Cricket South Africa (CSA) hosted a two-day workshop last week to discuss the success of its Hubs and Regional Performance Centres (RPC) programme, and how to improve them.
David Mokopanele, the CSA’s Mass Participation Manager emphasised the importance of checking in with each coach from all 58 Hubs and RPCs to “engage with the guys to check what’s been done in the year or so before and plan the way forward with them in terms of what needs to be done in producing new players.” He added that the main point of the workshop was to emphasize the responsibility for their programs that each coach needed to take on.
The Hubs and RPCs have transformed the cricket landscape in townships and rural areas, and changed many lives in the process. In the past year, they have had an average increase of 15 players per season that have progressed into junior provincial teams, with 138 players in total progressing into provincial teams. In the past three years, many of these children have also been chosen for bursaries to study at ‘traditional’ cricketing schools.
Mpitsang, the SA Under-19 convenor of selectors said that the Hubs and RPC’s were supplying his team with players who have the skills he requires. “The role they play in the TAP (Talent Acceleration Program) is important,” he said. “Being the Under-19 convenor they give us a lot of options, a lot of players. And a lot of the players have gone to private schools so it’s a wonderful programme to have.” Mpitsang believes that during the next two years many more players will start to come through the system.
