Patel met with the MCA President Prashanth Upadrashta, Charles Peterson (MCA Cricket Development) and Sandeep Hirekerur (MCA Corporate Affairs), Narsi Murthy and Rajesh Kumar (MCA team manager) over lunch on March 17, while discussing the development of youth cricket. The MCA is interested in particular to leverage Patel's experience and insights in getting cricket into Minnesota schools.
Peterson indicated that the MCA, with 26 teams, is planning an ambitious 2013 campaign to establish youth cricket in the Twin Cities. The goals for 2013 include the initiation of a minimum of six youth regions, ten teams participating in the summer league, and several week-long youth cricket camps, which are to be launched this summer.
Additional plans are in the works to get cricket into several schools through the PE route, beginning in Fall 2013. Mr. Peterson said, “Partnering with USYCA will be extremely helpful to achieving these goals, especially leveraging the work that Mr. Patel has done in Indiana.
"New MCA President Prashanth Upadrashta,” Peterson continued, "has given the youth program top priority for cricket in Minnesota."
On March 18, Patel conducted a training session with coaches and youngsters. He stressed the importance of fundamentals, age & level-specific coaching, and cricket exercises to ensure that the youths have fun and want to come back.
Patel explained and demonstrated a typical coaching session and presented several helpful insights and tips on how coaches can engage youths at different levels of their cricket journey.
The session ended with all groups (coaches, youths, & Jatin Patel) agreeing on the benefits of a very productive session and vowing to continue the relationship to develop cricket in Minnesota.
About the U.S. Youth Cricket Association (USYCA):
The United States Youth Cricket Association is an Associate Member of the United States of America Cricket Association. The USYCA’s stated goal is “to popularize the sport of cricket in the United States by promoting its adoption in schools, summer camps and youth organizations. We will organize children into community "softball" cricket leagues, and then channel children toward appropriate academies and training facilities for advanced coaching. We will add value to the local community by promoting an active lifestyle for all children through the playing of cricket.”
According to its website, "The United States Youth Cricket Association, a non-profit organization incorporated in the state of Maryland, is dedicated to introducing our great sport to American children. We will do this working in support and entirely under the direction of USACA, supporting local youth cricket organizations by sharing funding, printed and digital resources, and "best practices." We are also a network of dedicated volunteers who give our time, energy and money to bring cricket to schools. USYCA will work closely with clubs, training facilities and academies; we will be a feeder system for them, supplying a steady flow of new, young cricketers with which to fill their ranks. We are also firmly committed to fully developing women's cricket by drawing girls into our sport at an early age and shepherding them through to USACA's national teams." The website is http://usyca.org/, e-mail is info@usyca.org.
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