“The children in the academy have all had terrible beginnings as a result of the civil war in Sri Lanka.Many are orphans, some have been burnt and they all are super-damaged in some way, so cricket is their counselling. They learn life skills through the foundation.’’ Rupert Whyte “I imagine it is how young birds feel when they first start to fly,’’ he says. “I arrived in Sri Lanka late at night and spent the next day going with Alex to visit the schools, academies and meeting the coaching staff. “The next morning I felt myself being pushed out of the metaphorical nest (Alex’s tuk tuk) onto the streets of Moratuwa. Alex was on his way to India for meetings and I was all on my own. I had to find my way back to the accommodation and then find out what I needed to do.’’ However the coaching staff helped him find his way around, planning his busy schedule. This involved a 7am start for an hour of fitness at the nets or at a local cricket ground, followed by running warmups and drills for the boys at the academies as well as planning the Cricket Live tournament.
Rupert White with Alex Reese, Cricket Live Foundation founder.
”During the first week I had a lot of steep learning curves to go up,’’ says Rupert. “I had to feed myself and get myself from place to place. All of this had to be achieved safely so I had to be vigilant at all times. “I learned so much about negotiating, how not to get ripped off and how to deal with local Sri Lankans. I generally travelled by tuk-tuk as they were cheap, fast in the heat and often entertaining.’’
Luckily for Rupert, Alex returned in time for the Cricket Live Premier League tournament, the highlight of the Cricket Live year. The two weeks went quickly and Rupert says it was a life-changing experience. “I was determined to go back again. Improving your own skills is a real bonus, but there is so much to be gained by helping others learn about life through cricket.’’
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College Issue 30 2016
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