Women in Sport - ICC 100% Future Leaders Programme

 

Women from all over the world are getting the opportunity to take up leadership roles in various sports including cricket. The ICC has announced it's mentorship program for women and we got the opportunity to talk to two of the women that have been selected from 300 applicants to take part in the program.

40 women from 29 ICC Member countries have been selected to be mentored as part of the ICC 100% Cricket Future Leaders Programme designed to support emerging female talent in cricket. The programme, which is part of the ICC’s long-term commitment to accelerate the growth of women’s cricket and women in cricket, received an overwhelming response of more than 300 applicants from 45 different countries.

The initial intake will be split into two batches and the programme, which designed to address the low percentage of women in leadership positions in global cricket and build a pipeline of new female leaders in cricket will get underway with batch one beginning this month.

About 100% Cricket Future Leaders Programme
The application is open for all female future leaders of Cricket to apply and will be matched with a mentor to support their development growth.
The role of a mentor is to unlock their mentee’s potential and help them to be at their best. This could include being a confidential sounding-board, providing advice, guidance, and connections to reach their potential.

The philosophy of the 100% Cricket - Future Leaders Programme is to be participant lead, with the ICC acting in support to match the mentees with suitable mentors and provide guidelines and evaluation frameworks for the participants and opportunities to network and interact.

The programme will last for a period of 6 months, and include a kick-off workshop with Belinda Clark, followed by monthly check-ins and a 3-month review with the mentees and mentors agreeing the frequency and method of communication.

SELECTION PROCESS
All mentee applications were reviewed by a selection panel consisting of the ICC General Manager – Marketing and Communications – Claire Furlong, Mentor Guide and former Australia Captain Belinda Clark AO, ICC General Manager Development, Will Glenwright, and Competition Manager – Cricket, Birmingham 2022 – Commonwealth Games Holly Colvin.

 

Western Province star goes from SAU19 disappointment to Khaya Majola Hero

Western Province bowler Siyabulela Plaaitjie set aside his disappointment at not making the SA 19 team for the ICC U19 World Cup by playing a match-winning role in Western Province's first win against Gauteng since Potchefstroom in 2012.

When he wasn’t picked he was disappointed and looked for guidance from his mentor at Western Province Cricket, Graham October.

Graham told him that he had two options, the first was to feel sorry for himself and to curl up in bed and cry and the second was to go to the Khaya Majola Week and play the best cricket he can play.

Graham left the decision to Siya because it’s one of his policies is to let the boys in his care make their own decisions.

“Graham is like a father figure to me and he always directs me in the right direction, being left out of the world cup side is a real disappointment. He explained my options and I chose to focus on my game and to make sure that I do well and, hopefully,  make the SA Schools team,’ said Siya.

His earlier performances at the Khaya Majola Week had not been up to his high standards until he faced Gauteng in the traditional clash of the titans at the tournament.

Western Province had not beaten Gauteng at the Khaya Majola Week since the ‘main game’ of 2012. Since then they have lost five finals against Gauteng and it was looking as if they were going to lose again at Michaelhouse on Thursday, until Siya bowled an inspired spell that broke the back of the Gauteng run chase.

Siya has always been a fighter, he comes from a very poor single-parent family in Langa, Cape Town, where his mother tries her very best to give him the opportunities that most boys in that area are not able to get.

Through his cricketing ability, Siya created his own opportunities and was spotted at an early age by Western Province Cricket. He has had many mentors at the union including the current Gauteng coach Siyabonga Sibiya who, even though his team lost to Western Province, was one of the first people to congratulate him for his brilliant effort. He was clearly emotional because he knew what Siya had been through to get this far in life.

Graham October was the most emotional. He ran up to embrace the boy that he knows so well and brought tears to the eyes of many of the spectators on the field.

‘Coach Graham helps me out emotionally, financially and with my cricket. It is awesome to have someone like him in my life, along with the other mentors at Western Province cricket who help me,’ said Siya.

Siya is at Wynberg Boys’ High on a bursary, supported by the Western Province Cricket Union and he is part of a truly South African Western Province team in which privileged kids from schools like Bishops can play as equals with a boy like himself, from Langa and they can be friends.

it’s a story is that Khaya Majola would have loved playing. A testament to his vision for the tournament has been named after him.

Siya and Graeme

Former Titans and Warriors bowler Rowan Richards adds his experience to the Border Cricket Team at the Khaya Majola Cricket Week.

Singatha Gcilitshana, Shannon Musto and Rowan Richards

Rowan Richards retired from professional cricket in March this year. He was with Easterns at the end, but has played for Border, Northerns, the Titans and the Warriors in his long an illustrious career.

Rowan loves the game of cricket and wants to give back so he is now coaching at Queens High School in Queenstown and even though he is new to the role, he has been called up by the Border Cricket Union to serve as team manager and assistant coach to Shannon Musto and Singatha Gcilitshana at this year’s Khaya Majola Week.

“When Border asked me to assist I jumped at the opportunity,” he said. “I never played in this week as a youngster so I’m very excited to take part this year.”

