But you may not have considered one of the most popular sports in the UK and many regions across the world – cricket. If you haven’t seen Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams on the BBC, it’s a great watch and a good starting point if you’ve never heard of or seen cricket being played before. But in this article, we’re going to explore why cricket might be the sport for you.
Get active
First of all, playing cricket will certainly get your body moving and keep you active. But it’s not a rigorous examination of your physical health, you can play at the level and pace that you want so it’s not too much of a challenge for most just starting. Training and matches are often played at different tempos, but give it a go and see how you feel.
Sharpen your skills
Cricket is a skill-based sport, testing your hand-eye coordination, reflexes and balance. As you play more, you will certainly sharpen your skills and gain benefits that can be utilised in other areas of your life. Getting to grips with cricket clothing and equipment is a big challenge but once you know how to use them, you’ll never look back.
Play as part of a team
It’s a team sport, but also an individual endeavour as you will find out if you play for any length of time. Your contributions to the team can help you to win or lose, and being part of such a team can be great for morale and your communication skills. Each player typically plays a defined role in the team, whether they specialise in batting, bowling or fielding. Once you find your strength, you can play an important part in team performance.
Socialise
As with most team sports, cricket is a very social activity and is often accompanied by team building outside of training and matches. Village cricket teams will often spend time after matches together and form close bonds with each other, which can be a great feeling if you enjoy the sport too. If you’re looking to make some new friends, head down to your local club and say hello.
Develop your confidence
All of the above can help massively to boost your confidence. Acquiring and developing a new skill, building new relationships and competing with other people and teams should give you more confidence that you can use in other areas of your life to be more fulfilled and happy. Will you give cricket a try?
