Local cricket: RDCA moves to quell key concerns ahead of coming season
Increased demands on volunteers, mental health and wellbeing of participants, the potential increase in club traffic and more. Here’s how the RDCA is moving to protect its community this season.
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The Ringwood and District Cricket Association is moving to safeguard its community from a range of concerns arising from a new-look cricketing landscape ahead of a potential season.
Increased demands on volunteers under new COVID-19 protocols, mental health and wellbeing of all participants, club liquor licencing and responsible service of alcohol and managing a potential increase of patrons through clubs should restrictions ease are among the RDCA’s key concerns.
The RDCA has gained 12 new clubs, bringing its total number to 42, after merging with the Yarra Valley Cricket Association.
The association will seek to appoint a COVID-19 officer on behalf of the board, to liaise with governing bodies Cricket Victoria as well as state and local governments, in a further effort to relieve the burden on club volunteers.
“Because cricket in general in Victoria is going to be the first sport that is going to launch, I expect that the scrutiny and the compliance around all cricket clubs having to be millimetre perfect for fear of it not spiking again, is going to be nuclear,” RDCA president Michael Finn said.
“Therefore, we’re looking at what the structures are of what we can do to support that.
“There’s only so much volunteers can do and bear – a lot of the same ones are the ones copping a hammering at the moment. They might have lost their job, or they might have had a loved one go through COVID, there’s this whole other layer that’s not being considered.
“(They) may be the very people that have copped a devastating hit in the first place, so how do you support those people?”
A mental health and wellbeing officer has also been appointed in Beyond Blue speaker Shane Kelton, who is also involved with Mooroolbark Cricket Club.
The appointment comes as the association prepares for the likelihood of an increase in alcohol consumption this season at clubs, and the associated problems that can arise as a result.
Finn said the RDCA would move to have structures in place to deal with the potential hurdle in the event that “if it doesn’t happen it’s brilliant and if it does, at least we’re prepared.”
“This will be the first time the public in general are actually able to get out. What we anticipate is therefore, the clubs are probably going to have a much higher traffic,” Finn said.
“Because all clubs have liquor licences then we are anticipating the corresponding increase in alcohol and all the good and bad that goes with that.”
Finn said the RDCA simply couldn’t afford to wait for uniform policies to come from higher up as it looks to safeguard its clubs and community.
“These are conversations we’ve got to start having now,” he said.
“We’re not saying we’re perfect, but we’re trying to be as proactive as we can about putting structures and positions in place and develop policy around that.
“In many cases, we’ve actually been the leader in a lot of this stuff, because we’ve just gone and done it.
“We can’t wait — for the future of our clubs, our communities and the people in those communities.”