Steve Carter

How has their service been of benefit to the community or members in the last 12 months?

Steve does just about everything and while doing this He still greets Cambridge parents, players, and coaches with the same cheery smile as he goes about his business (often starting as early as 6.30am on weekends to make sure things run smoothly). Steve finds space in a team for anyone who wants to play the game and he has always selected teams, so they are mixed up with children from different schools with a range of abilities. Steve leads the administration, fundraising, pitching sponsorship, manning the shop, dealing with parents and uniforms, building community relationships, and working on long term strategies as well as supporting teams and setting up the fields most weekends. He runs fun tournaments (where teams must stick to a policy of giving all players an equal opportunity to bowl and bat). He also drags a hose out 150m out onto the fields at John Kerkoff so He can water the edge of the pitches and keep junior players safe. He is, in short, a legend.

Steve Carter has organised and led the following for young cricketers in the Cambridge Area. this has been made especially challenging with covid restrictions. Steve has however managed to deliver the following so that everyone gets a chance to play cricket and follow his pathways plan.

The Big Bash - 2021

Steve created the ‘Big Bash’ tournaments which bring in junior teams from all over the district to play two games a day for three days. This competition is run for different age groups across three weekends. Local high school age players are invited to umpire and help run the weekends smoothly for the tournament.

Friday night – Junior cricket learn-to-play skills evening
Steve is the energy and the face of this massively popular Friday evening of skills and fun games for the youngest cricketers in the Waipa and Tamahere areas. Friday night cricket is so popular that it was a relief when Cambridge Junior Cricket Club was able to use the shared fields and new cricket pitches at John Kerkhof Football Park. Hundreds of families pack these fields every Friday and watch children playing and learning cricket skills. After the rubbish is put out, the doors closed, gear put away, umpires and volunteers thanked, and finally the kitchen and toilets cleaned, Steve can be seen locking the gates and heading home.

Girls cricket pathway
Steve has for many years encouraged and developed girls and young women to play in cricket teams and has found funding for and founded girls’ teams from Cambridge as a pathway.

Recycled gear
Unused cricket gear is dropped off at the club season long so that schools or children needing equipment can help themselves. This initiative of Steve’s allows the cricket community to help remove the barriers that may prevent children from participating.

Balance is Better approach
All the Cambridge junior teams that Steve selects have girls and boys of different abilities mixed in and coaches are made aware of a policy that every player should always have the same batting and bowling opportunities. On the very rare occasion that this might be overlooked, coaches can expect a quiet and positive chat from Steve. All teams are encouraged to create an atmosphere where players have fun and learn good behaviour but most of all have fun. This culture of a balanced approach means that Steve has a huge number of coaches and volunteers to support teams. Everyone wants to help and be involved to support Steve and the Cambridge Junior Cricket Club.

Sponsorship for the grassroots approach
Over the years Steve has worked extremely hard to attract many sponsors into the Cambridge cricket family. In 2022, the Junior Cricket Club had a whopping 15 sponsors! This practical investment in the grassroots approach allows funding for playing uniforms, equipment, coaching in schools, coach development, facility hire, and reasonable fees for parents. All this sponsorship goes to the grassroots of the game. The sponsors love being involved, and the high number of sponsors is indicative of the eagerness of parents and business to get behind and support Steve’s vision.

Riverbend tournament, touring teams and Bay of Plenty connections
Steve is an integral support for the organisation of teams attending the Riverbend tournament in Hawkes Bay in January and February each year. He also organises friendlies and touring matches for boys’ and girls’ teams every year in Cambridge. Steve has also created a committee of local coaches and relationships with clubs in the Bay of Plenty. This allows teams that are selected with his balanced approach in year 5 & 6, 7 & 8, 9 & 10 that now play games in Rotorua and Tauranga across four selected Sundays. Steve believes that while they may not win every game, they will have a great development experience.

Waikato Valley
Steve was for many years involved in supporting the Waikato Valley Cricket Association.

Cambridge skill coaches
With the help of sponsorship and funding, two part-time cricket coaches were hired to attend trainings and teach skills to players and volunteer coaches. These coaches also do skill development days in local schools which assists in promoting cricket at the start of each season and are available to coach players on an individual basis.