Category: Career Transition

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Kyle Simmonds Crowned Overall Division 1 SACA MVP

The 2025/26 domestic cricket season concludes with Western Province all-rounder Kyle Simmonds named Division 1 Overall SACA MVP. Simmonds earned…

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Liam Alder Named Overall SACA MVP for Domestic Division 2

Following the completion of all domestic fixtures, Liam Alder of the Garden Route Badgers finished at the top of the…

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TWELVE YEARS OF RESEARCH-BASED PLAYER SERVICE

Over the past 12 years, the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) has cemented its dedication to evidence-based practice through a…

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TWELVE YEARS OF RESEARCH-BASED PLAYER SERVICE

Over the past 12 years, the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) has cemented its dedication to evidence-based practice through a partnership with Dr Sharief Hendricks, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Town’s Health through Physical Activity, Lifestyle and Sport Research Centre. Bringing his academic rigour to SACA’s initiatives, Dr Hendricks has authored over 170 peer-reviewed publications and serves as an editor for numerous top-tier academic journals.

Since the inception of this collaboration, SACA and Dr Hendricks have co-published three peer-reviewed journals. This milestone reinforces SACA’s philosophy of actively backing its player development initiatives with relevant research.

Beyond career transitions, SACA’s data-driven approach has been instrumental in addressing the critical issue of athlete mental health. Recognising that the pressure of elite sport can take a severe psychological toll, SACA and Dr Hendricks have published journals on the prevalence of, and risk factors associated with, symptoms of anxiety and depression in professional cricketers. This foundational work includes a systematic scoping review utilising the 12-item General Health Questionnaire to assess mental well-being across athletic populations.

This crucial research, which culminated in comprehensive 2021 and 2024 studies detailing the specific triggers and prevalence of anxiety and depression within the sport, ensures that SACA’s mental health interventions are never based on generic assumptions. Instead, Player Development Managers are equipped with a precise, scientifically grounded understanding of the unique psychological landscape that cricketers navigate, enabling proactive, compassionate, and targeted psychological support.

Another significant practical outcome of the research is the 2023 development of a tailored career-transitioning screening tool for cricketers. Research indicates that the transition out of professional sport is a highly vulnerable period, particularly because a strong athlete identity is often negatively associated with the quality of an athlete’s transition into post-playing life.

To address this vulnerability, the bespoke screening tool identifies critical gaps for intervention as cricketers progress through the various stages of their careers. SACA’s Player Development Managers (SACA PDMs) utilise this tool to allocate resources effectively, ensuring a smoother transition for players as they integrate into professional sport, navigate the middle phase of their careers, and ultimately transition into post-retirement life.

The core objective of SACA’s PDMs extends beyond the statistics on a scorecard. SACA’s goal is to help players make the most of their cricket careers while enjoying success and building a robust dual-career foundation for life after the game.

While the specific screening tools developed for cricketers might require careful adaptation before being introduced into other sporting arenas, the heartbeat of this programme could offer value to the broader sporting ecosystem. By proving that true player protection comes from a model of research-backed, holistic support, which serves as a powerful reminder and a benchmark for athlete welfare: that delivering world-class services means caring for the whole person, not just the athlete.

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A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AYA MYOLI

A picture is worth a thousand words they say … We asked Dolphins bowler Ayavuya Myoli to send us a few snaps that describe him best. And here they are:

Knight rider

  1. Knight Rider: Me with my car at a garage in Bisho, where I’m from. I got the car last year.

Driving

  1. Going places: With the help of SACA, I did my learners in Kimberley three years ago. They paid for my learners and the driving school. The union helped me with the actual tests and I passed first time!

Boot camp

  1. Boot Camp: When I go home to Bisho, I help some friends out with a Boot Camp that they set up. The whole thing is basically a Herbalife sales pitch but it doesn’t hurt to do the exercises: lunges, squats, and ladies pushups. That sort of thing. Anyway, I help out where I can.

Schmodel

  1. Moving up: I started at studying Sports Science in 2010 at Fort Hare. I have three modules to go before I complete the degree. I’m planning to complete it using the Player Plus program, but I might be based in Jo’burg next year, so I may have to finish it through Unisa.

Miller high five

  1. High Five: Here’s David Miller high fiving me after wicket in the RamSlam, where we ended up in the final. Every time I got a wicket, the first person to come celebrate with me was David. He is a very chilled guy. I’ve learned a lot from him, not just on the field but off it as well.

grass roots

  1. Blue steel: Just a bit of modeling stuff I was doing on the side, haha. Some friends of mine that I grew up with in Bisho are serial entrepreneurs. They sell painting, music and clothes. The clothing thing has actually taken off quite nicely and is doing well for them. They asked me to model some of their clothes and hats. How could I say no?

