James & Super 1s

Super 1s is a cricket programme for disabled young people. It delivers coaching and competition and has recently expanded into 19 counties across England, and Scotland.

Young people come along to Super 1s to try a new sport, but find mentors, team mates and friends. They learn about responsibility, communication and healthy competition. Most importantly, they have fun and develop skills that will help them thrive far beyond the cricket pitch.

James joined Super 1s in 2014. The Kingston hub was running at his school, and James initially took part in taster sessions. Both the cricket coach and James’ PE teacher recommended that he joined the Super 1s team and James has gone from strength to strength since, even training with the England disability squad.

James developed his leadership role once he left school, and became a mentor for younger participants. Last year, he completed a six-month industry placement with Lord’s Taverners. For a young person with autism, a busy office environment can be very daunting, but James embraced both his work and the social side of the workplace. Following his placement, James secured his first full-time job at a local school.

Henry Hazlewood, Head of Cricket Programmes at the Lord’s Taverners, says: “We are really proud of James’ achievements. During his work experience his confidence and ability to deal with a variety of situations in the professional world grew significantly. He is a fantastic example of what Super 1s is about, and highlights the long-term impact the programme can have.

We are excited to see James continue to be a role model and inspire others.” We have supported Super 1s since it began in 2016 and have just renewed our funding for another four years, supporting the national expansion of the programme in partnership with the England and Wales Cricket Board.