Echuca Cricket Club’s Kobyn James is a future star of the sport.
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In the early stages of his career, the teenager has already represented Victoria Country at under-15 level and played several A-grade matches for Echuca.
But that is only the beginning, with James making regular trips to Melbourne to play in stronger competitions.
And it wouldn’t be possible without his parents.
“We’ve been travelling for Kobyn’s cricket for the past four years,” his father Matt said.
“You do get tired when you’re on the road for so long, but you do it because you love your kids and you want to see them succeed.
“As long as Kobyn is still enjoying playing, we will continue to do it for him.”
Matt admits the travel can put financial stress on the family, with some trips to Melbourne costing $300 due to accommodation being required.
And that figure only rises with other members of the James family involved in basketball with the Echuca Pirates.
Their involvement means the family can be travelling across the state for two different sports at the same time.
“Opportunities for kids in regional areas are much more limited compared to those who live in the city,” Matt said.
“When you are seeing your kids succeed it does make all the effort you are putting in worth it.
“There is going to be some disappointment along the way, but learning from that experience helps to do better the next time.”
Training for Victoria Country, which won the national championships in February, took place in Melbourne, which acted as a central hub for all players.
But Kobyn was fortunate to have fellow Goulburn Murray Cricket star Cody Thompson also selected in the team.
“The boys developed a good relationship through the entire process,” Matt said.
“Having someone from the local area certainly helped in terms of being able to carpool if we ever decided to.
“Doing that allowed both families to keep the costs of their weekly trips down.”
Matt often found himself in the driver’s seat on the way to Melbourne, with Kobyn also developing his cricket with several Melbourne clubs.
Those included Melbourne, Preston and the Will Pucovski Academy.
Kobyn has also been a regular in the Northern Rivers representative teams.
“You can lose track of fees when your kids are playing so much sport,” Matt said.
“I originally said no to playing for Preston, but the club insisted that he should be in the side.
“Allowing him to play was certainly the right decision because it has opened some more doors for Kobyn to better his game.”
In 2017, Kobyn travelled to Canberra for the School Sport Australia National Cricket Championships with Victoria.
And the James family quickly realised how expensive representative sport could be.
“It cost close to $1800 just to accept his position in the team,” Matt said.
“That included his uniform and accommodation because nothing was actually provided by the organisers.
“As a family we decided to go up and watch, which meant staying in Canberra for 10 days, so there was an added cost.
“You just don’t realise how expensive these things can be.”
Despite the ongoing costs, the James family remains determined to help Kobyn get the best out of himself as a cricketer.
“We want to give Kobyn every opportunity that comes up,” Matt said.
“In my opinion, money shouldn’t stop you from helping your kids achieve their dreams.”