CRICKET ACADEMY
The Mickleham Secondary College Cricket Academy has enjoyed an exciting and highly successful start to its inaugural year as part of the Academy Movement program, continuing to provide students with outstanding opportunities both on and off the field.
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Throughout Terms 1 and 2, students have been exposed to a variety of high-performance training sessions, competitive experiences, pathway opportunities, and athletic development programs designed to support the growth of well-rounded student-athletes.
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Term 1 saw the academy launch alongside Rugby as part of the Academy Movement initiative, with students quickly embracing the standards, expectations, and culture of the program. Sessions focused heavily on cricket skill development, particularly batting, game awareness, teamwork, and professionalism.
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A major highlight from Term 1 was the academy excursion to Junction Oval, where students attended a live Sheffield Shield match and gained valuable insight into elite cricket environments and professional sporting standards.
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In partnership with Cricket Victoria and Academy Movement, students also successfully completed their umpiring accreditation, opening up opportunities for students to remain involved in cricket through officiating and leadership pathways beyond simply playing the game.
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Students proudly represented the academy throughout the term in official Puma Academy kit, helping build a strong sense of pride, identity, and professionalism within the program.
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Term 2 has continued this strong momentum with several exciting academy opportunities and events.
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The term began with academy students participating in professional athletic pre-testing conducted by PIODA Performance, a highly respected sports performance and athletic development company.
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Students completed a comprehensive series of athletic assessments including:
š 20m Sprint Testingš Vertical and Horizontal Power Testingš Nord Board Strength Testingš Push-Up and Sit-Up Testingš Yo-Yo Endurance Testing
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Testing data and results were benchmarked against athletes of similar age, gender, and weight categories, providing students with valuable insight into their athletic development and overall physical performance.
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Students will continue working on these areas throughout the year before undergoing further testing later in the program to measure growth and improvement.
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The academy also proudly represented Mickleham Secondary College at the first Academy Movement Indoor Cricket Tournament against several specialist cricket academy schools from across Melbourne.
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Mickleham entered two teams into the competition, with the A Team producing an outstanding undefeated tournament performance to claim the championship title. Students displayed exceptional teamwork, discipline, competitiveness, and professionalism throughout the day.
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While the B Team did not achieve the same on-field success, significant growth, resilience, and self-awareness were observed as students began to better understand the commitment, preparation, and work ethic required to compete at a high-performance level.
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Another major highlight this term was the Cricket Academy Parent Information Evening for 2027 enrolments. Families were introduced to the academy vision, pathway opportunities, expectations, and program structure for students entering the academy in Years 9, 10, and 11 next year.
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Importantly, the Cricket Academy continues to place a strong emphasis on student behaviour, effort, and academic standards across all classes within the college. Students are continually monitored throughout the school environment, with professionalism, respect, discipline, and positive behaviour forming a key expectation and prerequisite for continued involvement within the academy program.
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The Mickleham Cricket Academy continues to focus on developing student-athletes through:
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š High-performance cricket training
š Athletic development and fitness education
š Match play and tournament opportunities
š Leadership and professionalism
š Umpiring, coaching, and sporting pathway opportunities
š Building resilience, teamwork, discipline, and accountability
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Applications for the 2027 Cricket Academy intake are now open, with application forms available via Compass. Applications close on Thursday 5 June.
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For further information regarding the Cricket Academy program for both boys and girls, please contact Mr Husain Badat.
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It has been a fantastic start to the Cricket Academy journey at Mickleham Secondary College, and we look forward to continuing to grow the program and provide meaningful opportunities for our student-athletes moving forward.
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