EX GAUTENG CRICKETER, JOHNSON MAFA, WINS AWARD FOR COACHING KFC MINI CRICKETERS

Johnson Mafa, ex Gauteng Strikers provincial cricketer, has been named the KFC Mini-Cricket Coach of the Month for June. The award is in recognition of the hard work and dedication towards the volunteer coaches programme.

For 10 years Mafa has been coaching youngsters in the Rockville and Moroka area in Soweto.  “It is fantastic to be rewarded for hard work,” said Mafa.  “I am no longer playing professional cricket so can really focus on my KFC Mini-Cricket programme and the next step is to get more schools involved.”

Mafa currently coaches two schools in the area (Isaacson and Molalatladi Primary Schools) and his aim is to reach the other 10.  “Cricket and children are my greatest loves and that is why I started coaching mini-cricket 10 years ago,during my free time, and now that I have given up the competitive game, my focus will be to grow cricket in Soweto.”

While Mafa, who played for the Gauteng Strikers from 1999 until 2012, has not produced a player that has gone on to compete professionally, he says that it is the little characters he coaches that drive him.  “It gives me such pleasure to see the enthusiasm and funny things the kids do.  We have such laughs sometimes,”

But there are also challenging situations that Mafa has to manage and he uses cricket to teach life skills, family values and to build confidence by giving his players a sense of belonging. “Sport is unique in that not only is it fun, but through sport kids can learn a host of life skills that help them develop into well balanced and happy adults.”

Mafa singles out one particular player: “I have a 10 year old, Bafana Mfaba who lost his parents when he was very young and now lives with his aunt.  He is such an inspiration to all the other children.  He walks five kilometres to and from the programme, which is based at his school, but he is always half an hour early and is the last to go home.  He is passionate about cricket and his goal is to one day play professionally.  The other children call him ‘coach’ resulting from his dedication and his seriousness.  He even disciplines the other children if they fool around.”

Cricket is a growing sport in the townships and rural areas, but there is still a long way to go. It’s the desire to have all South Africans, at every social and economic level active and balanced that keeps KFC inspired to support KFC Mini-Cricket. 

During the 2011/12 season the programme grew by 20 percent and now over 100 000 kids are getting active by getting into KFC Mini-Cricket.  The kudos must go to the6 000 volunteer coaches in the programme who generously give their time and skills to ensure that the children from over 3 500 schools that participate can be coached 365-days a year.