How cricket’s helping all-abilities players thrive

The Bankstown program now boasts players that have gone on to be members of the NSW Intellectual Disability (ID) team. Program manager David Clifton joined in 2014 with a dedication to cricket that has taken it from strength to strength.
The program now has access to the John Mackay Indoor Centre at Bankstown Memorial Oval, and that has helped plan sessions and reduced cancellations due to weather conditions.
The Bankstown District Cricket Club offers its well-equipped indoor sports centre to the program on an ongoing basis, at no charge, and in turn, Clifton’s team confirms all training dates and pre-plans a year’s worth of sessions to the club.
With 40 players registered and at least 10 to 20 players attending the sessions every second Sunday morning, Clifton is proud of the fact that it is not a seasonal program and despite all challenges, the team has been committed to run the program on a continuous basis.
“Our program caters for anyone with any disability – mental and or physical – and we have athletes with myriad disabilities,” he said.
“Some can be non-verbal and highly dependent although many are very independent – and we adjust our activities to suit. Age also is no barrier for our program.”
All players need to be members of Roselands Sports and Aquatic Club (RSAC) because the program runs on their behalf. The program also has links with Special Olympics and ID competitions at state and national levels.