Under-19 Coca-Cola T20 Schools Challenge National Finals are finally here

In October 2013 over 11 000 cricketers from over 650 schools started on their journey to represent their respective franchise in the national finals of the

Coca-Cola® T20 Schools Challenge.  The grueling qualifiers are now over and Grey College (Knights), St Stithians College (Lions), Waterkloof Hoerskool (Titans), Kingwood College (Warriors), Wynberg Boys’ High (Cobras) and Westville High School (Dolphins) will lock horns at the Tuks High Performance Centre, Pretoria, from the 3^rd to the 5^th October.

The tournament is fairly new, but it is already playing its part in Cricket South Africa’s talent identification pipeline. Quinton de Kock is the first Protea player to have played in the national finals – for King Edward II School and the Lions in 2010 and 2011 – and a number of players have gone on from here to play for the South African Schools and  Coca-Cola®  under-19 teams. They include the star of the 2014 ICC under-19 World Cup, Kagiso Rabada, who represented St Stithians College and the Lions in 2013.

The Coca-Cola® T20 Schools Challenge is about making heroes,” explains Fetsi Mbele, Coca-Cola® South Africa Marketing Assets Manager. “This grassroots tournament is where heroes are unearthed by giving them the opportunity to showcase their talent against top T20 schools from around the country”.

ENDS

ABOUT FINALISTS

GREY COLLEGE

For Grey College, based in Bloemfontein, this cricket season has been exceptional.  Not only is the school representing the Knights in the national finals this weekend, but the school emerged as the winner of the Coca-Cola® 30 Minute Hero Challenge winning a fully installed outdoor gym to the value of R200 000 with 199 pupils competing a 5 drill programme in the allotted 30 minutes.

As Free State champions, Grey then went on to play Noord-Kaap, the winners of the Griquas region, to determine who the representative of the Knights franchise at the national finals would be, in a match won comfortably by Grey.

ST STITHIANS

St Stithians will represent the Lions for the second year in succession.  The school qualified after winning the Johnny Waite Knockout beating St John’s College in the final game.

T20 cricket is a key part of the schools cricketing calendar. In preparation for the tournament St Stithians have played as many T20 games as possible including against Hoërskool Menlopark, Wits University and the University of Johannesburg.

WESTVILLE BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL

Westville Boys’ High School will be making their third consecutive appearance at the national finals of the Coca-Cola® T20 Schools Challenge representing the Dolphins.

Westville Boys’ High School won the KwaZulu-Natal Coastal region playoff and went on to beat the KZN Inland champions, Hilton College, by 19 runs in the franchise final.

Key to their tournament preparation has been a focus on multiple fielding drills, as well as practicing specific strokes for the Coca-Cola® T20 matches, like hitting over the top and reverse sweeping.

WYNBERG BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL

Wynberg Boys’ High School will represent the Cobras franchise at the national finals of the Coca-Cola® T20 Schools Challenge.

Wynberg Boys’ High School beat Paul Roos Gymnasium, the Boland provincial champions, by 4 wickets in the regional final.

Wynberg’s focus has been on ensuring that their bowlers are focused, as players need to hone in right from the very first ball in T20 cricket.

Wynberg played in the national finals in the 2010/11 season with an experienced team and believes this team has the same qualities.

WATERKLOOF HOERSKOOL

Waterkloof Hoerskool beat EG Jansen in a reduced overs match to reach the national finals for the second year in succession.   Waterkloof managed 106 runs in 10 overs and bowled EG Jansen out for 37 runs.

Waterkloofs strategy is to play aggressive attacking and positive cricket.

Waterkloof were beaten by Rondebosch Boys’ High in the final last year. 

KINGSWOOD COLLEGE

Kingswood College beat Selborne College to represent the Warriors in the national finals of the Coca-Cola® T20 Schools Challenge. 

In a tightly contested regional final Kingswood won the toss and elected to bat first notching up 124/9.  Selborne lost by a mere 2 runs.  The highlight of the game came from Jerome Bossr who scored 58 not out in 44 balls including three 6’s in a row in the last over.

ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT

Coca-Cola® T20 Schools Challenge National Finals

Date: 3^rd – 5^th October 2014

Venue: TUKS Cricket Grounds (Fields – Oval A, Cricket B, Cricket C)

Match Programme

Each team will play each other in a preliminary round

The two teams that gain first and second position will then contest the final.

In the event of a no result in the final, the team that finished first after the conclusion of the preliminary round shall be declared the winner.

