Photo Credit: Cricket Netherlands
Although the past two years have been challenging, contact with the clubs was paramount for Tom Heggelman, association supporter at the KNCB. Growth, improvement and providing the necessary tools for this are of paramount importance to him.
The competition continued, but there were many (varying) restrictions, which raised questions among the associations. “Personal contact faded into the background and digital was paramount. We have noticed that this way of contact is much more accessible. We want to continue with this low threshold, but it’s great that we can physically take on the challenges and conversations again.”; says Tom.
Approach field problems
“The sport is growing (yes!), but that also causes problems. We are getting more members and unfortunately there is not always room for that. I am currently in talks with municipalities to look at the possibilities. They are open to the conversation and respond positively. For example, we are trying to create more fields at existing locations, but we are also working on so-called ‘evaluation fields’. There will be no weekly crickets here, but they will serve as a ‘back-up field’. I also dream of setting up more associations. Every new location is a plus and I see opportunities for growth, especially outside the Randstad.”
Strengthen & improve
“As an association supporter, making an association stronger and better is always paramount. I try to provide handles by dealing with different themes. For example, a lot of attention has recently been paid to the theme of Inclusiveness & Diversity and we will continue to build on this in the coming period. The theme of ‘making the cricket club more sustainable’ is now receiving attention and the next time ‘The Sports Agreement’ and ‘Club design’ will be discussed. Many of these themes come from NOC*NSF and it is up to the associations themselves to determine how deeply they go into a theme, but it is strongly recommended to always keep a close eye on the newsletter ;).
During the GMM on 20 April we will also provide such a handle, which I have worked on for a long time together with the accommodation committee. The associations, but also the contact persons at the municipalities known to us, will receive the ‘Manual for the construction and maintenance of cricket pitches with artificial turf’.”
Do you want to start a conversation with Tom after this interview? Mail him to tom.heggelman@kncb.nl
Name of Author: Cricket Netherlands
The Netherlands men’s national cricket team, known as “The Flying Dutchmen,” represents the Netherlands in international cricket and is administered by the Royal Dutch Cricket Association.