He feels that he has a lot to give to the boys and he serves as an example of someone who missed out on selection, but still ent on to play professional cricket. “I think I am an example of someone that didn't have it all his way,” he said. “I tell the boys to carry on working hard and to know that if they don’t perform well in a game during the week they can bounce back and play well in the next game.”

It’s been a good week so far and he has already seen some outstanding talent. He is looking forward to seeing all the teams in action.

Border did not have it all their own way on day one. They bowled well and had Limpopo all out for 77 runs, but the boys thought that they had already won the match and didn't focus on their batting and were bowled out for 103. Luckily the concentrated a little harder in their second innings and won the match by two wickets.

"The lesson learnt was that there are no easy games at this week, so you have to concentrate in every game. This is a good bunch of players. Today we were complacent, so now we will speak to the boys and make sure that they understand the importance of respecting your opposition and giving everything until the match is over,” he said.

“I was blessed to be in the changerooms of coaches like Vince Barnes, Shukri Conrad, Rob Walter, Mark Boucher just to name a few and I have played with players like AB de Villiers and Faf dui Plessis so I know what goes on in the changeroom with some of the best coaches and players in the country. I know how they deal with certain situations and it’s my job to pass on what I have learned to the boys and to assist Shannon by passing on this information. I am still new in coaching so I have to learn from the other coaches and the boys and improve my own coaching abilities.

Rowan is involved in cricket at all the levels, from KFC Mini-Cricket all the way to the Khaya Majola week and he says that cricket is in a better place that what it was when he was young. “CSA has gone into areas that they have not been into in the past and have exposed a lot of players who would not have had an opportunity in their previous structures. This has enriched the game and they have found a lot of fantastic players that they would have missed. It has also give kids a lot of opportunities to play professional cricket that I didn't have as a kid. Cricket is in a better place now,” he said.

Western Province Women’s Coach advocates for cricket grassroot development

South Africa is a nation that celebrates and is passionate about sport, yet thousands of children have limited access to playing sport they are passionate about. Sport is more than just a game, it allows young boys and girls to engage in teamwork, discipline, tolerance and the value of fair play.

Claire Terblanche, Head Coach: Western Province Women and Girls Pipeline,  sat to discuss the beauty of grassroot development and what it potentially means for a budding cricketer in an age of pursuing a healthy mind, body and psyche. 

Before Terblanche became a respected cricket coach, she watched from the side-lines as a little girl until she took it upon herself to go for that she wanted, bowling and batting in the streets of her neighbourhood. She says, “I was drawn to cricket because of the contention between opponents, the possibility to establish friendships, travelling to places I have never been to and meeting new people. I hold the game of cricket in high regard as it taught me lessons about life that helped me navigate through the good and the misfortunes that life had handed me.”

When asked about her love for coaching Terblanche said, “Everything I did revolved around cricket and the progression into this role was a natural one for me. My passion for helping people grow helps me maintain my desire to be in an environment I really enjoy.”

Terblanche reiterates that effective coaching cannot be achieved without functional development at a grassroot level. “It allows for the holistic growth of kids. It allows for them to enjoy the game, develop faster and retain what the kid has learnt through the beautiful game. Subsequently, as they mature as players who are open to learning and the fun related to learning, even at pro-level.”

KFC Mini-Cricket provides several inclinations for development including:

Physical development

The reality is that the current breed of players are well built and tall, even at a mini-cricket level it seems the kids have a sturdy physique in early development. Coaches need to monitor the kids closely as childhood growth spurts can cause varying difficulties when players are still so young. Another element to consider for grassroot development physique is the approach of their coaching drills at practice and on match day as all the kids want to do, is play. In principle, the more the kids get outside to run around and play in a safe environment, the healthier their bodies will be for the next stage of the cricket pipeline.

Intellectual development

In the early stages of development, coaches need to use the cricket language more often when on the field. The language needs to be instilled at the grassroot development level as there’s opportunity to make this engaging and helps retain the kid’s attention while learning about the beautiful game. The more coaches speak the cricket language the easier it becomes for players to develop their own frame of reference; this will ensure that they take their ownership within their own space and establish their own approach in their pursuit of playing cricket either professionally or socially.

Emotional development

The reality is that kids at any level of the pipeline need to be nurtured alongside being coached about the skills involved in cricket. Additionally, trust between player and coach goes a long way to connecting emotionally as there are more factors that could affect the development of a player which are not related to their physical or mental wellbeing. Coaches need to create a space that can allow for players to express themselves in all human facets. Sensitivity to their non-verbal cues such as their body language should be taken seriously to mitigate the emotional expression and development at an early age.

Terblanche was asked why she supports KFC Mini-Cricket Provincial Festivals, she said “ Besides giving back to the community of cricket, taking the WP Senior Women to spend time with budding cricketers is a brilliant way to help kids understand the game of cricket and a lovely opportunity to encourage kids to immerse themselves in making friends, even with their provincial heroes. It is a good initiative to socialise kids and allow for the programme to impact them in one way or another.”

The KFC Mini-Cricket programme remains one of the largest national grassroots development programme in South Africa and offers kids with the critical building blocks for learning cricketing basics and entrenching a love for the game. The programme allows volunteer coaches at schools to offer a cricket sporting programme, even with basic fields and facilities.