Fixtures

DAY	DATE	TIME	TEAM	TEAM	VENUE
Friday	3 October	AM : 09h30 - 12h30	Cobras	Knights	Tuks Oval
Friday	3 October	AM : 09h30 - 12h30	Titans	Warriors	Tuks B
Friday	3 October	AM : 09h30 - 12h30	Dolphins	Lions	Tuks C
Friday	3 October	PM : 14h00 - 17h00	Warriors	Cobras	Tuks C
Friday	3 October	PM : 14h00 - 17h00	Lions	Titans	Tuks Oval
Friday	3 October	PM : 14h00 - 17h00	Knights	Dolphins	Tuks B
Saturday	4 October	AM : 09h30 - 12h30	Cobras	Lions	Tuks B
Saturday	4 October	AM : 09h30 - 12h30	Titans	Dolphins	Tuks C
Saturday	4 October	AM : 09h30 - 12h30	Warriors	Knights	Tuks OvAL
Saturday	4 October	PM : 14h00 - 17h00	Dolphins	Cobras	Tuks Oval
Saturday	4 October	PM : 14h00 - 17h00	Knights	Titans	Tuks C
Saturday	4 October	PM : 14h00 - 17h00	Warriors	Lions	Tuks B
Sunday	5 October	AM : 09h30 - 12h30	Titans	Cobras	Tuks Oval
Sunday	5 October	AM : 09h30 - 12h30	Warriors	Dolphins	Tuks B
Sunday	5 October	AM : 09h30 - 12h30	Knights	Lions	Tuks C
Sunday	5 October	PM : 14h00 - 17h00	1st Place	2nd Place	Tuks Oval

The benefits of SARU's high performance programme is evident at the Coca-Cola Under 18 Craven Week

SA Rugby’s revised provincial high performance system is in its second year, and there is already evidence at the Coca-Cola Under-18 Craven Week, currently under way in Polokwane that it is paying dividends.

Herman Masimla, SARU’s manager of junior high performance says that the physical conditioning of the players has markedly improved on previous years and, although some teams are clearly tactically superior, as far as physical strength and condition are concerned, the gaps between provinces have closed.

The provincial high performance programme, Masimla explains, requires each province to identify a squad of at least 30 under-15 players and at least 50 under-17s each year and to begin preparing them for the next year’s Coca-Cola youth weeks – Grant Khomo or Craven/Academy Week.

“We supply all 14 provinces with the necessary protocols, manuals, biokinetic support, testing kits and software, and we expect a standardised programme to be followed for the identified players across the provinces,” he said.

“A successful rugby player needs tactical expertise and physical ability. We leave the tactical side up to the coaches in the provinces, but we want a standard of physical preparedness to be maintained.”

Once the players for the Youth Weeks have been identified out of those provincial squads, they become eligible for SARU’s national high performance programme.

“At the youth weeks we speak to all the players and tell them what is needed for them to rise to the next level,” Masimla says. “Every player is given a training manual and a DVD with video clips explaining how the exercises must be done.”

At the under-16 Coca-Cola Grant Khomo Week a squad of 50 players were identified to attend a high performance training camp in September. At the end of that week an elite group will be announced and they will be fully supported in the years ahead of the u-18 week. “The criteria will be that they should be players that show every sign of becoming future internationals, at the under-20 level initially,” Masimla explains.

And at the end of the Coca-Cola under-18 Craven Week an SA Schools squad of 28 will be announced, with the proviso that players from the under-18 Academy Week can also be included.

They will play international matches against under-18 teams from England, France  and Wales and, after that an elite squad will again be chosen, again on the basis that they are players who show signs of becoming internationals.

“That group become part of the squad from which next year’s under-20s will be chosen and, as we have seen, the next step from there is Super Rugby and the Springboks,” Masimla says.

That’s the pathway SARU have developed and it’s what has made SA Rugby consistently among the best in the world. The Coca-Cola Youth Weeks play a vital part in the system.

60 AMATEUR ATHLETES GET ADVICE FROM OLYMPIC MEDALISTS ON HOW TO TRAIN LIKE AN OLYMPIAN - DAY 4

The 60 amateur athletes, including six South Africans, currently based at the Powerade Sports Academy were given valuable lessons on training from Joze Luiz Barbasa (four times Olympic 800m athlete), Dean Downing, professional cyclist, Ben Titley (Head Coach Team G.B. Swimming), Any Manley and Matt Bowe, Swimming Silver Medalists.

Powerade, the Official Sports Drink of the London 2012 Olympic Games, is giving sports fans from around the world insight into how to ‘Train Like An Olympian’ at the Powerade Sport Academy.  The opportunity is part of the Powerade drive to give amateur athletes, who live and breathe sport every day, an opportunity to improve their own performance.

The athletes are quickly realizing that training for the Olympics is a 24 hour a day commitment.  “We are up by 6am, active throughout the day attending lectures and training and get to bed at midnight,” said Eugene Strauss, a 34 year old accountant from Gauteng.

Day four included pilates before breakfast, endurance running, sprint running, cycling and then swimming sessions ending with a look behind the scenes of the Olympics.

Strauss is using this opportunity to help him prepare for the 2013 Iron Man.  “We got some good advice on breathing techniques and exercise drills to increase lung capacity,” said Strauss.

