Aura MMA had already established a buzzing “Bring it on Brum!” club, but the number of girls attending was less than 20%. To shake things up, they launched their first all-girls cricket sessions in the summer of 2023. The response was fantastic, with 24-30 girls showing up each day as the project took off. Listening to parents, they added more female coaches, which brought even more girls into the game.
The girls quickly bonded and, with their supportive female coaches, their love for cricket flourished. The coaches invited them to join local cricket clubs, where they continued to play and have fun at cricket-themed social events, building lifelong friendships and a deep love for the sport.
Come Christmas, a fresh group of girls joined in, and the excitement was palpable. Aura MMA didn’t stop there—they rolled out two female-only martial arts clubs, attracting nearly 60 enthusiastic participants, including 20 from Bring it on Brum! Feedback was electric, with girls asking for more martial arts and other sports in 2024, which Aura MMA is excitedly planning.
Miriam, Aleesha, and Pritti, all friends aged 12 and 13 from the same school, couldn’t contain their excitement: “We came to Aura because our mums told us about it. We hadn’t been to a sports scheme outside of school before, and it’s been awesome! Our cricket skills have skyrocketed—we can catch, bowl, and bat like pros now. Plus, we got to watch a game with our coaches. We can’t wait to come back next holiday!”