How cricket helped transform the life of 12-year-old Jacob

With the support of the Surrey Cricket Foundation (SCF), the Lord's Taverners Super 1s Disability Cricket Programme, and his local club Valley End CC, the sport has ignited a newfound confidence in Jacob, opening doors he never thought possible

Cricket has become a life-changing force for 12-year-old Jacob, who was born with Spina Bifida. While Jacob’s passion for the game has always been strong, his mobility challenges made organised cricket seem out of reach. He enjoyed backyard games with his brothers, but the chance to train, play, and truly belong to a team felt like a distant dream.

That dream became a reality thanks to a chance encounter with former England captain, Andrew Strauss, who introduced Jacob to the Lord’s Taverners Super 1s programme – an initiative that gives young people with a disability aged 12-25 the chance to play regular, competitive cricket.

From his very first session with the Valley End Rascals, who are supported by the Foundation, Jacob has found a new community and a deeper sense of belonging to cricket. He feels part of something bigger, surrounded by other young people who share his love for the game.

The support Jacob receives from the coaches at Valley End and SCF has been invaluable. He now trains regularly, participates in matches against other Super 1s teams across Surrey, Hampshire, and Berkshire, and has even had the incredible opportunity to meet and train with some of his cricketing heroes such as Nathan Lyon, Ben Foakes, Chris Jordan, Kemar Roach, Dan Worrall, and Sam Billings. Last season, Jacob was overjoyed when he was invited to a training session with Surrey’s senior team by the Club’s official partner, MyGuava, ahead of the Vitality Blast quarter-final at the Kia Oval.

In a short span of time, cricket has become so much more than just a sport for Jacob. He avidly watches matches on TV and enjoys attending live games as a Surrey Pride of Lions Member. His passion was even evident in his end-of-year school review, where he proudly declared his ambition to play for the England disability cricket team one day.

Super 1s has not only provided Jacob with an opportunity to play the sport he loves, but it has also fostered his confidence, built his community, and given him a pathway to achieve his full potential.

Jacob’s inspiring story is a shining example of how the work done at the grassroots level by the Foundation, alongside their network of cricket charities, community clubs, coaches, and volunteers, to make cricket more accessible is having a meaningful impact.

This story featured in the Surrey Cricket Foundation’s 2024 Impact Report which you can view here via surreycricketfoundation.org

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