Junior cricketers at Armadale Cricket Club (ACC) swapped their usual weekend focus on runs and wickets for conversations about wellbeing as the club hosted its first think mental health round.
ACC junior coordinator Emma Briggs said eight teams took part across the Saturday home fixtures, including four Armadale sides, with a further four Sunday grades scheduled to be hosted the following weekend after playing away matches.
The round formed part of a broader statewide initiative organised by WA Cricket in partnership with Healthway and the think mental health campaign.
Briggs said the club aimed to normalise discussions about mental health among young players.
“We were wanting to open the discussion around looking after your mental health,” she said.
“The more public acknowledgement and awareness around this, the more likely our players might be to reach out if they need support.
“We want them to understand that it is ok to let your mates know if something is up and what the signs are to look out for.”
Before each match, teams gathered to read an open letter promoting support and understanding among teammates.
Senior players wore dedicated armbands, while stumps were wrapped in vinyl carrying the campaign message.
Briggs said one of the most visible contributions came from club parent Eve Green who handmade custom hair ribbons and clips for the four girls’ teams competing.
Each accessory featured an inspirational “you are amazing” message, which reinforced the round’s focus on encouragement and self-belief.
Off the field, the club hosted a shared morning tea for both home and away teams, with posters and mental health information displayed throughout the venue.
Players received small gifts including colouring sheets, word searches and conversation bingo cards, as well as take-home resources outlining ways to care for their own wellbeing and support friends who might be struggling.
Each junior team was also provided with laminated think mental health resources to be stored in kit bags, allowing coaches to regularly revisit the material throughout the season.
Briggs said while the senior club had previously participated earlier in the season, this marked the juniors’ first involvement in the dedicated round.
“Young people experience higher stress levels than ever before and it takes a community to keep mentally healthy,” she said.
“We want to foster a supportive culture within our juniors and many of our players continue through the grades with their teammates so being there for their mates is especially important.”
While annual participation has not yet been confirmed, the Briggs said the club hopes to build on the initiative with further wellbeing-focused activities in future seasons.
