KFC MINI-CRICKET OCTOBER COACH OF THE MONTH FOR OCTOBER 2012

Franciske Anneke Venter, sport coordinator for Learners with Special Educational Needs (LSEN) for Northerns cricket, has been named the KFC Mini-Cricket Coach of the Month for October. The award is in recognition of the hard work and dedication towards the volunteer coaching programme. She wins a trophy, a cap and KFC gift vouchers worth R1 000.

Venter, who has cerebral palsy, developed a passion for cricket at a young age but could not find a programme to cater for those with special needs so she played with able-bodied players. “I then discovered that a form of cricket for the disabled was played in the UK,” said Venter.  “I introduced this type of cricket to the Northerns Cricket Union and it has now spread to other unions.”

While she was still playing the game at provincial level as well as coaching teens, Venter decided to shift her focus to the KFC Mini-Cricket programme.  “I first started coaching in 2003 and in 2009 I joined the KFC Mini-Cricket programme as I wanted to make a difference in the lives of differently abled kids so they can achieve their cricket dreams.  I achieved my dreams and I wanted to inspire and motivate kids.  I feel my work is done when I see a child smile after hitting a ball, scoring a couple of runs or taking a wicket,” said Venter, who has a Cricket South Africa level 2 coaching qualification.

One of Venter’s success stories is 20 year-old Brent Koetzer who has only one arm and has been representing the Northerns LSEN team for the past three seasons. “I started coaching Brent in 2008 when he was 16 years old. He will be going to Mpumalanga next month to represent Northerns at the National LSEN Tournament.” 

Venter was nominated for the award based on her coaching abilities.  She is dependable, always delivers on what she promises and she has shown that she can successfully arrange and run KFC Mini-Cricket in LSEN schools and clubs. Her recipe for KFC Mini-Cricket stretches wider than her school alone. She successfully involves parents, and the coordinators from other neighbouring LSEN schools.

The biggest challenge is the logistics of getting kids with disabilities to games. “Sometimes the effort becomes too much for the parents and they eventually decide not to attend,” said Venter. “Working directly with Northerns Cricket, I try to think of everything that the kids might need and I try my best to help all the kids get to their games.”

When not coaching KFC Mini-Cricket, Venter represents Northerns as a bowling all-rounder in their disabled cricket programme.

There are now over 100 000 kids getting active by getting into KFC Mini-Cricket. The over 7 000 volunteer coaches in the programme, who generously give their time and skills, will ensure that the kids from the 4 500 schools will be coached more frequently while also improving the standard of cricket. 

For more information or to register your school for KFC Mini-Cricket log on to www.kfc.co.za/minicricket or contact CSA at (011) 880 2810.

 

PAUL ADAMS VISITS WESTERN CAPE SCHOOLS AS PART OF THE POWERADE PERFORMANCE SESSIONS

 

 

Paul Adams, former Proteas player and current Cape Cobras coach, formed part of the team that visited some Western Cape schools recently, introducing the science of correct training, proper nutrition and the benefits of hydration through the Powerade® Performance Sessions.

The sessions Adams attended were held at Khayelitsha Cricket Club, Rondebosch Cricket Club, Milnerton High Schools, Langa Cricket Club and the Western Cape Sports School. 

“The Powerade® Performance Sessions give young sportsmen insight into effective conditioning.  My role was to endorse these best practices and give first-hand advice to the youngsters. The techniques the boys were taught apply to any sport and should become a habit as it is important to keep fit throughout one’s life.”

The programme was designed by Proteas Strength and Conditioning coach, Rob Walters and implemented at the schools by a biokineticist. “What struck me at every session was how dedicated the players were to cricket and their enthusiasm to learn from the Powerade® Performance Sessions,” said Adams.

“These youngsters are not normally exposed to the kind of speed and agility training at such a young age and this fitness training should become part and parcel of their preparation for any sport.

“From a personal perspective, I got a chance to see players from schools that I normally do not get to visit.  Talent was in abundance, so much so that the coach from the Western Cape Sports School will be offering some a chance to join the school in 2013.  This is what such sessions are designed for,” concluded Adams

The Cape Cobras talent scout also attended some of the Powerade® Performance Sessions and identified one player from Khayelitsha who he wants to bring into the WP academy.

 

GETTING ACTIVE WITH KFC MINI-CRICKET AND WAYNE PARNELL

As part of the KFC Mini-Cricket campaign to get children from across South Africa leading active and balanced lifestyles, Wayne Parnell held an exclusive KFC Mini-Cricket coaching session with youngsters from Kingswood College, Grahamstown today.

