THE FOOTBALL season’s over, the weather is getting warmer, and things are heating up for the greatest game of all – cricket! Hasn’t cricket done a great job of making itself the most inclusive of games, with the girls’ game going from strength to strength, leagues for older players growing by the minute and the grading system meaning that players can find their level where they can enjoy Australia’s favourite national game.
It’s in this context that we have our own Coolum Cricket Club – a place genuinely owned and loved by its community. The club keeps on doing even greater things, with new nets and lights that turn night into day. The club now has an A-grade team to keep the best local talent playing locally, and with some of its strongest juniors having now come through the ranks. The turf pitch must surely rank as the best on the coast, while the picturesque ‘Caulfield-Chambers’ oval is a truly great place to enjoy an afternoon watching and playing the game that Bradman played.
The junior cricket at Coolum Cricket Club is just outstanding, with more juniors playing the game than ever before. The juniors are nurtured in the club environment, with its welcoming atmosphere, where enjoyment is the name of the game. This inclusive atmosphere hasn’t stopped some of Coolum’s best juniors from playing at very high levels and representing themselves, their families and their club in elite representative teams, including the Sunshine Coast Scorchers.
While he never played for the Coolum Cricket Club, it was fantastic to see former Sunshine Coast junior cricketer, Angus Lovell, make his first century for Queensland in the Sheffield Shield on the weekend. Lovell’s century certainly shows the strength of cricket on the coast and that, with the right nurturing, coast cricketers can make it all the way to the top. The Sunshine Coast has truly become a great nursery for outstanding cricketing talent.
At Coolum State High School, we like all sports as they nurture physical fitness, teamwork, fun and belonging. We would like to congratulate the Coolum Cricket Club on their wonderful rise in our community and wish them all the best for the exciting season ahead.