As part of the programme the athletes are required to put their newly acquired knowledge into practice so all lectures end with a practical session.  “Instant gratification came from the cycling advice we received on pedaling.  When I got onto the bike after our lecture I immediately noticed a difference,” said Strauss, a competitive cyclist. 

It was then into the swimming pool and the focus was on techniques on how to shave seconds off times by turning effectively.

The final day of the programme will be a mini Olympics which will take place on Friday, 10 August.

A SELECT GROUP OF PLAYERS FROM THE COCA-COLA UNDER-16 GRANT KHOMO WEEK WILL PARTICIPATE IN A HIGH PERFORMANCE CAMP IN CAPE TOWN

Peter Jooste and Rugby South Africa’s national selectors have been in Johannesburg this week running their eye over the available talent on display at the Coca-Cola under-16 Grant Khomo Week.

Their task is to select a squad of 50-odd players who will meet in Cape Town in September for a high performance camp where they will be evaluated and given personal development programmes, to be monitored by their home unions ahead of their next appearance in the spotlight – at the Coca-Cola under-18 Craven Week in two year’s time.

The Coca-Cola Grant Khomo Week therefore has an educational objective as well and all the players and coaches attended a high performance seminar during the week as well as a drug free sport seminar.

Conducting the drug free sport session will be Clinton Readhead, SA Rugby’s medical manager. He has been at the week in Johannesburg and says it is noticeable how professional the approach of the players is, even at this level.

“The preparation of the players is at such a high level that we have to assume they are all using some sort of nutritional supplement.  Our role is to manage this and to keep it safe,” said Readhead. “Our advice is that we do not condone the use of any supplements at all but, given that they are being widely used, we try to point out the dangers involved, particularly because the industry is unregulated and you cannot always believe that the ingredients listed are really what is in the tin.”

Responsible use of supplements and correct nutrition play a big part in the educational programme at the week and at the high performance camp.

Physical conditioning is also important, Readhead says. “The SA Sports Institute advises the players on the sort of exercises they should be doing, in and out of season.”

This is all part of the wider context that the Coca-Cola Youth Weeks should be seen in. Parallel to the team performances is a scientific process designed to bring the best players of this generation though to the level of senior provincial rugby in the years to come.

POWERADE LAUNCHES THE POWERADE SPORTS ACADEMY WITH JOHN AMAECHI AND MECHELLE LEWIS FREEMAN

Powerade, the Official Sports Drink of the London 2012 Olympic Games, is offering athletes from around the world the unique opportunity to train with professional athletes and coaches at the Powerade Sports Academy during London 2012. Six South Africans will attend this once in a lifetime experience after entering competitions that have been running over the past couple of months.

As part of the Powerade “Train Like an Olympian” campaign for London 2012, the amateur athletes who live and breathe sports every day will attend the week long Academy. Specialist coaches and athletes including Olympic Athlete and former World Champion Mechelle Lewis Freeman (US), NBA basketball star John Amaechi (GB) and Great Britain’s head Olympic swimming coach Ben Titley (GB) will tailor sessions to strengthen and condition participants to become better all-round athletes.

The Powerade Sports Academy will focus on teaching skills in five different Olympic sports – athletics, swimming, football, cycling and basketball – and will include a program of inspirational lectures and tips on training and hydration, as well as meals designed specifically for the Academy by leading nutritionist Beatriz Boullosa.

Rockefeller Phillips from KZN (44) could not believe his luck when he was told he had won.  “I was driving at the time and had to control myself to prevent an accident.  What a lifetime opportunity this is.  I will be participating in as many activities as possible for as many sporting codes as possible and I plan to come back and go into the townships and rural areas to teach the kids what I learnt.”

John Knapton (66,) who is retired and living in Vereeniging, will be looking at the experience in a different way. “Firstly, my son is extremely envious of me and believes he should be the one to go as he is so much younger.  What I want to gain from the experience is to have fun and meet as many people from different parts of the world as possible. I played interprovincial soccer and Varsity hockey in my day so am curious to see how athletes now days prepare, not just for the Olympics, but for any event.”

John Amaechi comments, “The Powerade Sports Academy is designed to give people who are passionate about sport a taste of life as a world class athlete. Coaches step in at that moment when athletes hit the wall and think they can’t go on. You could say that Powerade provides a similar type of motivation - helping to push athletes from breaking point to breaking through. I’m looking forward to meeting the participants and coaching them to be the best they can be at the Academy this summer.”

Powerade on the field of play and at the Olympic Athletes’ Village
As Official Sports Drink of the London 2012 Olympic Games, Powerade will be front and center at London 2012, hydrating more than 10,000 athletes across 26 sports on the field of play both in training and game venues. In addition to providing product on the field of play, the ‘Powerade Hydration Center’ inside the Globe at the Olympic Athletes’ Village will allow athletes to customize their own Powerade Sports Bottles, order the Powerade PRO Sports Hydration powder and get hydration tips to help them perform.