It is an element which is focused heavily on at Gary Kirsten Cricket in all our coaching programmes.

“One of the key things to ask yourself is, have you done the work under that pressure. That pressure is often really difficult to replicate,” GKC Head Coach, Ryan Cook said.

“Pressure can come from various sources. They can come from internally or externally,” Cook added.

Cook explains that players must be able to deal with psychological and physiological pressure during a game.

“One of the tools we use is training the guys (players) in pressure situations more often. That way they become used to the responses they will default to have. These responses can be psychological or physiological so for example, sweaty palms, butterflies in the stomach, those are all physiological ones,” Cook explained.

“Psychologically, players can go into different modes of mental states. Some players become clouded with doubt, others start to have fear. Sometimes they respond with bravado.”

At the GKC, coaches put players through different situations which are tailor-made for the individual.

“Some of the methods we use in training are raising the consequence of a particular task or decreasing the time that they have to perform a task whether that is cricket related or not. By increasing the consequence, we start to see how people respond under those circumstances,” Cook said.

“Some players will need to calm down more, some will have to hype up more but they need to understand what they need to do,” he said.

“Mindfulness and breathing techniques often allow the players to sort out their emotions or thoughts in their head at that particular time, which helps them raise their awareness levels and promotes better performance” Cook said.

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The longer days and beautiful weather presents the ideal platform for youngsters to get in some solid preparation behind them before the new school year gets underway.

This December, Gary Kirsten Cricket will hold 3-day-long holiday camps in Blouberg and Century City for players between the age of 9-13 and 14-17.

The clinic offers specialised training with top coaches from Gary Kirsten Cricket.

Players will be put through a range of drills including net sessions with a bowling net and machine. As well as fielding and agility tests on the Fives Futbol courts.

“Each day players will be pushed and trained intensively focusing on their strengths and improving or assisting where ever possible in their technique,” GKC Coach, Gareth von Hoesslin said.

He added, “Most players will not get this type of training or knowledge from their schools or clubs. The drills that we do are always different and fun which keeps the players interested over the 3 days. Our aim is to uplift each player’s skill and technique and to create awareness around their game.”

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The Bola Machine is the latest addition to our world-class facilities.

The machine has the ability to provide consistent and accurate bowling of all styles.

The BOLA is used by Test and First Class cricketers as well as club and school players throughout the world.

“Already the use of the machine to groove shots through repetition has been used extensively not only for batsman but also for wicket keepers at the High Performance Programme,” Cook said.

“This state of the art machine comes along with an automatic feeder with a remote control and can deliver the ball up to 90 miles per hour and is extremely accurate,” he added.

Sessions with the Bola Machine are available as part of the High Performance sessions with Gary Kirsten and Cook.

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The duo conducted a five-day High Performance Camp with 40 players between the ages of 13-21.

“Through the duration of the camp held at the Police Gymkhana ground on the famous Marine Drive the players were provided with interventions to help their individual games as well as how to interact as a team,” Cook explained.

Using video analysis, each player was given a detailed run down of their strengths and which areas to improve on.

After spending many hours toiling in the nets, players took to the field on the last day to showcase their skills.

“There is no shortage of talent with these young players as both batters and bowlers impressed with their variety of skills and tactical awareness,” Cook concluded.

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The four-month-long programme has attracted eight players from around the world between the ages of 18-21.

These players stand on the cusp of first-class cricket and the programme which is being held at the home of GKC in Constantia will give them an excellent platform to take their game to the next level.

It offers exclusive interactions with Gary Kirsten and other top coaches as well as one-on-ones with world renowned professionals from a variety of different backgrounds. 

Week One

‘Know yourself to grow yourself’

Upon their arrival in the picturesque, Cape Town, players had to undergo various technical, mental and physical assessments.

“Tom Dawson Squibb, GKC’s Performance Psychologist was on hand to provide a framework to guide the players to understanding their goals as the coaches put the players through a battery of tests in their primary and secondary skills,” Ryan Cook, Director of the High Performance explained.

Each player was also introduced to The Sports Science Institute at their High Performance Centre in Newlands and put through physical screenings.

There was also plenty of work taking place in the nets with two sessions per day at the Claremont Cricket Club.

Players enjoyed a far more relaxed end to the week with a calming Yoga experience in Khayelitsha with the Gary Kirsten Foundation players at the Impendulo School.  

Week Two:

“Invest in the root – bear the fruit”

Players were met with a mountainous task at the start of the second week.

An early morning awakening saw them ascend the iconic, Lions Head for a bit of team building.

“There is no better way to explore the surrounds of beautiful Cape Town by acclimatizing up the mountainous peaks. It was terrific to see all the players enjoying the challenges on the way up and the panoramic views upon arrival,” Cook enthused.

In the nets, players were put through their paces with coaches emphasizing on the fundamentals of the game.