This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity came courtesy of Bekithemba Ngulube, a former pupil at the school, who won the prize after his name was drawn from thousands of entries in a competition held earlier this year.

“This is our third year of involvement in KFC Mini-Cricket and events such as today reflect the extent to which the youth have embraced the sport. We are proud to be able to bring a well-respected player to hold a hands-on coaching session with these boys,” says Lauren Turnbull, CSI and Sponsorship Manager at KFC South Africa.

The 2011/12 season saw the programme grow by 20% in numbers, resulting in more than 100 000 kids being actively involved. This season, KFC Mini-Cricket festivals started in September and will run until March, with children from all 16 of the cricket provinces getting a taste of the action. The provincial cricket unions have also committed to having some of their senior players at the festivals to give some invaluable hands-on tips to the children.

The focus this season will also be the KFC Mini-Cricket kids ambassador search which will get kids encouraging other kids to join the programme and for kids already in the programme to play more frequently. Auditions will be held at all festivals.

“Cricket is such a wonderful way to get children outside and active. And it is one of those sports you can play virtually anywhere. From their backyard to the beach, the children will find a way to play the game,” said Wayne Parnell, Proteas left-arm medium-fast bowler.

 

 

 

GET INTO ACTION, GET INTO KFC MINI-CRICKET – CAPE TOWN HOST THE TENTH PROVINCIAL FESTIVAL

Western Province Cricket Association hosted a KFC Mini-Cricket festival at Sahara Park Newlands, Cape Town on today, with over 700 children (boys and girls) between the ages of 3 and 13 getting active on the cricket field.

The kids that participated in the festival came in school teams with eight players per team.  The teams then each played two games.  The KFC Action Zones, which are inflatables that enable kids to improve their skills in a fun way, were stationed at the ground.

But there was more to the day today than just cricket explains Lauren Turnbull, KFC CSI and Sponsorships Manager. “The best way to get a message across to kids is through other kids and with this in mind we have introduced a kid’s ambassador search this year.  At each festival, including the Western Province KFC Mini-Cricket festival, we set up an audition area to select kid ambassadors who will be used to promote our KFC Mini-Cricket message which is to encourage kids to get active and get into KFC Mini-Cricket. “

KFC partnered with Cricket South Africa (CSA) in 2010 with the aim of reaching as many children as possible and to promote an active and balanced lifestyle. The 2011/12 season saw the programme grow by 20%, double the target set, so there are now over 100 000 kids actively involved.

The focus this season is the KFC Mini-Cricket kids ambassador search and for kids already in the programme to play more frequently. “This season we will ensure that we maintain and improve the quality of cricket played by the children and will continue to encourage enrolment. A main focus for this season will be the growth of KFC Mini-Cricket into rural communities,” said Niels Momberg, Youth Cricket Manager at CSA.

AB De Villiers has been an ambassador of KFC Mini-Cricket since 2010 and is an inspiration to the kids involved.  “Everyone needs an introduction into a particular sport and we couldn’t ask for a better way than to be involved in KFC Mini-Cricket. I believe this season will entice even more kids into the programme and I bet it will unearth some characters as ambassadors.  I will have to work hard to keep my position as the ambassador.”

KFC is immensely proud of their involvement with KFC Mini-Cricket: “What we have achieved to date goes far beyond our expectations.  Our message is to encourage active and balanced lifestyles for children and each season we look at ensuring that the kids have fun outdoors, this season is proving to be no different,” said Turnbull.

Each of the 16 cricket provinces will stage a KFC Mini-Cricket festival and the Western Province festival was the tenth.  KFC and CSA remain committed to building cricket amongst the youth now and well into the future.

POWERADE® HELPS TRAIN SECONDARY SCHOOL CRICKETERS

Powerade®, the sports drink chosen to hydrate the Proteas, will be introducing Powerade® Performance Sessions to secondary schools during the upcoming cricket season. Through these sessions, cricketing stars of the future will be introduced to the science of correct training, proper nutrition and the benefits of hydration to enable one to reach peak fitness at the right time.

The program will run in 61 secondary schools in Gauteng and 19 in the Western Cape, all of which are participating in the Coca-Cola T20 Schools tournament.  

“Powerade® is the chosen sport drink of many of South Africa’s sports stars,” explains Craig van Niekerk, Marketing Assets Manager of Coca-Cola South Africa.  “But effective conditioning is a combination of many factors and through the Powerade® Performance Sessions we are helping to educate young sportsmen on best practices which will assist them in keeping fit throughout their life time.”

All of the participating secondary schools will receive a coaching kit, training equipment and a training program designed by Proteas’ Strength and Conditioning coach Rob Walter. As the official hydration partner to the Proteas, Powerade® sought to integrate the link between high performance with Rob’s program and also combining this with biokinetics and sports science.

