How to make the All stars cricket more enjoyable

[OneCandidPlumNewt]

I had enrolled my twin children who had recently turned 5, into a cricket first experience course which was advertised as ECB's All Stars Cricket provides a fantastic first experience for all children aged 5-8 years old where they’re guaranteed 8 weeks of jam-packed fun, activity and skills development.

Today was the first day and when we arrived at the cricket club there were around 50 students I think and around 3 coaches/volunteers.
The twins seems overwhelmed and my DS kept his head down, started chewing his jacket and when not doing that had a finger in his mouth. However he did participate in the activities in spurts.He was aware of his surroundings though and seemed very low about the fact that he could not chase the ball and hand it over to the coach before the others(one of the activities )

My DD just flatly refused to participate and if we tried to engage around that topic she would start to cry.

So in short it didn't seem a pleasant first experience to them. I am wondering how the next week would go and if there is anything I could do to make it a more enjoyable experience for them .Has anyone else experienced something similar, or does anyone have any tips for helping young children adjust to group activities like this? Any thoughts much appreciated.

My DD is doing this, she is also 5. Ours is a slightly smaller group, maybe 30 ish.

How do they find school? My DD is pretty confident and there were children there she knew so she got stuck in, but we had other children that just watched. I think that’s fine.

I would try to arrive very early for the next one, so they can start to play with the kit before the others arrive. That’s what happens at ours anyway, they can just free play before the start. We also had plenty of parents joining in, so I’d do that too.

Why take them again if they didn’t enjoy it? It sounds a bit rubbish, I’d just bail

Hello, I run all stars for our cricket club and it can be a very hectic environment. Do your activators (the staff, although we're all volunteers!) split the groups by school year? That might help them as the activities can be tricky at first for younger ones. The idea of all stars is to give some basic idea of the type of actions you need in cricket - bowling with a straight arm, catching with open hands, batting with the bat the right way round! You should have received the full kit from the ECB, with a bat and ball. Have you tried doing a bit at home with them? Just really basic catching games, gently throwing to them to hit it might make them feel more comfortable. Don't give up! It's expensive (I am v cross with the ECB about the fee increase this year) but it's genuinely a lovely sport to get in to.

5 is quite little for such a big busy group, I wouldn't worry. But do you want them to give it a proper go?

If so, show them some videos online, I'm sure there are some. Before you go remind them a couple of times of the expectations (we have to wait our turn, we have to follow what the coach says, we aren't allowed to sword fight with the plastic bats...) . explain that things are more fun if you try to join and do the same as the other kids but that you will be there if you need them. Get there a little early and explain to one of the coaches that they're a little nervous and could they be right next to one of the students to help them out.

They're usually a bit chaotic, cos kids age 5-8 are chaotic, but it's a nice fun intro to the skills.

DD6 is doing it fir a second year in a row. her friend found it a little overwhelming last year so we and another boy would go 20 mins earlier for a play so he got used to the surroundings, throwing and catching etc. Also meant we all happily spoke to the leaders when they arrived. Our leaders very much ask parents to take it in turns to help so lots of small groups and clapping for every attempt at a hit with the bat or whatever.
I wouldn't bail quite yet as it's really low key compared to other sports at that age and particularly when compared to eg dance

My DC enrolled onto All Starts a good few years ago, although at the time, he didn't want to go. He used to find new situations difficult. Despite his initial misgivings, it led to him joining the cricket club. He now plays every season and trains throughout winter. (U13s) I have a lot of praise for the initiative and what All Stars have done for DC.
I remember our family playing cricket with my DC at home, to encourage his interest.
Maybe playing cricket type activities at home will help. I.e Catching/ throwing a ball and copying the games played at All Stars. Also, if I recall, All Stars encourage parents to take part in the activities too, which is helpful to young children who may be a little nervous.
I remember my DC's All Stars having a chaotic feel to it, but the children are very young.
Sometimes at that age, just being at the activity is enough. It's still an introduction to a new experience and something to build on. I do have lots of incidences with my DC, with us at the periphery of activities. He was a child who needed gentle introductions to new things and sometimes it meant we just turned up and observed others taking part.

I don’t think it’s expensive at £50 for 8 sessions and the kit? I know it’s all relative but the comments from the parents I know doing it were that we thought it was an absolute bargain! I had no idea if DD would like cricket but was happy to throw £50 at it for a no obligation taster.

@FancyCatSlave you're right, especially compared to football and gymnastics which have various extra fees. But it was £30 or £35 last year! It's the hike that annoys me, especially when the ECB go on about being inclusive and wanting to get more kids in to the sport. It is still relatively reasonable for what you get, I guess, it's just the difference from last year

That does sound like a big group!!

I wonder if there are enough coaches to break the group up a bit?

Both DC did All Stars at 6/7 (actually DD was 5), both played U9s, U11s for a few years, and DD now plays for her club U13s and women's teams.

This sounds like a very common experience for young children, especially in large groups with limited coaches. At that age, being surrounded by many kids can feel overwhelming, and it’s completely normal for some children to shut down or avoid activities at first. Giving them time to observe without pressure often helps build confidence slowly.

You might also find it useful to follow simple cricket-based games at home before sessions, using fun and relaxed activities similar to IPL Schedule–style beginner formats that focus more on enjoyment than competition. Gradually, familiarity and routine can make a big difference in helping children feel comfortable and enjoy the experience.