Kids

  1. Grassroots development: This was during Nelson Mandela Day. For our 68 minutes of goodwill, kids from various locations outside Durban came to Kingsmead. We did some fun stuff and a few training exercises. We enjoyed it as much as they did!

2016-04-24 15.07.17

  1. Limbering up: Fitness trainers tell us what to do in terms of conditioning, and we listen. Preparing for a game, if your warm up is good, you will play better. The warm up can affect your entire game, but more importantly prevent injuries. I take warm ups very seriously in my routine.

Green jackets

  1. Each one teach one: In Durban I stayed at Glenwood as a house master while also coaching the U15A team. The perks were great – like not having to cook! Also, the boy’s commitment is inspirational. They look up to you so you have to meet their expectations.

Lounge

  1. At the gym: I had a contract last season, and then I lost it. But through SACA, I was able to keep my Virgin Active membership, and that helped me a lot. Now have a contract with the Lions, so I will be able to pay my own way again, but the gym membership helped me keep in shape throughout.

Appeal

  1. Learning from the masters of spin: In 2012, I went to India with SA’s spinners bowling camp. It was three weeks long, during which I learnt a lot. It’s good to bowl in different conditions. They also taught us different methods – there is a difference in the coaching techniques and the thinking about the game.
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BY THE NUMBERS…

The SACA Player Plus programme is all about helping cricketers become better human beings. Enabling a post cricket career through some form of tertiary education plays a large role in that. More than R220 000.00 has been spent on bursaries in 2016, while close on R2 million has been spent since 2009. Check out all the numbers…

Infographic - Bursaries

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PAIN AND GAIN

Richard das Neves and Cliffe Deacon used SACA’s Player Plus programme to maintain their medical professional status, and their cricketing backgrounds have given them an edge over some of their colleagues.

One incident sticks out in Richard das Neves’ memory when thinking about the most gruesome injury he’s ever seen on a cricket field.

“I can remember a game between Gauteng and Border at UJ,” said the former Gauteng captain, now head coach at the University.

“Temba Bavuma was batting for us and he hit one in the air. Two fielders closed in under the ball, but neither called for the catch. They collided and the knee of the big fast bowler broke the smaller fielder’s leg… badly.

“I was in the final year of my biokinetics studies and everyone looked to me to assist. I could tell straight away that his leg was broken, but you never want to tell the player that up front.”

Das Neves calmed his writhing patient, nodded to another player to call an ambulance and stabilised the injured leg with an improvised splint made out of leg pads.

Wear and tear

Shattered bones are less commonplace in Das Neves’ new profession as a biokineticist based at the Wanderers Medical Centre.

“I’m probably fortunate in that, as a bio, I don’t see many traumatic injuries anymore, I deal more with the final phase of rehab.”

“Cricket is such an overuse-sport,” pipes up Cliffe Deacon. Like Das Neves, Deacon retired in 2014 after a 12-year career with North West and the Lions. He now has a physiotherapy practise in Johannesburg.

“You seldom see acute injuries like you get in rugby, where there are high-speed collisions all the time. In cricket, it’s more of an overuse issue, but you do see things like bowlers suffering from fractured vertebrae…”

Oh so minor stuff then… wait, WHAT!?

“Javelin throwers and fast bowlers are the most prevalent with those sort of stress fractures,” said Deacon, who was once a devastating left-arm fast bowler. “It’s a big overuse injury that comes from repeating the same action all day.”

Deacon would know, his 2005 season was cut short by a spinal compression.

“There’s a big scientific part to recovering from that,” added Das Neves.  But in addition to the science, there’s also a degree of intuition. As an ex-cricketer, Das Neves has an intimate knowledge of the types of injuries that occur with cricketers, as well as the techniques that can be used to help them. “When a fast bowler is injured,” he says. “I know the biokintetics of what goes into a bowling action, and we can look at errors in his bowling technique.”

Play to work

Das Neves and Deacon became exercise and healthcare specialists through studies partly funded by SACA’s Player Plus program.

“Player Plus helped me to further my biokinetics studies by doing external courses towards continual progress development,” said Das Neves. “You have to do so many courses every year to stay in touch with developments in your field, and SACA assisted with that.

Das Neves and Deacon both agree that there is an increasing need for something like the Player Plus programme because so many players are not guaranteed to play international cricket or franchise level for an extended period. Having an academic qualification helps players to figure out how to make a living.

“I would give Player Plus a 100 percent recommendation,” said Deacon. “I’ve always been a massive supporter of people taking the onus for development on themselves, and this gives you a great platform to do that.

