings are vibrant and full of activities at the Clubhouse. The bar is open and kai is available for purchase. You can relax after a busy week.
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Enrolment
To register now please click here
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Downloads and Resources
Below is a list of documents and resources that may be needed throughout the season