US Youth Cricket Inks New Deal with Reebok

US Youth Cricket Association (USYCA) have struck a three-year sponsorship contract with Reebok cricket North America for the promotion of cricket in the country.

According to YCA president, Jamie Harrison, the deal will allow cricket to spread among the masses and will provide significant opportunities for the game to flourish in this region, along with enabling the citizen to watch one of the most exciting sports on the planet.

YCA is an associate member of United States American Cricket Association (USACA) and is the largest organization in US, which is devoted to promote cricket across schools, summer camps and other youth organizations.

Harrison believes that the deal with Reebok is an important step forward, and the kind of support they had been looking for a very long time. He further acknowledged the fact that the support showed by an international brand will aid them in accomplishing their long term goals.

“We think it’s going to open the door for a lot of other sponsorships because I think it’s a statement that Reebok thinks we’re sponsorship worthy,” said the president.

YCA have a commendable past record for reaching out to the American youth as compared with the USA Cricket Association and the new deal echoes that fact.

“For the last two years I’ve been telling anybody who would listen that what we were doing was going to work; that it was worthwhile and was worth getting behind, and a lot of people in cricket have applauded that,” said the president.

Harrison further revealed that apart from providing licensed apparel for USYCA, Reebok will grant them enough funding, which will allow them to cover their organizational as well as operational expenses for the next three years.

Cricket in America is a minority sport and USCA is an associate member of ICC. The US national team however, continues to play without any sponsors and have only one American player in their side.

YCA aims to extend its full support in helping anyone, who is willing to take up cricket as a profession, and their president reiterated their stance by concluding that the organization will take all the necessary steps to ensure that cricket becomes a major force in this part of the world.

by Ismail Uddin