A Powerade® team led by a trained biokineticist will visit each participating secondary school between 22 October and 15 November 2012 and execute the training program on the ground. “All the exercises target the specific movement patterns that players would encounter on the field of play,” explains Walter. “They have also been designed with specific progressions in mind so that the team may continue to develop them, make them more functional and continue to challenge the players so that they continue growing and improving their cricket skills.”

An integral part of the team is the professional cricketer who will be onsite during the Powerade® Performance Sessions to assist the young cricketers with the technical aspects of their game using his own personal experiences and expertise. Former Proteas’ spinner Paul Adams of the Cape Cobras is one such professional cricketer involved in this initiative. “It’s a great initiative for the players to be introduced to what happens at the highest level with this programme. It makes these young cricketers aware of what the requirements for progressing through the levels are, and it also brings an element of fun to the occasion as well”. Neil McKenzie of the Bizhub Highveld Lions added “So far it has been a great initiative from Powerade®. The young sportsmen love the sessions and the innovation of the warm-ups.

The Session will commence with a fitness assessment and warm-up session based on the program developed by Rob Walter, followed by a net session with the former Proteas player. In between the warm-up and net session will be a “hydration break” where the players will be able to sample an ice cold Powerade® at the point of sweat.

A regular newsletter will be sent to the secondary schools featuring nutrition and hydration tips, higher level training programs as well as news from the Proteas camp and the schools cricket programs.

GET INTO ACTION, GET INTO KFC MINI-CRICKET – PORT ELIZABETH HOST THE EIGHTH PROVINCIAL FESTIVAL

Eastern Province Cricket Union hosted a KFC Mini-Cricket festival at st Georges park on Friday, with over 700 children (boys and girls) between the ages of 3 and 13 getting active on the cricket field.

The kids that participated in the festival came in school teams with eight players per team.  The teams then each played two games.  The KFC Action Zones, which are inflatables that enable kids to improve their skills in a fun way, were stationed at the ground.

But there was more to the day today than just cricket explains Lauren Turnbull, KFC CSI and Sponsorships Manager. “The best way to get a message across to kids is through other kids and with this in mind we have introduced a kid’s ambassador search this year.  At each festival, including St. Georges Park, we set up an audition area to select kid ambassadors who will be used to promote our KFC Mini-Cricket message which is to encourage kids to get active and get into KFC Mini-Cricket. “

KFC partnered with Cricket South Africa (CSA) in 2010 with the aim of reaching as many children as possible and to promote an active and balanced lifestyle. The 2011/12 season saw the programme grow by 20%, double the target set, so there are now over 100 000 kids actively involved.

The focus this season is the KFC Mini-Cricket kids ambassador search and for kids already in the programme to play more frequently. “This season we will ensure that we maintain and improve the quality of cricket played by the children and will continue to encourage enrolment. A main focus for this season will be the growth of KFC Mini-Cricket into rural communities,” said Niels Momberg, Youth Cricket Manager at CSA.

AB De Villiers has been an ambassador of KFC Mini-Cricket since 2010 and is an inspiration to the kids involved.  “Everyone needs an introduction into a particular sport and we couldn’t ask for a better way than to be involved in KFC Mini-Cricket. I believe this season will entice even more kids into the programme and I bet it will unearth some characters as ambassadors.  I will have to work hard to keep my position as the ambassador.”

KFC is immensely proud of their involvement with KFC Mini-Cricket: “What we have achieved to date goes far beyond our expectations.  Our message is to encourage active and balanced lifestyles for children and each season we look at ensuring that the kids have fun outdoors, this season is proving to be no different,” said Turnbull.

Each of the 16 cricket provinces will stage a KFC Mini-Cricket festival and the Eastern Province festival was the Eighth.  KFC and CSA remain committed to building cricket amongst the youth now and well into the future.

GET INTO ACTION, GET INTO KFC MINI-CRICKET – EAST LONDON HOST THE SEVENTH PROVINCIAL FESTIVAL

Border Cricket Union hosted a KFC Mini-Cricket festival at Buffalo Park, East London on Thursday, with over 600 children (boys and girls) between the ages of 3 and 13 getting active on the cricket field.

The kids that participated in the festival came in school teams with eight players per team.  The teams then each played two games.  The KFC Action Zones, which are inflatables that enable kids to improve their skills in a fun way, were stationed at the ground.

