A new lease of life!
‘What are you going to do with your time now that you have retired?’ I was regularly asked as I reached the end of a very rewarding and enjoyable teaching career. My answer was easy. ‘I’m going to spend more time at my local cricket club.’
I had occasionally helped the players cut and roll pitches ready for games. We had no dedicated groundsman and struggled to produce good pitches, frequently being marked down by umpires for the many varied inadequacies that happen when there is nobody to spend the necessary time preparing the pitches. I felt that some of the time that I now had could be used to improve things.
What I did not realise then was what a good decision I had made. I now enjoy interacting and building relationships with our neighbours, particularly those that walk their dogs on our outfield. I spend several hours each week enjoying being in the open air and never have to worry about making sure I ‘get my steps in’! I have discovered some great podcasts. During lockdowns and Covid restrictions I was allowed to be out in the middle of a field doing something useful.
I have had great support from local Cheshire County pitch advisers in my new role as volunteer groundsman and been on training courses funded by my club. Our pitches and outfield have improved significantly, evidenced by being asked to host our league T20 finals day on our much-improved square in 2021.
As a teacher, I had experienced being a valued part of a team and as I retired, I worried that I might miss this feeling. Fortunately, this has not happened as I have a developed a positive relationship with the players and I feel an important part of the club with a real sense of worth.
If you like the opportunity to work on your own (at times), have plenty of thinking time, and to feel part of a team, club and local community, then I encourage you to think about helping out at your local cricket club.
At Cheadle Hulme Ladybridge Cricket Club, we are having our pre-season activity weekend as part of the national GetSetWeekend on April 1st and 2nd. We will be preparing our ground for the start of the new season and there will be an opportunity for anyone to come along and find out more about the work of a volunteer groundsman.