Teaser KFC Mini-Cricket Kids vs Proteas Launch Montecasino

HASHIM AMLA HOSTS A COACHING SESSION AT ANKERVAS PRIMARY SCHOOL.

When you think of Hashim Amla, you naturally think of the spearhead of the Proteas batting line-up. A man who humbled the English with his blistering stroke play, a man who frequently heads up the ICC batting world rankings, and a man who is adored in cricketing circles local and abroad.

Growing up though, young Hashim was no different to the over 100 000 kids currently involved in the KFC Mini-Cricket programme, cutting their cricketing teeth at the KFC Mini-Cricket level so to speak. It is only fitting then, that he should return to it again in hosting a KFC Mini-Cricket Coaching Session at Ankervas Primary School, in Uitenhague on Thursday. 

KFC ran a competition last year on SuperSport during the IPL whereby entrants could win one of six exclusive coaching sessions with a member of the Proteas team. Gert Swartz, a teacher at Ankervas Primary, was one of the lucky winners and immediately nominated the kids he coaches to receive the prize with Hashim Amla.

“These children are from disadvantaged backgrounds and most of them are orphans who are now being raised by relatives who don’t always make the best role models. I chose the school because I believe the visit will restore hope in these kids as well as a love for the sport altogether”, said Gert on the reasons behind his prize nomination.

While studying Human Movements Science at the University of North West, Gert was tasked to choose four sports to coach. One of them was cricket, and more specifically cricket coaching for kids from the ages of 7 to 9 years.

When asked about the boys’ reaction to the news, Gert had this to say; “Everyone at the school could not believe that we could pull off something this major. The kids were even training so that they could be fit and ready to be on the same field with this international sporting hero.”

A select group of youngsters from Ankervas got to participate in a 50 minute session made up of four cricket stations, with Hashim coaching from one of them. After that the Proteas batsman shared a few inspirational words with the kids, who each got to spend some time with the star player.

“It feels like so long ago since I was in the mini-cricket programme, but being here today quickly made me remember growing up and the fun I used to have learning the game. It’s so great that KFC Mini-Cricket offers the kids this experience, and it’s really great to see so many of them getting active with it around the country each year,” said Hashim after his experience with the kids of Ankervas Primary School.

This latest KFC Coaching Session is yet another fine example of how getting kids active and kids doing what they love leads to memorable experiences. By bringing kids closer to the game, and indeed their cricketing heroes, KFC Mini-Cricket is committed to creating an active lifestyle for the youth, and one that will no doubt enrich all those that are involved.

KFC MINI-CRICKET GROWS BY 20 PERCENT AND KFC MINI-CRICKET COACH OF THE YEAR IS ANNOUNCED

The KFC Mini-Cricket programme grew from 83 638 participants in the 2010/11 season to 100 702 in the 2011/12 season, an increase of 20 percent ,which far exceeds the 10 percent target set by KFC and Cricket  SA for its Unions.

KFC partnered with CSA two years ago with the aim of reaching as many children as possible to promote an active and balanced lifestyle.  It is important for kids to develop an active and balanced lifestyle at a young age because it becomes a habit that can be a benefit for a lifetime. 

The increase in participation would not have been possible without the 6 000 or so coaches who manage the programme. Each year KFC Mini-cricket salutes one of these volunteers by naming him or her the KFC Mini-Cricket Coach of the Year. This year that person is Angela Cilliers of the Matatiele district of KwaZulu-Natal.

Cilliers was given this prestigious award in recognition of her passion for the programme and for the boys and girls she coaches. Her leadership, organisational and motivational qualities have been commended in the running of the programme in her district.  She has not been involved for as many years as some of the former winners, but her commitment, quality of her work and the drive to get children leading an active and balanced lifestyle makes her a worthy recipient.

Cilliers, who is a teacher at St Monica's School in Matatiele, says KFC KFC Mini-Cricket is in her blood.

She was responsible for the growth of the KFC Mini-Cricket programme at the previous school she taught - Rivermead Christian Academy – and was instrumental in getting the programme going in the district, a rural area where there were very few sporting opportunities for the young boys and girls.

She remembers her introduction to the programme well. "I was told to run KFC Mini-Cricket at my previous school, although I had no idea what it was all about. I was given a KFC Mini-Cricket booklet and was told to study and run the KFC Mini-Cricket coaching lessons as from the next day.”

“That night I fell in love with the programme. The next day I held my first coaching session and I have never looked back. This is a programme that can teach young students about getting the basics right so that they can become the very best they can be.”

She was appointed the sports co-ordinator at St Monica’s this year and immediately set about introducing KFC Mini-Cricket in the school; she is also busy getting it going in the surrounding rural areas as well.

Cilliers has a Basic Coaching Mini-Cricket (Level 0) qualification and has been involved with the programme since 2009. In that time she has imparted cricket and life skills to hundreds of boys and girls, of which roughly half were girls. She says it has been particularly pleasing that so many girls are now involved.

Looking back over the years of her involvement in the programme, she believes the most memorable moment was when she was selected to attend the KFC Mini-Cricket National Seminar. “This was an awesome privilege for me. You come back from there and just want to persuade every small student to start playing KFC Mini-Cricket,” said Cilliers.

“The past season focused on growing the programme and this upcoming season is about endorsing the active and balanced lifestyle message and informing the public why KFC is so passionate about this programme” commented Dave Timm, Chief Marketing Officer of KFC

KFC Mini-Cricket – Last chance to win a coaching session with a Proteas player

The South African cricketers currently playing in the IPL in India are in great form, keeping South African fans interested and entertained even though the local season is over.

And, courtesy of the KFC Mini-Cricket programme, young cricket fans can stand a chance for a Proteas Player to visit their school and coach their school cricket team.

The lucky six schools that get drawn will see either, Hashim Amla, AB De Villiers, JP Duminy, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell or Vernon Philander coming to the school to coach their school cricket team.  The player selected will run a coaching session, speak to the players as well as motivate them to keep working at their game.

Fans can enter the competition on http://www.supersport.com/competitions/KFCIPL with entries closing on 27 May.  A draw will be take place once the IPL ends when all competition entrants  will get to know if they have won and which player will be visiting their school. The coaching sessions will be finalised based on the availability of the players.

KFC Mini-Cricket programme, which is a soft ball development programme that is an integral part of Cricket South Africa's mission to take the game to the people of South Africa, is a programme that AB De Villiers endorses as an ambassador to the programme. AB says this is a programme he is very passionate about and that it brings him great joy knowing that he is contributing to kids living an active and balanced lifestyle.

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.