Since the ACE programme in Sheffield was launched at the end of 2022, huge strides have been made to support young black players into the game.
First launched by Surrey in January 2020 in response to a decline of black British professional players by 75% in recent years, ACE partnered with Yorkshire Cricket Foundation (YCF), and the Sheffield Caribbean Sports Club in November 2022, in a bid to support young black players across Yorkshire and provide talent pathways for the future.
ACE in Sheffield, headed up by Andre Jackson, the ACE development officer for the YCF, works with five schools across the city, alongside delivering weekly hub sessions from Sheffield Caribbean. The programme engages with more than 200 young people each week and has one of the highest numbers of girls taking part in hub sessions across the country, with more than 15.
Pictured, Andre Jackson (far left), alongside a number of ACE in Sheffield youngsters, as they celebrate Monika Urbanska (centre), who was presented with an Ace T-shirt recently for her incredible volunteer work with the programme.
In January this year ACE in Sheffield launched a new development squad – to help further nurture young talent coming through from the varying schools and Sheffield Caribbean hub sessions. It also will provide a bridge between ACE in Sheffield and the ACE academy.
Andre said: “The development team allows young people to be exposed to the more technical elements of the game.
“Everyone involved has a good attitude, they want to learn so I am happy to see that – I will work with that any day. That is all that matters – that they are enjoying it and want to progress – hopefully in a year or so – we can see more pushing into the ACE academy – that is what we are aiming for.”
The newly created development team is currently made up of four selected girls and eight boys. The team got off to a flying with five boys taking part in ACE Academy trials in March with young star Nzubechi Alpha Uchenwagu being selected to be part of the ACE Academy in Nottingham.
Nzubechi in action during recent trials at the ACE Academy in Nottingham.
Andre said: “It was very exciting – I wanted the boys to go down and experience what it’s like to go to trials.
“It was the first time for all of them and it was a brilliant experience. I told them to do the best they could, and trials are a good marker to see where they are and give them a benchmark.
“They all enjoyed it, and they want to go again. Hopefully this will encourage other kids from the development team to want to push themselves and be part of trials too and I will be encouraging them to do this.”
Andre Jackson, the ACE development officer for the YCF.
ACE in Sheffield links up with Yorkshire Cricket and Headingley to provide special opportunities for the young people on the programme. This has included youngsters watching the Northern Superchargers take on the Oval Invincibles in the Hundred last August.
Andre said: “Being part of the build-up to a game and watching live cricket has been amazing for the young people, I remember during the Hundred match – they were chanting and singing. They managed to get the autographs of some of the players and they took pictures – it’s memories like that that will last forever.
“For most of them that was the first time they have been in an international stadium – they loved it.”
Yorkshire Head Coach Ottis Gibson took part in a special visit to an ACE session at Sheffield Caribbean to find out more about the programme at the end of last year.
A key element of ACE is about developing coaches and a number of people supporting on the ACE programme in Sheffield have gained qualifications including Andre, who completed his Level 2 cricket coaching qualification last year, and recently Haider Ali Ashfaque a volunteer student from Sheffield Hallam University.
“There is the phrase – ‘you can’t be what you can’t see,’ and I firmly believe in this saying,” said Andre. “The more these kids see me and others as role models the more, they will be inspired to do well in the sport and try go to the highest level.”
What’s coming up next for the ACE programme in Sheffield?
Ace Hub and Development outdoor sessions started on Friday, 12 April, at the Caribbean Sports Club Sheffield 6pm-7:30pm.
May: ACE Sheffield will take part in a special Ace National Hub Day Competition.
June: A number of youngsters from the programme will be involved in a special guard of honour during a double header clash at Headingley when Northern Diamonds take on The Blaze followed by Yorkshire Vikings against Derbyshire Falcons on Sunday, 9 June.
August: Lots of fun is lined up for the end of Summer with Beach Cricket and a R66T T20 tournament!
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