Here’s what the players think

We find we can get quite excited by the game once it gets underway.
We like the challenges in the game, and especially the competitive nature that builds up.
When we play everyone gets a turn at everything.
Table Cricket helps us develop sporting friendships.
We can feel proud of ourselves after playing in a game and want to talk about it.
It gave me confidence and made me accept responsibility as the captain.
It’s good to be able to play a real game against pupils from other schools.

Here’s what the teachers think

The cross curricular potential adds to the status of PE (Physical Education) activities.
Pupils learn to work together.
It helps distract pupils with challenging behaviour so they can focus on tasks.
Pupils see the game as real cricket.
It gives teachers the opportunity to ‘coach’ a team.
It allows pupils to be involved in terms of both body and mind.
Pupils have the opportunity to measure their own performance and improvement.
Pupils with severe physical impairment who have a good understanding of cricket can make an impression and achieve success.
The game can be adapted further for those with more complex needs.

Here’s what the coaches think

Table Cricket creates real sporting tensions... pressure, close scores, individual and team roles.
It develops a sporting status - kit, coaches, roles, tactics, batting order, team talks.
It can be discussed in terms of the parallel mainstream sporting process - collapse, nerves, dominance, psychology, confidence, and statistics.
It can be set up for team practices and the pupils will then play among themselves.
The older, more experienced players can also get involved in coaching Table Cricket.

Playing Table Cricket helps to develop

Physical Development - motor control, skills and techniques.
Team Work, co-ordination, confidence, skills, communication skills, and physical and mental development.
Psychological Benefits - self esteem, tactical awareness and peer respect.
Numeracy - learning to score and umpire.
Geography - which counties in the UK and countries of the world play cricket and Table Cricket.
History - how, when and where did cricket begin and how has it developed through the years.
PSE (Physical Social Educational) - look at how the teams and students develop and interact with each other as they learn to master the game.
Citizenship - link in to other schools and look at personal development.
PE (Physical Education) teachers can integrate the game into their main PE lesson as it’s just another way of playing cricket.