If there’s one thing you need to know about South Africans, it’s that they are nuts about cricket! Their passion for cricket is pretty much unrivalled and the game is played by thousands all over the country, including in the townships where you will often see many improvised games going on in the dusty streets. World class players continue to fuel the passion for South African cricket and more and more township children dream of representing their nation in test match cricket. However, like many opportunities in South Africa’s townships, the chance to play cricket in a structured environment, as part of a team and with decent cricket equipment is sadly not there. Luckily, by joining our cricket coaching project in Port Elizabeth, you can start to help address this problem.

 

With your help as a volunteer cricket coach, township hopes can start to become a sports reality. We welcome volunteers sports coaches with various levels of cricket experience, be it playing socially with friends, representing your school, club or university cricket team, or even as far as holding recognised cricket coaching qualifications. The key focus of our cricket coaching projects is to give kids the chance to play cricket in a fun and structured environment. The emphasis is not on developing Africa's next international cricket star, but rather on getting alongside children from poorer backgrounds and building friendships through a common interest – your love of cricket. So, whatever your background in cricket, be assured that you will be able to offer something positive to the young and enthusiastic cricket players you work with.

 

During your cricket coaching placement, you will be under the guidance of our in-country team. The first stage as a volunteer cricket coach is to help organise and run training clinics and cricket matches for your young cricketers, as well as providing them with decent cricket equipment to use. This will be a great experience for building relationships with your players and also for developing your own confidence as a volunteer sports coach. The second stage will be planning and running cricket tournaments that incorporate both cricket matches and team-building activities. Although the focus is on personal skills and sports development, there will be ample opportunity to scout for talented cricketers who, with the right support and cricket training, could go on to play professional level cricket. The cricket academies we work with are keen to identify the cricket players who will form South Africa's next generation of test match cricketers. And who knows, you may meet a budding player who is destined for a future at the top end of the game!

 

Volunteering as a cricket coach in South Africa means you are responsible for running and supervising all cricket training and cricket matches for your players. This may sound daunting at first but you will soon realise that you have an understanding of cricket that your players are eager to acquire. The rewards are huge because the young cricketers are extremely enthusiastic but they rarely get to experience a team structure. By introducing simple batting and fielding techniques, as well as position holding and team play, your cricket players will develop rapidly. You will also have plenty of support from the other volunteer coaches and our in-country staff who will give you all the cricket training ideas you might need. From intricate bowling techniques to afternoon beach cricket sessions, you will soon develop your own cricket coaching programme, unique to you and your young players.

 

South Africa is the perfect place to experience a gap year cricket project. You can play cricket during your gap year, enjoy exciting gap year travel with the other gap year volunteers on your project, and enjoy a truly unforgettable sports gap year opportunity abroad.