Super 1s Unity of the Roses

This was the first event of its kind for the national Lord’s Taverners Super 1s programme. Bringing participants from the two counties together gave participants the opportunity they otherwise wouldn’t experience. It provided them with the chance to experience a new environment while engaging with young people in a similar situation to them, and helped to build new friendships and an understanding of what others go through on a daily basis while also improving their cricket skills.

The day began with a range of cricket skills sessions focusing on all three facets of the game; batting, bowling and fielding, before participants from each county were mixed in to teams for an afternoon 8 over a-side competition so that young people from Yorkshire and Lancashire got to know each other for the first time and work towards a common goal of winning a competition.

Super 1s Programme Manager, Mark Bond, said: “It's great for the guys to meet people from different parts of the country. There’s a different range of ages and disabilities involved and as a young person with a disability you don’t often have a role model in your life that you can look up to that shows you how you can overcome your challenges. They’ll be able to learn from each other and pass on their own knowledge, and it’ll make everyone feel like they’re not just gaining more knowledge and confidence themselves but they’re also making a difference to someone else’s life who may be in a similar situation to them." 

Pauline, Grandparent of one of the York participants, added: “For children like him who’s disabilities may not be that obvious to others, you don’t see the problems he encounters on a daily basis. He so desperately wants to be social but finds it very hard to make friends. He lives with autism and can cope with cricket. He’s got to know others who have been at the York Super 1s hub for a while now and they don’t see the disabilities they live with, they just get on with it and play and its absolutely brilliant. He couldn’t wait to get here this morning and absolutely loves it.“

Yorkshire Super 1s Disability Officer, Rohan Randhawa, was very happy with how the Super 1s Roses link up went: “Playing cricket through Super 1s helps young people improve their social and communication skills, while also helping them work as part of a team. Playing the game gives them the chance to know what it feels like to win and lose and helps them learn how to deal with that as a person.“

Delivered in Yorkshire since 2018, Super 1s gives young people with disabilities the chance to play cricket regularly. By creating community cricket hubs, delivered weekly by county cricket boards, the programme gives disabled young people the chance to compete against their peers, enjoy the benefits of sport and live a more active life.

Nearly 60 young people with disabilities are now taking part in Super 1s across six hubs in the county every week. The five hubs where the programme is delivered in Yorkshire are Bradford, Dewsbury, Huddersfield, Sheffield and York.

The programme benefits youngsters in all aspects of their life; it has been proven that engaging in regular sport helps young people develop personal skills, including confidence, leadership and independence.

For many young people with disabilities, opportunities to take part in regular competitive sport can be limited. But the Super 1s programme has created a new pathway for disabled young people to play the game.

To find out more about Super 1s in Yorkshire please contact Yorkshire Super 1s Development Officer Rohan Randhawa on 0113 203 3668 or via r.randhawa@yorkshirecb.com. 

Watch highlights from the day below: