Aura MMA had already established a successful Bring it on Brum! club, however, the number of girls attending their clubs were less than 20%. In the summer 2023, Aura MMA ran their first all-girls cricket sessions for both younger and older girls, averaging between 24-30 participants each day as the project grew. Following parent feedback, they also introduced more female coaches which increased attendance.
The girls who attended the project kept in touch with each other supported by their female coaches as their interest in cricket grew. The coaches invited the girls to join their local cricket club and the girls continued to play, as well as attending other cricket-related social events. This has led to a long-term interest in cricket and a strong social bond between the girls.
At Christmas this year, a new group of girls attended the sessions and the project was again a success. Aura MMA have continued to develop their girls-only provision and since the summer they have developed two martial arts female-only clubs with nearly 60 attendees including 20 Bring it on Brum! participants. Feedback from the sessions included requests for martial arts and other sports as well as cricket in 2024, which Aura MMA are now looking to develop.
Miriam, Aleesha, and Pritti are all friends aged 12 and 13 and go to the same school and said “We came to Aura because our mums told us about it. We hadn’t been to a sports scheme outside of school before and we have really enjoyed it. Our cricket has improved a lot, we can catch better, we have learnt to bowl and bat and we have been to watch a game with our coaches. We are looking forward to coming again in the next holiday.”