WIPA in the Community (WIC) is WIPA’s cricket development programme.
WIPA in the Community Trinidad began in the south-west peninsula of Trinidad and was then sponsored by Trinidad’s natural gas company Atlantic. The WIPA in the Community Trinidad programme in recent years involved approximately 2300 students in 24 schools, primary and secondary, from La Brea, Point Fortin to Icacos.
WIC Trinidad began in September 2008 with 369 students from 13 schools. At that time, the programme had nine (9) certified coaches. To date, WIC Trinidad has trained and certified over 50 coaches with Level 1 and Level 2 CWI & Cricket Australia Certifications.
All coaches in the WIPA in the Community Trinidad programme have also been trained and certified in first aid and CPR. First aid kits have been distributed to all 24 schools and to community coaches in order to ensure that both schools and communities are properly equipped to respond to and treat injuries if they occur.
Further, WIPA in the Community Trinidad has distributed Atlantic/WIC branded t-shirts and water bottles to all the students in the programme, as well as cricket equipment to all 24 schools and all coaches in the programme, providing them with access to high quality cricket equipment.
Notably, the Point Fortin Borough League was sponsored by the WIC Trinidad programme between 2013 and 2019 and featured several cricket clubs from the South West Peninsula. Many residents of the South West Peninsula were also directly impacted by this sponsorship.
Additionally, WIC Trinidad organised and conducted festival cricket matches featuring a WIC team vs a Point Fortin Borough team as part of the borough’s celebration. At these events, spectators and fans got the opportunity to see past and present national and international cricketers and interact with them following the game.
WIC places focus on core values and life skills throughout the programme including honesty, discipline and teamwork. The programme has also launched an anti-bullying initiative and has distributed DVD’s to all schools about bullying and bullying prevention.
Camps have also been an integral part of the WIPA in the Community Trinidad programme and several camps are conducted for the elite cricketers in the programme. These are players who demonstrate exceptional ability. Sessions have been held at the James Park Cricket Ground in the Point Fortin area where there is a turf pitch and a cricket net constructed by WIPA. This net facility is open to the public and ensures that everyone has a proper cricket facility where they can practice and develop their skills.
Further, WIC Trinidad facilitates a coaches workshop designed to educate and improve the coaches in the programme. The aim is to ensure that our coaches are kept up to date with the most modern coaching techniques.
WIC Trinidad has had players go on to represent the Trinidad and Tobago national team and others participating in the national trials. The programme has also enjoyed team successes with teams winning the National Girl’s Cricket Competition and the National Girl’s Primary Schools Cricket Competition.
The WIPA in the Community programme was extended to Jamaica in January 2019, lending technical support to and monitoring the U-14, U-16 and U-19 secondary-school cricket programmes, beginning with select schools in St. Catherine, Kingston and St. Andrew.
All coaches in the WIPA in the Community Jamaica programme are members of WIPA who are certified cricket coaches. This provides employment for past cricketers, while allowing WIPA to assist the schools to provide the highest standards of cricket coaching.
In 2019, WIC Jamaica served seven (7) schools. Additionally, the programme partnered with Wray & Nephew to deliver a 2-Day Coaching Clinic as part of the SDC National Community T20 Cricket Competition
