Contact: Maridith Geuder
STARKVILLE, Miss.--During a five-week summer program at Mississippi State, more than 200 area students ages 11-16 will learn the fundamentals of an increasingly popular international sport.
As part of the 2005 National Youth Sports Program sponsored locally by the university's Holmes Cultural Diversity Center, the MSU Cricket Club will introduce its game June 6-July 11 through a series of on-field demonstrations, video presentations and practice sessions at the campus intramural fields.
Described by the student club as "the largest cricket clinic in the United States," the
7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. sessions are co-sponsored by the MSU Student Association.
"Those participating will be assessed continuously during the course of the clinic," said Lokesh Shivakumaraiah of the SA's International Student Affairs Committee.
"At the end of the clinic, participants will demonstrate their new cricketing skills in a tournament, with parents invited to observe," he added. "Our goal is to further interest in the game at local schools."
Formed in 2002, the MSU Cricket Club has worked to develop programs and outreach efforts to locally popularize the game. In addition to sponsoring cricket tournaments and clinics, the organization has sought to expand its public visibility through a media outreach effort.
The National Youth Sports Program provides structured athletic and education programs to more than 69,000 students annually. At MSU, the program seeks to improve physical fitness and health habits while introducing youngsters to career and educational opportunities.
For more information about the MSU cricket clinic, contact Shivakumaraiah at ls1@ece.msstate.edu or (662) 425-4130; or Surya Saha at ss307@pss.msstate.edu or 312-7129.
For more information about the National Youth Sports Program, telephone the Holmes Center at
325-2033.