Photo Credit: Professional Cricketers’ Association
Domestic women cricketers gain insight into life as a professional athlete.
PCA members were given an insight into life as a full-time athlete during a webinar themed around the transition from amateur to professional sport, organised by the PCA in partnership with Vitality.
The virtual event was put on for the 41 new domestic women’s cricketers, who were formally inducted into the PCA in December 2020, to help them gain insight into the benefits, challenges and other things to be aware of that come with the reality of being a professional sportswoman.
The panel discussion was hosted by ex-England hockey Olympic gold medallist and Vitality Performance Champion Alex Danson-Bennett, who was joined by England and Manchester Thunder netball player Ellie Cardwell and Leicester City Football Club captain Sophie Barker.
Topics covered by the trio during the hour-long webinar included sponsorship, agents, welfare, media, professional behaviours and more.
The event finished with a Q&A session, and attendees were invited to submit their questions to the panel both before and during the discussion.
The webinar, which was made possible with the support of the PCA’s loyal commercial partners at Vitality, brought individuals from across four different sports together with the aim of supporting each other and empowering female athletes.
It formed part of the PCA’s Personal Development and Welfare Programme, available to all members, and represented further support offered by the Association to the new female PCA members, which has also included this year’s Rookie Camp event.
Lightning captain Kathryn Bryce said: “It was brilliant to hear from three professionals who have been in the same position as us, and to learn and relate to the experiences and pressures they had in transitioning from amateur to professional athletes.”
Sophie Connor, PCA Personal Development Manager for England Women, Lightning and Thunder said: “With 2021 being the first full year of professional cricket for our 41 new female members, we want to ensure that the PCA supports their transition into becoming full-time athletes. We would like to thank our partners at Vitality for supporting us with this webinar, which was full of invaluable information for the players.”
Photo Credit: Professional Cricketers’ Association
Vitality Coach Jamie Monk, said: “As an organisation we are passionate about supporting the development of women’s sport. We were absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to partner with the PCA to deliver an event that we hope provided a fascinating and useful insight into the world of professional sport. The event was brought together exceptionally by Vitality Performance Champion Alex Danson-Bennett and we hope to continue this partnership to encourage inclusivity and the growth of women’s sport.”
Find out more about the PCA’s Personal Development and Welfare Programme.
Name of Author: Professional Cricketers Association
The Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), founded in 1967 by former England fast bowler Fred Rumsey as the Cricketers’ Association, represents past and present first-class cricketers in England and Wales. In the 1970s, the PCA established a standard employment contract and minimum wage for professional cricketers. It also helped create a pension scheme in 1995 and launched the magazine All Out Cricket and the ACE UK Educational Programme in 2002.