“Where else do you get paid to play the sport you love, and study a qualification – for free – at the same time that sets you up for the future after cricket?

“You’d be stupid not to take that opportunity.”

 

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OMPHILE RAMELA: MENTOR AND STUDENT

Cobras Sunfoil Series captain and SA A player Omphile Ramela shares some insights on the role that the Player Plus programme is playing in his life, and his ambition to improve the general cricket landscape for all professional cricketers

Tell us a bit about your childhood.

I grew up in Soweto, raised by my mother. I started cricket through the Bakers Mini Cricket Program – I think it’s now known as KFC Mini Cricket. I then got a bursary to attend St Peters in Rivonia and then St Johns College.

How much of a personal responsibility do you feel towards mentoring the younger guys coming through?

I think there’s an enormous responsibility, that’s just the nature of cricket – as you go up, you try and pull everyone with you, and as a leader you try and fast-track everyone’s development.

But the best time to pass on any knowledge is in the heat of battle. Once you’re playing together it’s a lot easier to advise and speed up the learning process. I batted with someone like JP Duminy, and my learning experience was certainly enhanced.

You sit on the SACA Exco. What are some of the more common or recurring issues from the players’ side, and the organisation’s side?

From the players, an on-going issue in every sport is that players would like to get paid fairly, and to be rewarded for performing.

From SACA, a large part of the message has been around anti-corruption. That’s been a very strong message. Another strong message has been Player Plus, and how much the programme has grown over the years is an indication of how seriously the organisation is taking it.

What benefits has the Player Plus (PP) programme brought to your life personally?

The Player Plus programme has allowed me to continue studying my Masters (in Economics). To have that financial backup eases a lot of pressure off you. An initial amount is covered and if you pass your course, they cover all the course fees. That’s a great incentive!

I think with the passage of time, players have started to gravitate towards Player Plus. Players are starting to realise that you need to have some kind of backup to make sure that when you exit the game you have an exit strategy.

You’re doing your MA in economics. Tell us a bit about that.

I’ve always been interested in economic history. I think economics is a good way to try and understand the world.

What interests me is this whole idea of incentives and how it motivates people. Should we incentivise people to work hard, and if so, what are the benefits? It’s  fascinating if you think about it from a sports perspective.

Players should be rewarded more when they perform than when they don’t perform. That’s how you motivate people to raise their standards. In those moments when they’re doing well they have to feel the full benefit of it. So you need an incentive structure.

If a player scores a massive amount of runs then he should receive financial recognition. Then you’re acknowledging that the player has excelled. I think that’s where we can get better in SA sports in general.

By extension, you could incentivize people to develop black African cricketers. An economist would say, why not incentivize it? You could open it up to the general public and somebody really smart might know how to actually do it, and they’d be rewarded with a real monetary incentive.

And there’s a return on investment for rewarding people financially because we know in return we’re going to get more people at the gate and so on.

Are you satisfied with the pace of transformation in SA cricket?

More needs to be done. It’s only now that there’s a political need that people have woken up. If more was done over the last 15 years, we wouldn’t still be looking for numbers.

You need a lot more representation on merit, and access to facilities and coaching. We need to pay a lot more attention to the schools structures because once you get to franchise level you’re just molding the players.

Offer an incentive structure for anyone who produces players. We need to put a high price on those who produce. I don’t think our system is producing fast enough and we need to open an invitation to anyone who can do, there are some very innovative people in South Africa.

 

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EDUCATION EASES THE PRESSURE

A new dawn beckons for Robin Peterson, who gives unique insight into how having an education to fall back on actually makes you a better cricketer.

A white Audi is parked in the driveway of Robin Peterson’s immaculate home in a quiet street in Cape Town’s southern suburbs. The house has been renovated, sliding doors open from a modern lounge onto a built-in braai and pool.

Robbie P has come a long way from the dusty streets of Gelvandale in Port Elizabeth. But in some respects he remains firmly rooted to the values of his past.

“Things have changed in the neighbourhood I grew up in. Kids have got a lot more distractions. In my day, it was quite simple. You played cricket in summer. And we were exposed to quite a lot of sports. Hockey. Football. When Wimbledon was on TV kids would be playing tennis in the streets. It was a great childhood.”

Robin remembers playing street cricket against Alviro Petersen, Ashwell Prince, Garnett Kruger, Shafiek Abrahams and even Russell Domingo – all guys who grew up in his neighbourhood. He was even coached for a while by Allister Coetzee, who actually played cricket for Eastern Province in addition to his rugby career.

Robin’s career has had more ups than downs. As an all-rounder, he could always contribute with the bat as well as the ball. And there’s a trademark intensity to his on-field presence that he laughs off and puts down to meticulousness positioning.

