Three things that parents hope their children will learn at the first Chennai Super Kings Academy in Canada

Character, consistency, and cricket are three things that parents are looking forward to their children learning at Chennai Super Kings’ first academy in Canada.

Located in Brampton, this is the first Chenna Super Kings Academy in in Canada, joining the famous twenty20 franchise’s growing network of facilities in the US, the UK, Australia, and of course, India.

Piyush is among the parents who’ve sent their children to train with the coaches at the academy. For his son – like with many other South Asian families in Canada, the love for cricket has been passed down from parent to child.

“Ever since his childhood, he’s been watching cricket with me at home,” said Piyush of his son. “We have watch parties with our friends.” 

Piyush being in a cricket club means his son has a first-hand view of what it is to enjoy a game of cricket, keep fit, and build camaraderie. 

“He gets to see me play, he gets to watch, he gets to see the excitement that the game brings,” he added. “I asked him if this is something he wants to start learning as a game, and he said yes.”

“I think one of the key things with any sport is that there is a skill he wants to develop,” said Piyush. “Based on that, he will develop an interest. Once he has that interest, there will be a discipline that he is looking for. He wants to enjoy the game.”

A household passion

Also keeping a keen eye on proceedings was Pratik, whose son was also keen on signing up at the Chennai Super Kings Academy in Canada.

“It’s a household thing, almost cultural,” he said. “Cricket is very much a dinner table conversation among South Asian households. It is the dominant sport that we talk about, so that’s how he got introduced to it. The minute I gave him a bat and a ball, he took to it.”

“We’re looking forward to seeing our son build his cricketing skills even more and take his passion for the sport to the next level,” he added. “Sport teaches you many things, whether it’s cricket, basketball, badminton, any sport you pick up.

“We are also hoping to make sure that discipline gets imbibed in his day-to-day life, so that he ends up growing up to be a wholesome individual.”

One of the IPLs most successful teams

Chennai Super Kings are the joint-most successful team in the IPL, having won five titles since the tournament began. The hope for the co-founders is that young athletes at CSK’s academy in Canada will one day play in the IPL, as well as in Major League Cricket in the United States, where the team fields a franchise outfit called the Texas Super Kings.

These young athletes can also feature in the youth leagues organized by the Toronto District Cricket Association (TDCA) – one of Canada’s largest youth cricket leagues, featuring players from the ages of 11 to 17.

“We have a lot to offer in terms of matches, games, and the culture that we imbibe in kids as they go forward,” said Navin Stanly, co–owner of the academy. “There’s a lot of fun along with character building. With our coaching philosophy: there’s so much to offer. I request people to come try us out and get the best out of it.”

Kartik Venkatraman, who is also co-founder of the academy, added: “It’s for the love of cricket. It’s love for the game. It’s about teaching the kids something new. Because cricket is not something that is a very well-established sport here in Canada. With a brand like Chennai Super Kings, we want to proliferate the game to the kids. I think that’s the main motive.”

– Gautam Viswanathan, The Inspired Indian