Youngsters bowled over by MYCA plans

BY A STAFF WRITER

ST LOUIS, MO-The Missouri Youth Cricket Association (MYCA), a registered non-profit organization led by Priya Singh, has done what seemed like a distant dream a few years ago.

Within two years, the MYCA now has a dedicated youth cricket facility at Bales Park (St. Charles, MO) with a turfed main pitch and two turfed practice pitches with nets. It has 8-year-old kids, both girls and boys, playing proper cricket with a leather ball and dis well at the recent national youth tournament in Dallas on July 4.

MYCA has two teams Under 12 and Under 16. All this progress within two years due to dedicated coaches at the MYCA Cricket Academy.

On June 14, the MYCA hosted a U13 Cricket Tournament against a youth team from Bollingbrook, and the Mayor of St.Charles, Ms.Sally Faith, visited the MYCA and offered her support towards youth cricket development. The match was covered by Fox 2 News.

The MYCA also has introduced cricket in about 29 Schools in Missouri, and with the help of USYCA. The MYCA provides a free cricket set to each school, which they can use to continue playing the sport in their gym.

The MYCA has also worked with St. Charles and St. Louis County parks and recreation department to make cricket as part of their youth sport program.

Not only this, it is just the beginning to promote cricket in MO. The MYCA also launched the MYCA Men’s 20/20 Softball Cricket League in 2013, which is now a member of American Cricket Federation and has 12 teams playing with ICC Rules.

The league hosted the inaugural Regional Softball Cricket Tournament on July 4 and 5.

The MYCA is now also working on a Women’s Cricket Development plan in Missouri to get the women cricketers engaged.

Cricket is culture and religion among the playing nation. It keeps them united. It keeps them connected. In America, it is doing the same and will do the same. MYCA has taken the cricket to the grassroot level. The journey has just started but the possibilities are limitless.

It’s time to give children a chance to experience the gentleman’s game.