Indianapolis, IN, May 7, 2026: The American Cricket Federation (ACF) is marking 12 years of its cricket coaching education program in the United States, highlighting what organizers say has become one of the country’s most sustained grassroots efforts to introduce cricket to American schools, colleges, and youth programs.
The program, led by Jatin Patel—a multi-sport coach and Cricket Hall of Fame inductee—was launched in 2014 with the goal of adapting cricket coaching to the American education system. According to ACF, the initiative was designed to help physical education teachers, school coaches, and volunteers teach cricket using methods familiar to American sports educators.
Patel, who received the Cricket Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023, has been involved in cricket development in the United States for more than two decades. He was also recognized for helping create structured coaching programs aimed at youth and school-based cricket development.
Under ACF’s coaching pathway, the Level 1 scholastic certification focuses on introducing the fundamentals of cricket to educators and incorporating the sport into physical education programs in schools. The Level 2 program, introduced in 2015, prepares certified coaches to train local volunteers and community coaches.
ACF says more than 500 coaches in the United States have now completed Level 2 certification, while its wider network of coaches has supported youth academies, school programs, and community leagues across the country.
The federation says it has conducted 92 weekend coaching clinics nationwide over the past 12 years, working with schoolteachers, college educators, and physical education students at universities. Organizers say the program has reached more than 60 academies and youth cricket initiatives across the country.
In recent years, ACF has expanded its curriculum beyond traditional coaching. Its new Level 3 “Gold” certification includes sports analytics, video breakdown, mindfulness training, and AI-based coaching tools aimed at preparing high-performance coaches for the next generation of cricket development.
The program is approved by the American Cricket Education Council and endorsed by the Cricket Hall of Fame, according to ACF. The organization also announced plans to launch 28 virtual mini-courses for schools and colleges beginning in the fall 2026 semester.
With cricket set to gain greater visibility in the United States ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, ACF officials say their focus remains on expanding grassroots participation and training more American-born coaches to support the sport’s growth.
