Batting for inclusion

In Queensland, a revolution is taking place on the cricket pitch – with the state’s only All Abilities Cricket program entering its fifth year. Katherine Granich talks to the program’s founder.

Cricket has always been a sport deeply woven into the fabric of Australian culture, but at the Valley District Cricket Club in Ashgrove, Queensland, it’s more than just a game; it’s a place of belonging, inclusion, and opportunity. Not only is Valleys the largest cricket club in the Southern Hemisphere – it has over 1500 players, including around 1000 juniors – it’s also the only cricket club in Queensland to host an All Abilities Cricket program.

Karen “Kaz” Willis, the driving force behind All Abilities Cricket (valleycricket.org.au/allabilities), created the program in 2021 after realising there weren’t enough opportunities for kids with disabilities to participate in mainstream sport. As a devoted cricket fan and the mother of an autistic son, Kaz couldn’t just accept that. “One day, I was facilitating a junior program, and I saw this little boy trying to get involved,” she recalls. “His mum was pulling him back, saying, ‘No, no, he has autism. He couldn’t possibly.’ And I just thought – why not?”

Kaz teamed up with the Clinton Kempnich, Chairman of the club’s Junior Management Committee, to put together a plan. Clinton, a special education teacher with over 30 years of experience and a lifelong cricketer, was all in, and the pair started brainstorming ways to modify the equipment and activities for children with various disabilities, both physical and intellectual. The club was also fully on board with support and resources. But there was little guidance from official cricket bodies. “I called up Queensland Cricket and told them I was going to start an inclusive program,” Kaz says with a laugh. “Their response? ‘Oh, that’s great. Good luck’”

Undeterred, Kaz forged ahead.

All Abilities Cricket runs two programs, both of which are free and provide participants with everything they need – Special Olympics Queensland certified coaches, equipment, and a supportive and truly inclusive environment where everyone’s individual needs are looked after.

For one hour on Friday afternoons in November and February, younger kids and newcomers take part in the four-week All Abilities Program, where the focus is on fun, movement, and adapting the game to individual needs. These small-group sessions are especially designed for children with intellectual disabilities. Kaz describes one of their youngest participants, a five-year-old boy who barely engaged when he first arrived. “He sat apart from the group, squeezing a ball, rolling it to his mum,” she says. “Now, three terms later, he’s out there batting and throwing with all the other kids.”

On Wednesday nights from October to December and February to March, the older and more experienced players take things up a notch at Club Training, where they have their own nets alongside the mainstream senior players.

“These guys want proper training,” Kaz says. “Batting, bowling, fielding drills – it’s all about developing real skills.”

Progressing through the two programs, players have two pathways if they want to continue to play cricket at a higher level – via both Special Olympics and Queensland Cricket. “One of our coaches for the Wednesday program is actually the captain of the Australian Inclusion Team, which is brilliant,” Kaz says. “And four of our players were selected to the Queensland Inclusion Cricket Team, and competed in the championships in January.”

But keeping the program running is a challenge. While the Ashgrove/The Gap Lions Club has been on board from the beginning, and regularly send their members along to help out – “They were our very first sponsor, and they’re wonderful” – Kaz admits that for the first two years, she personally funded most of it. “Equipment, training, coaching, it all came out of my own pocket,” she recalls.

While All Abilities Cricket now receives some sponsorships and small grants, long-term sustainability remains a concern. “What we need is an ambassador,” Kaz muses. “Someone with a platform who can help us spread the word and get proper funding.”

Despite the hurdles, Kaz remains undaunted. She dreams of seeing similar programs rolled out across not just Queensland, but all of Australia. “We have to build spaces where kids with disabilities truly belong.”

For players like 16-year-old Kynan, the program has been nothing short of life-changing. His father, Steven, remembers the struggle to find a team where Kynan felt included.

“He loves sport, but everything we tried just wasn’t quite right,” Steven explains. “Then we found this, and he’s never looked back.”

Steven and his wife, Elouise, both played cricket as children, and he says that they took it for granted that when they had a child, he’d be able to play, too. “But when you have a child with special needs, there are a lot of roadblocks, a lot of things that hold you back,” he explains. “Being involved in a club where other players are in the same position, and other parents understand, makes it so much easier. We never worry that Kynan won’t be included.

“For Kynan to have an opportunity to play and be involved – it’s fantastic. He loves saying he’s from Valleys Cricket, wearing his club shirt, singing the club song. Feeling like part of the club is so important to him.”

Kynan has even made a good friend, Harry, through the program. “He met someone like him, someone who just gets it,” says Steven. “That’s priceless.”

For Kaz, the heart of the program isn’t just cricket – it’s what happens beyond the game. “We’ve had kids go to bed in their Valleys shirts because it’s the first time they’ve ever felt like part of a team,” she says. “That’s what this is about.”