'Street20' in Trinidad & Tobago

A group of Cricket for Change coaches recently visited Trinidad and Tobago to introduce the concept of ‘Street20’ cricket to community youth leaders on a local Citizens Security Programme and to local participants in Military Led Youth programmes.

The four-day ‘Street20’ cricket workshop took place at the MILAT Military Academy in Mausica, Trinidad.

TTASPE is the leader in physical education, sport for development and community sport programming throughout the Caribbean. TTASPE’s mission is to provide leadership and support to those who work with children, youth and persons with disabilities in sport and physical education programs.

Tash Felix from Mt D’or is one of the Citizens Security Program Community Coaches and is very eager to bring the ‘Street20’ concept to her community; “It is not only cricket we learned this week, we learned how to engage our communities and bring positive vibes. I think it will bring my community together and help build stronger relationships within my area.”

‘Street20’ was introduced to Trinidad as a crime reduction program after its success in the reduction of crime in urban communities in the UK.  It is the hoped that through this workshop a programme will be developed that will succeed in engaging marginalized young people in a year round programme of cricket coaching, competition and workshops aimed at building skills and self confidence.

“The more kids play the more skills they develop, they learn cooperation, discipline and working with a team without getting angry it has had a lot of success bringing communities together in England”, explains Donovan Miller, Development Officer with Cricket for Change.

Further comment came from a young leader from the MILAT programme who explained; “Youth now-a-days are either watching TV, on the internet or just relaxing at home, I think this program will give them more exercise, get them outdoors, it is a lot of fun. I think this program could bring together my community as right now it is a little broken up, it really has been a great training”.

The ‘Street20’ workshop was sponsored through a network of partners including TTAPSE, the Citizens Security Program, Cricket for Change, MYPART and MILAT, British Airways, UK Sport and the Australian Sports Commission.

About Citizens Security Program
The Citizen Security Programme (CSP) is an initiative of the Ministry of National Security whose objective is that of contributing to the reduction in crime and violence in twenty-two (22) ‘high needs’ pilot communities in Trinidad and Tobago, through community-led collaborative initiatives. For more information about CSP please visit www.csp.gov.tt

About the Military Led Academic Training Programme (MILAT)
MILAT is an academic program designed for young men between the ages of 16-20 years to fulfil the Certification Examination Council (CXC) and bridge the gaps for those young adults who may wish to pursue academic disciplines as well as social transformation of behaviour in a highly structured and regulated environment.

About the Military Led Youth Programme of Apprenticeship and Re-Orientation Training (MYPART)
MYPART is a program designed to expose, train, develop and certify young persons’ between the ages of 16-20 years in technical or vocational disciplines in a highly structured and regulated academic and/or skills based training environment whilst inculcating in them the values of acceptance of personal responsibility and social respect for authority.