Women’s cricket provides a good example of how youth sports development pathways allow gifted young players to advance from amateur to professional sports participation.
There is currently an abundance of cricketing talent among young women in South Africa – but this was not always the case, according to Professor Liandi van den Berg, associate professor in sport business management at the North-West University (NWU).
“Talented players need development and support in various ways, since numerous factors influence the advancement of athletes’ careers, especially considering the transition from one level to the next,” she says.
How Cricket South Africa (CSA) supports sports development
Cricket South Africa (CSA) has made a concerted effort to increase the participation of women as well as enhance the level of competitiveness, which resulted in a well-organised system for talent development.
A key strategy has been to grow female cricketers from grassroots and school levels, where more primary and secondary school girls have been encouraged to participate in inclusive and accessible girls’ teams and school leagues. The talent development is sustained through the U13, U16 and U19 to the provincial system, culminating in the national competitive levels.
CSA has assisted women cricketers in successfully transitioning to the highest competitive level, but this has not been without its challenges. CSA appointed a head coach of the SA U19 and National Academy, Dinesha Devnarain – a previous South African national player and the only ladies’ coach certified as a CSA Level 4 coach – to manage the transition of talented players from provincial and U19 levels to the SA ‘A’ and SA National teams.
The injection of time, effort, expert coaching and support services, such as mental skills training and nutritional guidance while at the National Academy in Pretoria has increased the performance level of the female cricketers.
“A key strategy has been to grow female cricketers from grassroots and school levels, where more primary and secondary school girls have been encouraged to participate in inclusive and accessible girls’ teams and school leagues.”
How companies can get involved in sports development
The complete professionalisation of South African women’s cricket is on the horizon, affirms Van den Berg. Importantly, there is room for South African companies to get involved in talent development pathways programmes, which involve instituting pipeline competitive platforms, growing administrative and managerial capacity, and providing participation opportunities at national and international events.
These programmes have provided talented young women with access and opportunities to excel in one of South Africa’s most popular sports.
“KFC is a massive sponsor of the mini-cricket grassroots initiative and sponsors various KFC mini-cricket festivals, such as the one NWU hosts annually, which attracts around 600 youngsters between six and eight years old,” says Van den Berg. “It would be wonderful to also have corporate support for the National Academy women.”
In a sport-loving country like South Africa, sport is not only a way to improve societal cohesion – it offers the chance to professionalise talent and earn a living. As such, sport remains a crucial catalyst for development.
Source: The original version of this article was published in the Trialogue Business in Society Handbook 2023 (26th edition).
Find out more about sports development:
- See Trialogue’s research results and analysis of the overview of the CSI spend on sports development in 2023.
- See the Overview of CSI spend on sports development in 2022.
