Roll up your sleeves and help get cricket in all schools
There’s an air of excitement as international cricket returns to SA. The present seems rosy despite the Proteas’ hesitant start. It is the future we must determine. The next generation of cricketers needs to be awakened.
The government’s National Development Plan 2030 shows a U-turn regarding sports at schools. The plan states: “The departments of basic education, sports and recreation have taken important steps to reintroduce sport in schools. All communities should have access to sports facilities.”
This, after one whole generation has had absolutely no sport after school in 23,000 of SA’s 25,000 schools since the mid-1990s. SA is not in a position to switch on the light to reveal new playing fields and coaches for all. The financial pot is bare; it will take another generation to achieve this.
The statement on school sport is filled with positivity. However, we ask with justification: “Where is the money coming from?”; and “Good in writing, but in reality, decades away.”
Let us do a reality check. New Zealand has more than 2,500 schools all playing sport. We have a smaller pool of just 2,000 schools. Cricket NZ use as their trigger for growth a farreaching innovative youth programme that encourages participation and enjoyment. They, with Australia, England and others, have developed ageappropriate suggested regulations for maximum enjoyment.
Their under-11 cricket has seven players in a team, 16m pitches, 40m maximum boundaries and 16-over matches. Cricket Scotland recommends under-14 cricket has nine players a team, 18m pitches and 135gsm (grams per square metre) or synthetic balls. Lighter pads and tailored bat grips have been developed so young players feel their strength and abilities, unhampered by inappropriate equipment.
These recommendations do not apply to their more traditional cricket schools.
It is time the Cricket SA development department follows suit. Cricket is merely a game of bat and ball, after all. We need to change the way we see our sport. It is not all about playing on immaculate fields with perfect pitches. It can be played on any, even rough, terrain or in streets and parks. What is important is inculcating the love of the game by playing, learning, having fun, making friends and sharing that feeling of inclusivity. KFC Mini-Cricket does just that. This needs to lead a slow transition to the more adult form of the game.
So, the real question is: “What can we do now to kickstart the process?” John Passmore, in the 1960s, showed us the way by pioneering his Langa initiative, which still operates today. Passmore was one man on a giant mission to develop cricketers for the Rainbow Nation. He demonstrated the power of sport, its social cohesion and the importance of opportunity for all.
Mfuneko Ngam and his brother spent hours and every cent they had on Motherwell Cricket Club juniors, coaching them and ferrying them to matches. These are giants of our cricket transformation process. They did not, on paper, promise the world; they just went out and did it. Let us look at similar examples in the Western Cape.
The Vernon Philander Foundation provides support and resources for sport and education in Ravensmead, his community. The JP21 Foundation does the same in Mitchells Plain and Strandfontein. The Gary Kirsten Foundation aims to produce Protea cricketers from Khayelitsha. Brad Bing’s Sporting Chance develops a lifelong passion for exercise and sport. CoolPlay provides coaching and life skills in numerous schools.
Langa rugby is assisted by the Bishops Vusa project. The Langa Hockey development programme is producing magnificent players. Our MCC Masi Sports Project drives eight sporting codes and life skills in the Masiphumelele township schools. The Jacques Kallis Foundation assists talented kids to reach their dreams.
SA now needs an army of champions and volunteers to spread the joy of cricket throughout the country in the epicentres of the disadvantaged communities — the schools and clubs.
All these initiatives have the same purpose. We want to change lives to build a better and brighter future. Sport is the vehicle of change as well as a goal in itself. The youth long for a sense of belonging, being valued and to feel their own power. Cricket lovers can get involved wherever they live and uplift the next sports generation in places that have been without hope and vision.
The government and national federations do not have the resources to radically transform the sporting landscape. The time for bleating and blaming others is past. For all who love cricket, this is a call to action.