A new youth cricket club has launched in Cayman, offering cricket coaching for boys and girls aged 9 to 19, and combining training with mentoring and life skills.

Rising Wickets opens as a youth cricket club for boys and girls aged 9 to 19, and organisers said the club is designed to help young people build confidence and life skills alongside cricket coaching.

The club is due to begin its first season on Monday, September 14, with after-school training on Mondays and Tuesdays until 17:15. An information night is scheduled for Thursday, September 10, at 18:00, giving families a chance to learn more about the programme and how to register.

Rising Wickets has been set up for young people at every stage of the game, from beginners to those aiming for representative cricket, as part of a wider cricket development pathway. It is also intended to offer mentoring, discipline and teamwork alongside coaching.

Leadership team brings local and international experience

Behind the club is a management committee made up of local businessman Alex Lawson, former first-class cricketer and Cricket Australia high-performance coach Peter Anderson, former West Indies cricketer and commentator Michael Holding, and Cayman Cricket Board director and Youth Committee chair Andrew Ledger.

Lawson said the club has been built on a shared belief in what sport could offer young people beyond the game.

He said: "Rising Wickets grew from a desire to give young people access to excellent cricket coaching while also helping them grow as individuals. We want to build a club where youth from across Cayman feel welcome, enjoy being part of something positive and have the opportunity to see just how far their ability and commitment can take them.”

Anderson said the club would give coaches and players a chance to share lessons that cricket had taught them over many years:

"Cricket has given me opportunities and taught me lessons that have stayed with me throughout my life,” he said. Rising Wickets gives us the chance to pass on some of those lessons to young people in Cayman. if we can help them discover what they're capable of and prepare them for whatever path they choose, and help them become better cricketers, then we'll be achieving what we set out to do," he said.

Players will also to take part in sessions designed to build discipline and social skills. Families are encouraged to play an active role in their children’s development, reflecting the club’s view that progress in sport often depends on support at home, as well as on the field.

Next steps for Cayman families

Rising Wickets said further details about the information night would be announced shortly. More information, including registration and upcoming activities, is available on the club’s website, RisingWickets.ky, and through its email and social media channels.

The club is also backed by Alvarez & Marsal Cayman Islands, Walkers, Osprey Jets and Reid Collins Tsai, underlining growing support for youth sport in the Cayman Islands. Organisers said that support would help establish the programme as it began work with young players from across the islands.