Robert Murray for Fort McMurray Today:-
Even when the sport of hockey is in the air on a wintry Sunday morning at MacDonald Island, cricket is the sport of choice for a small group of youth in Fort McMurray. Where those the same age as them in southern climates might have the advantage of playing outdoors, the kids are somewhat confined to one of the fieldhouses, making do with the field of play they have, learning the basics of a complicated sport.
“They watch TV and they see all these amazing, extravagant shots and try and copy it because they don’t have any basics,” said insturctor Raoul Breytenbach. “A lot of them are pretty talented, but they’re missing that determination and skill that comes through an organized event such as this.”
A league exists in Fort McMurray for adult players, but for the group of eight to 14 year-olds, it’s not yet an option.
For players like Krutik Patel, who aspire to reach that level and maybe higher one day, the focus on the basics is just as important right now.
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