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CHARLOTTE — Cricket is a unique sport and through a unique program, it will be hitting elementary and middle schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School system this year.

CMS has teamed up with the U.S. Youth Cricket Association to help teach the game to children in the school district. The school system was selected for the model program and received a grant to put a cricket kit in each elementary and middle school.

"PE teachers are going to be teaching right now and hopefully this could become a small hot spot of cricket across the country. And then we'll be able to built it out from the school level out," said Brandon Nels, a PE teacher at Mountain Island Elementary School.

Nels hopes it can be a fun way to learn, both indoors and outdoors.

"For example if they're talking about the British colonies, they can take out the cricket kit, bring it out, play with that a little bit and also incorporate that with their other studies,” said Nels.
With so many budget cuts, he says it's a great opportunity for the school system and the kids.

Once the sport gets going in the schools, they hope to expand it to other youth organizations in the area. Local cricket players say they're excited about the program. They say currently, knowledge of and interest in the sport is very low, but they hope this program will bring more attention to cricket.