Jodie Fields at home growing the game

Australian World Cup winning captain, Jodie Fields, has experienced many areas of cricket following her playing career but says she’s most at home in getting new people involved in the game and helping them chase their dream.

Prior to Covid, Fields worked as part of the Australian women’s pathway (program?) as well as being a selector for the underage national teams. Notably, Fields also has a personal scholarship program which funds the development of an upcoming rural cricketers in Queensland, to develop themselves on and off the ground.

Fields also runs individual coaching sessions with a couple of young girls where she lives on the north coast of NSW and has been employed for three years by the ACA be part of the Association’s Game Development Program which is designed to keep past players in the game.

In the numbers: ACA Game Development Program 2020/21

• $300k available for Game Development appearances investments
• Over 100 appearances completed around the country
• Two-thirds of appearances dedicated to pathways and junior cricket

The ACA have move the ACA Game Development Program's administration to an online App. In creating the App the ACA will need to provide your personal information to the App Developers, Pickstar/VLAST, so they can upload your details for when appearances become available.

As part of the Game Development Program,Fields has recently been visiting a newly established ‘cardio cricket’ program in her hometown of Toowoomba.

“It was a six-week come and try cardio cricket program which was aimed at young girls, women or young mothers,” says Fields.

“They’d turn up for an hour, once a week after work and get involved in a bit of cricket, social connection and then a bit of fitness.

“It was only an hour so it was short and sharp, with no emphasis on performance or anything, it was just all about having a go and enjoying yourselves.

“I went along to one of the sessions and really enjoyed myself along with Haidee Birkett, it was great to see people enjoying themselves and being physically active as well.”

It’s the Game Development Program visits to rural areas that Fields enjoys most, having grown up a couple of hours from Brisbane.

“I was a younger girl growing up in a rural environment and having to travel multiple hours several times a week to get my career going.

“So, whenever there’s a chance to support one of the ACA’s events or days I really enjoy getting involved and getting new people into the game of cricket.

“Anytime there’s a chance to get out west or go north, I like to get involved in those sorts of opportunities.”