February Newsletter 2024
Dear all
Welcome to the latest news from MP Cricket Academy and MP Sports Development Trust.
Indoor Cricket
Indoor cricket practice is going very well. Running from January to March, this is a great way for children to hone those important skills before the start of the new season. We still have space available on a daily basis if you would like to book a place. Please visit the MP Sports Cricket Academy website and click the 'courses' tab for more information.
FREE EVENTS
MP Sports Development Trust is proud to announce the return of our 'diving catches' event on the 2nd of March and a Badminton Tournament on the 8th of March. Diving catch practice will be held at the Thame Leisure Centre and is for children age 9-12 and in school years 5, 6 and 7. There will be the opportunity to practice diving catches in the deep end of the swimming pool and some fun water running races afterwards. Children should be confident swimmers to take part. If you would like to sign up, please head over to our website and click on the courses tab, or follow the link below.
The MP Sports Badminton Tournament will be held on the 8th of March in the hall at the Thame Leisure Centre. The event is designed for children in years 6, 7 and 8 of mixed abilities and will offer the chance to play a number of games ultimately leading to a final. This event was hugely successful and popular last year, so please book early and don't forget to bring your badminton racquet on the day. The booking form will be available soon.
These events are FREE to enter and spaces will be allocated on a first come first served basis.
Willow Trees
In January, Town Mayor, Adrian Dite and Councillor Pieter Paul Barker, joined us for our annual willow tree planting. We had 30 trees to plant this time and they will make a great addition to the ground. Willow trees generally take 10-15 years to mature fully and are of great benefit to the environment, taking pollutants from the air and preventing flooding. They also look great and help to make Thame greener.
Sponsors/Investors
We are currently in the process of looking for sponsors/investors. After the loss of our generator, which was stolen a few years ago, we are looking to get the MP Sports Cricket Ground connected to the grid. Unfortunately, this is no small task and we have been quoted £6,500 for the connection alone. This does not cover the cost of the groundworks and the electricity kiosk that we would need to connect it to.
Founder and Director, Manoj Parmar is an ex-first class cricketer from Saurashtra in India. Mr Parmar's main aim is to inspire future generations of young cricketers to achieve their maximum potential and to help children become more active. For the past 36 years, he has worked tireless to offer a high-quality coaching and competition programme in and around Thame. He is determined to introduce children to the world of sport and offers a vast array of sporting opportunities at the ground. MP Sports Cricket Academy offers a comprehensive list of activities throughout the year including, indoor cricket matches during the winter; soft and hard ball practice; international courses; and diving catch practice at the local pool. The ground currently boasts two full sized cricket grounds and has brand new grass nets. Since its creation in 2009, the club has continued to grow, supporting 27 state schools in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire and catering for children as young as six, up to adult. The academy has a membership of over 100, with 400 children attending cricket camps over the summer. Clubs from across the county attend tournaments throughout the year and cricket teams/companies rent the ground for private matches and corporate events.
With such a vast network, sponsorship at MP Sports Cricket Academy is a great way to advertise your products or services to a whole new group of people.
If you are interested in sponsoring us or investing in the cricket academy, or know of a company that may be, please do let us know.
Easter Courses
It will soon be time to start thinking about the Easter holidays. MP Sports Cricket Academy will once again be running Easter courses throughout the whole of the school holiday. Children will learn new skills, play cricket , keep active and have fun with their friends. All courses will be taken by head coach Manoj Parmar.
The course is intended for girls and boys Age 5–15 and will be held at the Cricket ground on the Kingsey Road in Thame.
Each course, which runs for three days will cost
The course will cost £115 per child for non members
For MP Academy members its £105
And per day it will be £45
The basic format of the sessions will be:
10.00 – 12.00 cricket skills (fielding, batting, bowling)
12.00 – 13.00 lunch (not provided)
13.00 – 15.00 game (including match coaching)
If you would like to join us for some Easter fun, please fill out the booking form on the website or follow the link below.
Year Plan 2024
Please find the attached Year Plan for 2024. Here you will find information about what's coming up over the course of the year and dates for your diary.
Would you like to work for MP Sports?
We are currently looking for an admin assistant to work either at home, or in the office in Thame for 6 hours a week. Duties would include general admin work; typing and sending emails; filling and creating forms; writing monthly newsletters; helping with event planning. If you would like to learn more about this role or would like to apply, please let us know by return email or feel free to come and visit us in the shop in Station Road.
We are also looking for somebody to organise academy fixtures for our under 9s, under 11s and under 15s teams. This can be done from home.
If you would like to talk about anything you have read in this newsletter or on the Year Plan, please feel free to contact us.