“Players did drill work on all facets both in the nets and the middle. Access to specialists is second to none at the GKC High Performance Academy. Visual and Fielding Specialist Jolene Dippenaar came down from Pretoria to help the players with visual tips as well as pressure sessions to enhance their fielding technique which was much enjoyed by all the players,” Cook explained.

Coaches have already seen exponential growth in the players. There has also been some very encouraging contributions from these players at their Premier League clubs in Cape Town.

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It is the first time that GKC is running a four-month long programme with cricketers from around the world.

The talented group of semi-pros come from England, Holland, Denmark and Zimbabwe and are aged between 18 and 25.

Ryan Van Niekerk, Coaching Director at GKC says the players have all passed their fitness tests and have begun the programme with great energy.

“They are all very capable cricketers who have the potential to play first-class cricket. They have good attitudes and are raring to go,” Van Niekerk said.

He continued, “Gary Kirsten is heavily involved in the programme. They are training for five hours a day, five days a week so it is intense.”

Over the next four months these players will receive one-on-one coaching in all departments of the game. As well as the chance to work with Sports Scientists to improve their mental and physical capacity.

The programme also seeks to give players an authentic taste of Cape Town and its surrounds.

“It is a chance for them to experience different cultures. There will be many excursions or what I like to call ‘cricket experiences’ like climbing Table Mountain for instance,” Van Niekerk explained.

“They will also be doing community work with the Gary Kirsten Foundation in Khayelitsha every Friday,” he concluded.

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The Gary Kirsten Cricket Academy (GKCA) provides private coaching for individual cricketers, teams and coaches of various ages and experience levels.

All the GKCA Coaches work closely with Head Coach Gary Kirsten and other senior coaches to provide the finest coaching programs designed for school, club, amateur and professional cricketers.

These programs are conducted at world-class facilities that provide aspiring cricketers the very best opportunity of success. Through teaching the fundamentals of cricket and developing a culture of excellence, the qualified coaches deliver a cricketing experience for all individuals and teams based on respect, understanding, honesty, trust and clear communication.

The successful candidate will be;

• A driven professional with strong networking and relationship building skills
• Passionate about cricket at all levels
• Comfortable with technology
• A great communicator that is confident of presenting to groups
• Prepared to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in
• Experienced cricketer with a deep understanding of the game and cricket coaching
• Prepared to travel locally and internationally

This role is part of the coaching team and the applicant will be responsible for contributing to and executing elements of the GKCA coaching strategy within South Africa and internationally.

GKCA offers a competitive salary and a genuine opportunity for you to forge an amazing career in cricket and coaching under the guidance of Gary Kirsten.

 Key Responsibilities

• Responsible for all coaching and business functions at Century City facility, Cape Town, SA.
• Devise, implement and manage GKCA coaching products/services and budgets in conjunction with the senior management team to enable the achievement of GKCA goals
• Devise and implement sales and marketing strategies in conjunction with the senior management team to enable the achievement of GKCA goals
• Research and analyse the chosen markets for GKCA products and offerings
• Ensure customer feedback is sought and managed to enable the ongoing development of coaching products and services
• Work with the senior management team as required to assist in the specification and development of GKCA products and services
• Liaise and manage external relationships with partners, sponsors, parents and clients
• Contribute to the high quality offerings of GKCA
• Research, identify and analyse new opportunities within surrounding areas for GKCA
• Assist as required, in recruitment, mentoring, training and managing other GKCA coaches and staff.
• Provide input to the on-going development and maintenance of GKCA intellectual property, process, documentation and templates
• Generally contribute to the development of the GKCA business growth
• Any other duties which may be reasonably required by GKCA from time to time

Applications

Send your covering letter and CV to info@garykirsten.com

Or complete the form below and attached your CV :

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This is the first time GKCA is running a High Performance coaching clinic in England. Demand is high and space is limited. Avid cricketers aged between 15 and 18 that want to improve the standard of their playing would be wise to make sure they do not miss out on this unique opportunity.

The coaching clinic will be held on the 16^th and 17^th of July at the prestigious Wellington College in Berkshire.

During the clinic, participants will receive theoretical training (lectures), practical training (batting, bowling and fielding) and feedback about their playing standard and style (video analysis and one-on-one discussions with Gary Kirsten and other GKCA coaches).

Quick Facts about the Clinic

•  Date:                                     16/17 July 2015 (2 days)
• Location:                             Wellington College, Berkshire
• Target age group:            15-18 year old cricketers wanting to improve their game
• Type of clinic:                    Mixed, theory and practical (with performance feedback)
• Cost:                                      £250 per participant

Please note that participation in this clinic is limited to a maximum of 50 players. Sign up ASAP to avoid missing out on this opportunity to radically improve your game and playing standard.

To Book Your Place Now or request more information: email coaching@garykirsten.com

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