Today we’d like to introduce you to Mustafa Khan.
Hi Mustafa, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In early 1995 I became homeless & ended up at a place called Dome Village. While at Dome Village, a few of us were taught the game of cricket. We became known as, The L.A. Krickets, the world’s first homeless cricket team. In mid-1995, various sponsors made it possible for us to tour England for two weeks playing cricket. We returned from England to the homeless encampment and Disney Company made an offer to buy the movie rights to our adventure but were unsuccessful. This cricket tour of England had such a positive effect on me at the age of 45 that I felt compelled to teach and use cricket as a tool to enhance the lives of Compton youth. Since 1995, I have continued to use cricket to enhance life skills and to promote leadership qualities, travel & higher education. The game of cricket has also been successful with gang diversion efforts in The City of Compton.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Teaching/mentoring the game of cricket in the inner-city has not been easy, mainly because no one (kids or parents) have ever heard of the sport or thinks it’s a ‘sissy sport’. Teaching kids to; * focus for extended periods of time is difficult. * manage outbursts of anger is difficult. * leadership skills/sportsmanship * lose & win gracefully * discipline
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Southern California Junior Cricket Academy?
Southern California Junior Cricket Academy (SCJCA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to impacting the lives of at-promise youth (boys & girls) within Southern California through our free and inclusive youth cricketing programs, empowering our youth with leadership qualities, a clear path to higher education, positive role models and a global cricketing community that will last them a lifetime. GOALS- Our goal is to deter inner-city youth from gangs, drugs, bullying, violence and criminal activity.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
At SCJCA, we believe that a little monetary support can go a long way. We believe that people like you can create a lasting impact on our youth and cricketing communities. Please donate today and make a difference in a child’s life by going online to www.scjcacademy.org. Thank you!
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.scjcacademy.org
- Facebook: Southern California Junior Cricket Academy
