Gary Kirsten Cricket coaches, Derek Mitchell and Kholekile Matikinca have been appointed by Western Province Cricket as U15A and U19A assistant coaches respectively. This marks a first inclusion into the provincial setup as coaches for both these aspiring individuals who have cultivated a special passion for the game and continue to share it with the players they work with on a daily basis.
Derek, who started as a Senior coach with GKC in 2015 knows the Western Province setup well. Last season, he captained the Western province senior provincial side and his great skill with both bat and ball in hand has seen him establish himself as an outstanding performer for Western Province Cricket Club in the Premier league over the past few seasons.
This year marks a pivot in his coaching career as he has taken up a full time post teaching at his alma mater, Rondebosch Boys High School. After coaching the U14A and 2nd XI teams in the past 2 seasons as well as at the GKC High Performance Academy he is well equipped for this new opportunity to coach in the provincial ranks. “Being involved with the GKC has been extremely valuable for me in my development as a coach”, Mitchell says.
He continues, “I am honoured to have an opportunity to coach at Western Province and have the privilege to work with a talented group of players to prepare them for the provincial tour in December.” Derek’s coaching philosophy is to “develop and grow the individuals that I work with and be a role model and mentor to those in the team”. Over the past 3 years with GKC, he has shown his ability and work ethic in abundance and his positive influence is evident in the bonds he has formed with all the players he has worked with and continues to do so.
Kholekile’s coaching journey started in 2009 and has been on an upward trajectory. With playing credentials at a provincial level as well as his enthusiasm and energy one can see why he has such a profound effect on the young players he deals with both at the GKC and The Gary Kirsten Foundation. Having had experience in the game of cricket, Kholi, as he is affectionately known, explored a path in conditioning gaining a diploma from the Health and Fitness Professional Association and still hones his skills performing specialist group and personal training. This unique set of skills saw him join the GKC High Performance Academy in a role in which he doubled up as a senior coach and Head of conditioning for the program in 2017.
With this background, he has been appointed as Bowling Coach and Head of Strength and Conditioning for the Western Province Khaya Majola Coca Cola Week Team under Head coach Paul Adams. “My role will be working with the seamers on all aspects of their game as well as developing training programs focusing on the biomechanics and fundamentals of movement with all the members of the squad.” He adds, “I am looking to grow and challenge myself as well as the players, my aim is to equip the players with the skills they need to perform and this will add to the tools I have as a coach”.
With a coaching philosophy which seeks to “create an environment which adds value to the players both on and off the field”, Kholi sees cricket as a vessel for life lessons to be learnt and implemented. Anyone who has worked with him can testify to his approachable nature and ability to extract potential through high quality relationships with the players he works with.
Congratulations to these inspirational coaches who continue to pioneer coaching in their authentic way. GKC wishes them all the best on this journey of continued growth and development.
For private and group sessions with Derek, Kholi and any of the quality coaches at the GKC, see https://garykirsten.com/private-coaching/