As members of the cricket community living in Wyndham, VIC, Australia, we have witnessed an upsetting incident first hand. Our local children, boys and girls who are part of the under-12 team, were subjected to bullying and inappropriate behaviour by an official from the Melbourne Cricket Association - a person meant to uphold the principles of sportsmanship and fairness. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident in our Western suburbs, specifically in the Wyndham city council area. We believe it is indicative of a larger problem impacting the safety of our community and the integrity of our sport.
This not only violates our community's faith in the institution but also potentially discourages children from participating in the Cricket they love out of fear. Furthermore, research has shown that such behaviour can have long-term negative impacts on a young player's mental health. 
It is therefore crucial that everyone involved in Children's sports take immediate action to address this serious issue. We demand a comprehensive investigation, followed by necessary actions including staff training, parents training and stricter regulations for officials, parents, players to prevent such incidents in the future. We ask our fellow Wyndham residents and lovers of cricket everywhere to band together for the safety of our children and the spirit of our beloved sport. Please, sign this petition to hold the cricket associations and Cricket Victoria to do something about children's safety. As adults it is our responsibility to ensure children are having a positive experience playing sport.