But there was more to the day today than just cricket explains Lauren Turnbull, KFC CSI and Sponsorships Manager. “The best way to get a message across to kids is through other kids and with this in mind we have introduced a kid’s ambassador search this year.  At each festival, including Grey’s College, we set up an audition area to select kid ambassadors who will be used to promote our KFC Mini-Cricket message which is to encourage kids to get active and get into KFC Mini-Cricket. “

KFC partnered with Cricket South Africa (CSA) in 2010 with the aim of reaching as many children as possible and to promote an active and balanced lifestyle. The 2011/12 season saw the programme grow by 20%, double the target set, so there are now over 100 000 kids actively involved.

The focus this season is the KFC Mini-Cricket kids ambassador search and for kids already in the programme to play more frequently. “This season we will ensure that we maintain and improve the quality of cricket played by the children and will continue to encourage enrolment. A main focus for this season will be the growth of KFC Mini-Cricket into rural communities,” said Niels Momberg, Youth Cricket Manager at CSA.

AB De Villiers has been an ambassador of KFC Mini-Cricket since 2010 and is an inspiration to the kids involved.  “Everyone needs an introduction into a particular sport and we couldn’t ask for a better way than to be involved in KFC Mini-Cricket. I believe this season will entice even more kids into the programme and I bet it will unearth some characters as ambassadors.  I will have to work hard to keep my position as the ambassador.”

KFC is immensely proud of their involvement with KFC Mini-Cricket: “What we have achieved to date goes far beyond our expectations.  Our message is to encourage active and balanced lifestyles for children and each season we look at ensuring that the kids have fun outdoors, this season is proving to be no different,” said Turnbull.

Each of the 16 cricket provinces will stage a KFC Mini-Cricket festival and the Free State festival was the fifth.  KFC and CSA remain committed to building cricket amongst the youth now and well into the future.

COCA-COLA T20 SCHOOLS TOURNAMENT LAUNCHED

The Coca-Cola T20 Schools tournament – ‘Show Your Class’

Coca-Cola South Africa has backed cricket development through the U-19 Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Cricket Week for over 30 years. In this time the tournament has seen over 200 Protea players unearthed. It therefore makes perfect sense that Coca-Cola’s involvement should be extended to include the 20-overs version of the game at school level, to be called the Coca-Cola T20 Schools tournament.

“Having sponsored cricket for so long, the Coca-Cola brand has become synonymous with cricket development,” said Craig van Niekerk, Coca-Cola SA, Marketing Assets Manager. “By including the Coca-Cola T20 Schools tournament into our portfolio we are giving more of South Africa’s youth the platform to be physically active and showcase their talent, to be recognised and to share their achievements, a sentiment expressed by our campaign around the tournament, ‘Show Your Class’.”

The Coca-Cola T20 Schools tournament will become a feeder to the     Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Cricket Week, which in turn feeds the U-19 National team.  “Sponsors like Coca-Cola, who invest in our youth, make a direct contribution to developing the players that will one day go on to become Protea players.  We sincerely appreciate Coca-Cola’s continued support and for backing the schools T20 tournament,” said Niels Momberg, Cricket South Africa (CSA) Youth Cricket Manager.

In the region of 550 secondary schools around South Africa will participate in the Coca-Cola T20 Schools tournament.  The format allows each of the 16 Cricket Unions to stage their own knockout tournaments to identify their provincial champions.  A play-off between other champions within their regions will determine which school will represent each of the six franchises in the national finals tournament.  This season the finals will be held in the Western Cape in February 2013. 

“Over the next few months we are offering our young cricketers a platform to be involved in physical activity, showcase their talent and be recognised.’ explains van Niekerk. 

The defending champions are Paarl Boys' High (Boland), representing the Cape Cobras, who beat Knights representatives Northern Cape High School of Kimberley in last year's final in Potchefstroom.

The tournament is still in its infancy with Quinton de Kock, who played for KES in the T20 tournament in 2010 and 2011 and currently with the Lions, now showing his class as he makes waves on his way to becoming a Protea’s player. Many more players are sure to be unearthed as the Coca-Cola T20 Schools tournament assumes its place in South Africa’s talent identification chain.

The Coca-Cola Company has long standing relationships with sporting events at the highest level, such as the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup, and it is the Company’s policy to strengthen sport at the grass roots level.  “As well as contributing to cricket development, Coca-Cola South Africa also supports football (U-15 COPA Coca-Cola) and Rugby (Coca-Cola Youth Weeks – U-13, U-16 and U-18 as well as the U-18 Academy Week) making the brand one of the foremost sponsors of sports development in the country.”

The Coca-Cola T20 schools tournament is yet another Coca-Cola programme that aims to both foster the next generation of sporting heroes and get teens to lead active healthy lifestyles.” ended van Niekerk.