New Social Sixes program developed to increase female participation

While female cricket is growing at a rate of knots, thanks to an increase in clubs and competition, in conjunction with the rise of the Women’s Big Bash League, there are still many women who want to give cricket a go but feel unequipped to make the jump to competitive cricket. Social Sixes is the perfect alternative.

“Last year there was a 50% increase in females who play cricket in Victoria. There are more potential players out there who have loved playing cricket at school or in the back garden but do not want to sign up for club cricket. Social Sixes is for them. It is a program that enables participants to play cricket how they want to play: fast, fun and social.”

– Sonya Thompson (Head of Female Cricket, Cricket Victoria)

The Social Sixes program has been developed to overcome some of the barriers identified by VicHealth in their report on female participants, including financial, access and intimidation. Social Sixes has addressed these barriers by ensuring flexible payment options including ‘pay as you play’; holding sessions mid-week, at a range of locations in Victoria; and providing all the equipment required. The programs are run by qualified Cricket Coaches, and modified to suit a range of skill levels, so participants are not required to have had any prior experience playing cricket and are made up of a mixture of skills and drills, alongside gameplay to ensure plenty of variety. It’s all about women working towards their fitness goals together, and doing so in a fun and social environment.

Social Sixes Project Manager, Caitlin Honey, is excited to see the program up and running across a range of sites in Melbourne;

“We are excited to have partnered with VicHealth to establish Social Sixes. Both Cricket Victoria, and VicHealth understand that women face barriers when trying to engage in sport, such as perceived lack of competence and lack of confidence. To alleviate these barriers, Social Sixes has been designed as an inclusive and supportive program where people of any skill level can get involved.”

Following a four-week pilot, the 2018 Social Sixes program kicks off this week in the following 6 locations;

Give it a go! Register today for Social Sixes here.

Got questions? Get in touch with choney@cricketvictoria.com.au with any queries

Cricket Victoria