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Cricket: you don't have to be privileged to play
February 16, 1997
Web posted at: 9:35 p.m. EST
From Correspondent Jim Hill
COMPTON, California (CNN) -- The words "cricket" and "gentlemen" are more likely to conjure up images of wealth and privilege than of poor and difficult neighborhoods.
But Ted Hayes is out to change all that, at least as far as concerns the kids of Compton, an industrial city south of Los Angeles that is ridden with crime and gang activity.
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"What's wrong with a cricket team in Compton? There's a cricket team in Beverly Hills and no one's saying nothing about that." |
"Compton being the so-called gangster capital of the world, I guess we figure if we can do it here we can do it anywhere in America," said Hayes, who coaches the 17 children who are the Compton Aztecs.
And at least some of the team members don't see what's so unusual.
"What's wrong with a cricket team in Compton?" one boy remarked. "There's a cricket team in Beverly Hills and no one's saying nothing about that."
Beverly Hills does have a team that typically meets under much different circumstances. But on a recent warm February day, the Beverly Hills Cricket Club was the guest team on the Compton playing field.
The Aztecs were largely out-matched. After all, they're kids, and the Beverly Hills teammates are grown men. But the gap in age and economics was bridged in jolly good fashion.
"They are better and the wicket's worse so I guess it all levels out," said Beverly Hills captain Simon Mathews.
"I mean that little kid just threw the ball 40 yards -- we got guys on our team who can't throw it 20!"
The teamwork is apparently having positive effects in other parts of the children's lives, as well.
"They used to fight a lot," said one proud mother. "So now just by being in the group they've learned to be together and kind of get along better and everything."
Their school principal agrees.
"I've seen changes in their personality -- they seem to be more alive, a lot of cheerfulness, more effort toward going to class," Erik McKee said. "There's been improvement in their academics."
And from small beginnings there are big plans for cricket in Compton. The youngsters hope to travel to England for matches, and the sport's promoters hope to build a stadium here and make the city a center for U.S. cricket.
"If we can take Compton, look out, America!" Hayes says with a laugh.
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