Josh Buxton launches junior revolution at Calder Grove
John Fuller of cricketyorkshire.com caught up with Josh to find out about his award-winning cricketing journey.
It’s been an eventful few weeks for Josh Buxton, captain of Calder Grove Cricket Club’s 1st XI. He recently won the Inspired to Play category (Brian Stone Award) at the YCB Grassroots Cricket Awards.
To add to the accolades, he was Highly Commended for the ECB’s national Grassroots Cricket Awards too.
Other Yorkshire nominees included Nasar Hussain, Dream Big Aim High CIC, who won Unsung Hero and Barrie Cox, from Whiston Parish Church Cricket Club, who was Highly Commended in the Lifetime Achiever category.
Congratulations to everyone nominated and who selflessly contribute to the grassroots game here in Yorkshire.
Calder Grove Cricket Club are evolving on and off the pitch from starting a food bank during the pandemic to their two-team efforts in the Pontefract & District Cricket League.
But, they hadn’t had a single junior cricket team in over 40 years.
All that has gradually changed and Josh Buxton took it upon himself to coach, umpire and score for the U9s, U11s and All Stars.
Over the course of the summer, 45 kids took part at Calder Grove, parents came down and there was a buzz about the place.
Mick Buxton is a proud dad and Chairman, he told me: ‘The work Josh has done on setting up the junior section at Calder Grove has breathed new life into the club.’
‘It means the club and facilities are in use three or four times a week instead of just once a week, which in turn helps us financially and ensures our longevity by preparing people to play for years to come.’
The compound benefits of establishing junior cricket are many. Scope for more players in future, a financial boost and in the case of Calder Grove, they’ve noticed that club events are now better attended.
Starting a junior section is no mean feat and I’m curious to learn what made Josh want to be the catalyst for its return?
It turns out he’s played cricket for the last 11 years, wanted to give back and ‘inspire the next generation to play the game and hopefully enjoy cricket as much as I do.’
Josh admits that there was motivation there too in terms of seeing the results that other clubs were having through their juniors.
As for other very welcome benefits, he observed: ‘The junior set-up has also been a great way of bringing in new investment into the club which has allowed us to develop state-of-the-art outdoor nets/training facilities and provide some new equipment to help coach the junior and adult teams.’
There is a family thread at many cricket clubs and Calder Grove are no different. Josh plays in the same team as his dad and brother while sister Holly has been integral in club development.
‘We have actually seen a rise in the number of junior cricket parents also signing up to play in the open-age teams. When the kids get older, it would be great to see more father/son pairs playing in the same teams together.’
Josh’s coaching journey has seen him work as a PE Teacher at New College Pontefract for the last five years, after gaining his PE degree from Leeds Beckett University.
He has captained the 1st XI and 2nd XI at Calder Grove through some tough times with it being a struggle to put out two full sides. This focussed the mind around the need to launch juniors and encourage that player sustainability.
Josh reckons: 'Five years down the line, it has exceeded our expectations and we are only one more season away from our first juniors being able to play for the open-age teams.'
He has now relinquished the first-team captaincy to put more time towards the expansion of Calder Grove’s juniors and hopes to do his next coaching qualification.
Taking part in All Stars 4-5 years ago has definitely paid off with a group of 10-12 local children signed up; most of whom had never played cricket before. That momentum took a lot of effort on the recruitment front with social media posts, leaflet drops, word of mouth and trips to schools - but numbers grew to over 30 kids.
Subsequently, Calder Grove entered Under 9s and Under 11s into the Wakefield Junior Cricket League. Both teams finished mid-table but perhaps most pleasing of all for Josh was the club fulfilled all fixtures.
There is the addition of an U13s side for 2023 and Josh credits the generosity around him as integral to the growth they’re now seeing.
Cricket clubs across Yorkshire will recognise some of their own stories in Josh and Calder Grove. He and others have had to devote many, many hours but the rewards are there to see:
‘One thing I learned from this year is how much time and commitment it takes to effectively run these junior teams. However, the support from parents, our volunteer coaches and club members has allowed us to collaborate and give the children the best experiences possible.’
‘No matter how much effort it takes from us as coaches and volunteers, it is all worth it for the smiles on the faces of the children, win, lose or draw.’