“Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise, seek what they sought” – Matsuo Basho

The 17^th century Japanese poet’s words reverberate in my head, as I watch a group of up and coming professional cricketers interact with some of the world’s best during a camp I attended recently. Top international cricketers, at the height of their powers are present as they attempt to answer curious questions and relay timeless stories, advice and tips in their areas of expertise. Whilst these contain golden nuggets of information, I wonder if this priceless experience is applicable for these players at their stage of development. Should we be rather focusing on what were the seedlings at the origin on this path of mastery in an attempt to bridge the gap between then and now? Is this information helpful for all players or just some?

I enquired with one of the specialists, a prominent international fast bowler as to what he was “seeking” at a young age that enabled him to become one of the modern greats. His answer, “consistency”, this was expanded on with phrases such as “knowing my action” and “trusting my action”. This is an insight which most gloss over in the search for the magical moment of enlightenment. The simplicity of this informs all of his drill work, mental framework and tactics and has done so for years.

In order to climb the ladder of professional cricket, young players need to possess an enquiring mind in learning combined with a tight filter to sift out all the information they receive. A developing player may already have been bombarded with heaps of technical and tactical advice at a young age from various stakeholders. Distinguishing between these is a balancing act and a challenging task which often creates extreme dissonance in a players’ mind especially if contradictory. In addition to this, in the modern era of social media and armchair critics how does one decode the noise from the signal?

A player understanding his or her identity and philosophy can be challenging especially with limited experiences shaping it. This is where coaches play a pivotal role in exploring the authenticity of each player to help guide, challenge and support them throughout their journey of self-discovery. By constantly stretching their limits within a “safe” environment which rewards ownership, a player can build capacity to extend themselves whilst staying true to the core.

To quote James Clear, “Mastery requires both impatience and patience. The impatience to have a bias towards action, to not waste time and to work with a sense of urgency each day and patience to delay gratification, to wait for actions to accumulate and to trust the process.” Sitting on this see-saw of development is a difficult task for players and coaches and there is no cookie-cutter method for success, but rather one which should be tailor made for the individual.

Those before us spread great knowledge and experience, so that we can stand on the shoulders of giants. However, it is in “seeking what they sought” and in doing so finding our own voice that the inner wisdom and potential is revealed.

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In a coach’s vocabulary, the word “drill” rolls off the tongue with fluency. Drills are often searched for by coaches looking to show competence and confidence at their training sessions to add to the library of activities that can be done. There is an abundance of drills which can be found in various sources whether through past experience, in books or even online. Although these can conjure up inspiration and creativity, the most effective drills are often unique and personalised for the player at their particular level of development. “Drills” have their place in the sun especially when considering the repetition of a learned motor skill and their effectiveness in developing skills has stood the test of time but there is more than meets the eye to just “hitting balls”.

The decision making process is often the forgotten cousin when conjuring up a new exciting drill and this is where “constraints-led” coaching rises to the occasion. By presenting various scenarios, rules and conditions a coach can engage the players mind and body to the simplest task. The most informal version of constraints can be found no further than the backyard. Growing up in a cricketing household, a bat and ball were never far from reach. Age old rules such as “six –and-out”, “one hand one bounce” and “electric wickets” were a common language which informed decision making and caused many a heated debate whether the “pot plant could have caught that one”. Needless to say, if more drills were run in this way it would allow players to strategise, make decisions and perform the given objective for themselves, not to mention by gamifying training it can add to the enjoyment experienced.

Effective learning finds this balance. On the see-saw between novelty and boredom lies emotional relevance. Back to the backyard, it was a daunting sight to see big brother steaming in with the taped tennis ball from 12 yards wanting nothing more than to get the bat back in his hand (or inflict a bruise as a trophy), but on reflection, what did this teach me? Skills such as getting in line, playing swing bowling and facing pace not to mention the mental components of grit, game plans and concentration. I can even recall going to the nets to prepare my technique for the game… played at Number 14Cherry Lane every weekend.

The debate will continue between the “constraints-led” community and the “old school drill masters”, however with a balanced approach to the framework of improvement a unique mix can be created which if intentionally constructed can lead to players having all the tools in the box. Equipping players to adapt given the task and the environment with prepared skill is what performance is all about.

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In a recent Coach Education program which Gary and I were facilitating, we joined with some coaches who were working with some young players from a primary school. Upon observing a young bowler deliver 6 balls (which were on a variety of lines) the coaches were asked about what would be their observations and first interventions with the player. A plethora of varying answers emerged – as expected. Advice varied all the way from an angled run up to suggesting a new a grip on the ball as well as various changes that could be made to his action, release position and follow through. With all these viewpoints, which were often conflicting… I tried a coaching “experiment”.

The first question which I asked him was, “When you bowl your best, where do you find the most joy? With a beaming smile on the young man’s face he replied. “When I CLEAN bowl him!!!”. This gave us all a great starting point on where to pitch a message to the enthusiastic inswing bowler. Through a series of open questions, the boy got to his own answer about what he needed to do in order to do this more consistently. “I need to start the ball wider with MY swing”. Brilliant! “Where do you normally aim?”, I asked in curiosity. “At the stumps of course”, he replied confidently. A silence of epiphany gripped the group of coaches who had assembled, which included many who had worked with him before. The rest was now going to be simple. I instructed the player, “Take this cone and place it on a line in which you want to start the ball in order to “Clean Bowl” him”. He duly did, about a foot and a half outside off stump. With a bound in his step he returned to the top of his run up, rearing to try again. Of the next 6 balls – 5 hit the stumps, much to the delight of the player and coaches alike. So what was the learning?

