Kate Mayne has never been one to sit around and just watch while others are busy.
So, when she took her children Poppy and Tom along to Knockin & Kinnerley CC for junior training, she offered to help out.
That has now seen her qualify as a Coach Support Worker, play in the club’s Women’s Softball teams and get involved in many aspects of the club – even picking up an award along the way!
She says: “Cricket is such a sociable game. I have really enjoyed taking junior sides to festivals and matches at beautiful clubs like Montgomery and Frankton, where you always receive a such a warm welcome.
“Seeing kids developing in the game is hugely rewarding. I love seeing girls coming through our ranks showing so much potential and skill and displaying a really love for the sport.
“I am also a big fan of playing team sports myself. I am rubbish at going for a run – social exercise is much more appealing!”
When she was growing up, she remembers that cricket was always on the TV and radio, although the game was not part of the curriculum for girls at her school.
“I did used to mess about playing cricket at break times and with my sisters at home,” she says.
“At university (Newcastle) I was friends with a girl whose dad was a member of the MCC. We spent many very entertaining days watching cricket at Lord’s, Durham and other grounds.
“She taught me the finer details of test cricket and I taught her how to drink!
“Nowadays I tend to watch cricket with my family, and in particular with my sister Jo, who plays for Knockin 4ths.”
Her real involvement at Knockin & Kinnerley came thanks to helping out with the junior sessions.
"I’ve never been very good at sitting down and watching people being busy so I offered to help where I could.
“Gary Darlington and Ed Nicholas who ran the juniors quickly put me to work helping with registration, supporting the coaches and mucking in wherever I was needed. I took the Coach Support Worker course a year later.
“Through the efforts of Gary and Ed the Juniors section became a big success story for the club. One of the things we were however aware of was the numbers of girls dropping out after the age of 10 or 11, and this was something I was really keen to put right.”
She is relishing the challenge of getting more girls involved in the game, although there are hurdles that need to be overcome.
“For adults joining the game late it is learning skills like bowling that feel quite alien. For girls coming through the ranks the sport is still rather minority.
“I think this can be a barrier to ‘social’ players, who don’t feel comfortable playing the super sporty girls or playing in mixed teams, due to the standard difference.
“There has also been a lack of exposure for many women’s sports; limiting opportunities for girls to have heroes to aspire to.
"This has certainly got better in recent years; and in cricket winning the Women’s World Cup was a big bonus.”
She believes getting more girls playing cricket at primary schools would be beneficial in many ways.
“Cricket is a game of patience and team work; the sort of skills computer games don’t often teach you. I think engaging young children in the sport is vital for the survival of the sport in all its formats.”
She has been delighted to see the opportunities that Women’s Softball Festivals have given to clubs like hers to get involved in cricket.
“I really enjoyed the softball festivals organised by Shropshire Cricket Board. The atmosphere was always great and in 2018 Knockin fielded over 25 ladies in the various festivals over the season.
“It was fantastic seeing so many people engaging with the sport, most of whom had never played before.
“A particularly memorable festival was at Beacon when my team invented the additional sport of trying to hit a ball through the ice cream van’s window.”
She is also proud of the awards she and the club have received in recent years.
“I was really chuffed to receive an award from Shropshire Cricket Board as a softball ‘champion’ in 2018.
“But the biggest highlight was when our club received the Queens Award for Voluntary Service in the same year.
“The award recognised the big team effort it takes to run a club like KKCC; from awesome groundsmen like Higgy and Barry, to the people who stock the bar like Linda, who very sadly died last year. It is great being part of that big collective cause.”
So, when she took her children Poppy and Tom along to Knockin & Kinnerley CC for junior training, she offered to help out.
That has now seen her qualify as a Coach Support Worker, play in the club’s Women’s Softball teams and get involved in many aspects of the club – even picking up an award along the way!
She says: “Cricket is such a sociable game. I have really enjoyed taking junior sides to festivals and matches at beautiful clubs like Montgomery and Frankton, where you always receive a such a warm welcome.
“Seeing kids developing in the game is hugely rewarding. I love seeing girls coming through our ranks showing so much potential and skill and displaying a really love for the sport.
“I am also a big fan of playing team sports myself. I am rubbish at going for a run – social exercise is much more appealing!”
When she was growing up, she remembers that cricket was always on the TV and radio, although the game was not part of the curriculum for girls at her school.
“I did used to mess about playing cricket at break times and with my sisters at home,” she says.
“At university (Newcastle) I was friends with a girl whose dad was a member of the MCC. We spent many very entertaining days watching cricket at Lord’s, Durham and other grounds.
“She taught me the finer details of test cricket and I taught her how to drink!
“Nowadays I tend to watch cricket with my family, and in particular with my sister Jo, who plays for Knockin 4ths.”
Her real involvement at Knockin & Kinnerley came thanks to helping out with the junior sessions.
"I’ve never been very good at sitting down and watching people being busy so I offered to help where I could.
“Gary Darlington and Ed Nicholas who ran the juniors quickly put me to work helping with registration, supporting the coaches and mucking in wherever I was needed. I took the Coach Support Worker course a year later.
“Through the efforts of Gary and Ed the Juniors section became a big success story for the club. One of the things we were however aware of was the numbers of girls dropping out after the age of 10 or 11, and this was something I was really keen to put right.”
She is relishing the challenge of getting more girls involved in the game, although there are hurdles that need to be overcome.
“For adults joining the game late it is learning skills like bowling that feel quite alien. For girls coming through the ranks the sport is still rather minority.
“I think this can be a barrier to ‘social’ players, who don’t feel comfortable playing the super sporty girls or playing in mixed teams, due to the standard difference.
“There has also been a lack of exposure for many women’s sports; limiting opportunities for girls to have heroes to aspire to.
"This has certainly got better in recent years; and in cricket winning the Women’s World Cup was a big bonus.”
She believes getting more girls playing cricket at primary schools would be beneficial in many ways.
“Cricket is a game of patience and team work; the sort of skills computer games don’t often teach you. I think engaging young children in the sport is vital for the survival of the sport in all its formats.”
She has been delighted to see the opportunities that Women’s Softball Festivals have given to clubs like hers to get involved in cricket.
“I really enjoyed the softball festivals organised by Shropshire Cricket Board. The atmosphere was always great and in 2018 Knockin fielded over 25 ladies in the various festivals over the season.
“It was fantastic seeing so many people engaging with the sport, most of whom had never played before.
“A particularly memorable festival was at Beacon when my team invented the additional sport of trying to hit a ball through the ice cream van’s window.”
She is also proud of the awards she and the club have received in recent years.
“I was really chuffed to receive an award from Shropshire Cricket Board as a softball ‘champion’ in 2018.
“But the biggest highlight was when our club received the Queens Award for Voluntary Service in the same year.
“The award recognised the big team effort it takes to run a club like KKCC; from awesome groundsmen like Higgy and Barry, to the people who stock the bar like Linda, who very sadly died last year. It is great being part of that big collective cause.”