In simple terms, we started where the player is. So often as coaches, with our coaching knowledge of technique, game plans, drills and jargon, we start where we are. The language which we understand, the lens on the game which is our own, the technical “models” we hold as perfection. In player-centered coaching, this can be the exact issue that inhibits our ability to connect with the players on their level. Understanding what makes the player unique and their view the game is a much more influential starting point. Building the relationship between player and coach allows trust to form and belief to exist which can ultimately lead to significant change.

Upon reflection of this particular experience, an image gathered in my mind of a camp which we ran in Dubai about a year ago – Gary with the young player in Dubai

Perhaps starting where the player is, is as simple as that!

Head coach – Ryan Cook

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GKC has been based at Curro Hermanus since January this year with numbers in the private coaching space continuously growing at the school.

Over fifty kids attended the free coaching session between the age of 8-13 with Gary Kirsten hosting the much anticipated talk to a dedicated group of parents.

At Parklands College, 70 youngsters were divided into five groups where they received coaching in various aspects of the game.

“We had five coaches at different stations. We focused on target bowling and throwing, speed gun bowling, power throwing and lots of net sessions,” GKC Coach Garreth Van Hoesselin said.

“The response was fantastic at both schools and it was good to see an encouraging number of girls attend as well. There is great potential among these youngsters and we cannot wait to continue our work with them,” he added.

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“When will they learn?”, the all too familiar phrase of a frustrated coach whose team has not executed their skills to the required standard. This may take its form in a variety of ways, be that through lack of skill transfer from practice to match, poor decision making under pressure or even inadequate preparation. However before pointing the finger at a players’ incompetence, a coach should be reflecting upon the work that he or she has done in order to give the players the best chance of success and it is often the assumptions that coaches make that is the hindrance to player performance.

In the modern age of information and constant connection to knowledge it may be assumed that players, at no matter what level they play at, have a basic skill combined with robust thinking and physical competence to execute that skill. Let’s take the young U13 cricketer playing for his school 1^st XI at Primary school. Should he have the ability to set a field to his own bowling? Bowl the ball on one side of the wicket? Vary his lengths to different batters? Construct an over? If you answered “Yes” to all these questions, one should be making sure that time is taken in order to equip the player with the either the technical, tactical, mental or physical skill to do so. This is done through an array of interventions such as purposeful practices, in depth conversations and understanding of the player, but one word of advice – Be mindful of the assumptions you make!

So how to break the assumption barrier? Many would give advice of “Make no assumptions”, however this is not really practical on many occasions. The first road to take is one of asking. Through the art of good questioning and listening one should be able to ascertain the current reality in which a player sits and gain an understanding of his or her lens and level of proficiency. For example when coaching players the art of playing spin, one could ask questions such as; “What is your mindset when spinners bowl to you?”, “What shots regularly bring about boundaries against off spinners?”, “Recall a time when you played the leg spinner well, what did you do?”. The list could go on depending on your gauge of the player’s awareness. By utilizing their language to gain a deeper understanding of the players outlook and skillset it can provide a reference point from which to build and grow, but too often the narrative comes in at a level too high according to a preconceived idea.

The Second Road to take is Clarity of Expectation. Through this direct route of communication one can provide the necessary direction to avoid misunderstandings which open up the door to frustration and disappointment from both parties provided these expectations are “capable”. As Henry Winkler quotes, “assumptions are the termites of relationships”. As coaches we are in the relationship business and this can have a bearing on people and performance. In cricket circles, an assumption commonly misplaced is one in the fielding arena – having an individual placed in the field without clear expectation of his or her role is the cause of red mist rolling into the bowlers mind time and time again. For example, the inner ring fielder gives away an easy single to the new batsman. What is needed in this regard is a language of understanding between all team members of what their role is and even some tools on how to achieve that objective. By providing clear expectations, one removes the assumptions which may not be shared by individuals or a group, creating a space which is more conducive to performance.

Whether in the coaching space or not it seems we are constantly making assumptions based on “truths and facts”, often through our “glasses”, it is important that we challenge these beliefs through asking effective questions, listening without judgement, or by co creating clarity in expectation with our players in order to show care and be fair not only in performance but off the field too. Having the courage to do this can be a game changer for your coaching and development of your players and teams.

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The awards which aim to celebrate the best work off the field in the business of sport and showcase everything that is great about the South African sport industry made contact with the GKF to submit an entry.

The foundation which was formed just four years ago has made tremendous strides in the development of the game in township communities of Khayelitsha in the Western Cape.

“We are very excited to be nominated for this prestigious award. It is an honour,” Gary Kirsten beamed.

“We are hoping that it will showcase the work that the GK Foundation is doing,” he added.

Over the years the GKF has worked on various projects from net installations, coach development for our township cricket development initiative and planning South Africa’s first complete artificial cricket field.

“Our coaches have put in an enormous amount of work on the ground. We believe that we can make a positive and long lasting impact in township communities,” Kirsten concluded.

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That is why we have embraced other codes of sport like football and rugby to sharpen hand-eye coordination and build a greater sense of camaraderie.

In the month of December we ran a two-day Multi Sports Clinic along with Fives Futbol in Century City.

It gave kids a chance to test their skills and adapt to new challenges.

“We had over 35 players attend the highly enjoyable clinic. We were able to rotate each hour through the different sporting codes. This is the only clinic in the Western Cape which hosts all 3 sports. To end each day, everyone received lunch and a cool-drink for all there efforts,” GKC coach, Garreth Von Hoesslin said.

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