Moving on

But a new era dawns. Robin’s time at the Cape Cobras has come to an end. He got married a year ago, and his wife is five months pregnant. Next season he will play for the Knights in Bloemfontein, and take up a contract for the Caribbean Premier League, where he enjoys playing. There’s a particular enjoyment for the game in the West Indies, he will tell you.

“It’s time to move on,” he says, “and I think the timing is working out nicely at the moment. When you get married you want to spend a bit more time with your family. I’m not one to look back and think I wish I was still there. I’m just seeing it as a new start, an opportunity to do something else with my life now.”

Unless you play international cricket for an extended period, or are fortunate enough to score an IPL contract it’s not feasible to rely solely on cricket to fund a middle-class lifestyle. These days, says Robin, after you’ve finished with the morning cricket practice, the afternoon needs to see you “putting some work in on other department of your life.”

Robin believes that young cricketers should not wait until later to start studying. “Find something that you’re passionate about and start studying immediately,” he says. “Don’t just study for the sake of studying. But don’t wait too long either.”

Some cricketers believe that an organic career will evolve from their cricketing career, but “at the end of the day there are only so many coaching positions available, and so many academies that can open. So find something else that interests you and pursue that.”

Branching out

“The biggest thing with cricket,” says Robin, “is that we played from when we were very young. We didn’t need to think about job satisfaction. It was always there, from the outset. But now all of a sudden, at such a late stage in life, you need to find something else that gives you as much enjoyment.”

To this end, Robin has signed up to do a business course through Milpark Business School. “I’ve always wanted to be involved with sports from a business perspective. And you need to empower yourself in that respect. I believe that sportsmen can bring a different angle to the business sphere. We understand pressure. We understand working in a team environment, and having to be innovative to stay ahead of the game. So there’s lots that we can bring to the party.”

“Guys that study at university gain the academic or theoretical knowledge, but we come with the practical life skills. And if we combine that with a qualification, I believe that puts us in a better space. We could be able to walk into a sporting office anywhere in the world. Who knows?”

Robin doesn’t have any concrete plans yet but is confident that if he combines his qualification with the opportunities to network that an international cricketing stint will give him, his career will grow organically from the field to the boardroom.

He has dabbled in property over the past few years, and has spoken to Ashwell Prince about the possibility of doing some larger scale development initiatives. At the same time, he gives talks at Citadel Wealth Management, giving unique sports-infused insights into business topics like Risk Management and Teamwork.

“I find it interesting going into the corporate spaces,” says Robin. “It’s obviously not something we do as cricketers. It’s quite different, a lot more formal and serious, but I guess that’s where you can add value by coming from such a different perspective. Even if it’s just to lighten the mood a little bit,” he laughs.

The role of SACA

“SACA has always played an important role. Now that I’m a bit older and gone through the system, I realise that education is vital. Educated guys know they have something to fall back on and are thus under less pressure to perform. And if you’re not as pressured to perform, you’re going to be relaxed. And if you’re relaxed, you’re probably going to perform a lot better.”

“When you get to this age, you have to take it one season at a time. It’s not about the money so much, it’s about adding value. Once you feel that you’re not really there in your heart, and you stop pushing yourself physically, then it’s going to become difficult, not only for you but also your family. I’ve never been one to play cricket just for the cash.”

We have a feeling that Robbie P will add value wherever he goes next.

 

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RUSTY THERON: TEACHING AND LEARNING

Now studying teaching in Miami, Rusty Theron opens up on some of the teachers and mentors who helped guide him in his own life and career.

How did you end up studying teaching in Miami?

It was a difficult decision. You wonder whether you’re making the worst decision of your life. For me the deciding factor was watching older players holding on for that extra paycheck. That was not really something I wanted to do. Being the guy who doesn’t play at the level he used to; I didn’t want to go out like that. It’s not fair on the franchise and CSA.

I paid for my own studies initially and then Davey Jacobs mentioned that I could apply for a SACA bursary. I wondered whether SACA would help someone studying overseas where it costs almost R200 000, but they came back with a significant contribution which was amazing. And they check in regularly to see how things are going.

SACA’s objective through the Player Plus initiative has always been to educate players and enrich them off the field. As someone who is starting life a little bit later than everyone else, I wanted to get a good degree from a good school so that when I come back to the working world, it would give me more of a step up.

Teaching allows you to go all over the world. It’s a very universal thing. There’ll always be a need for teachers. You also get longer holidays!

Who have been some of the teachers and influencers in your life?

  1. Gary Kirsten

Gary Kirsten gave me confidence in myself.

My greatest cricketing moment was winning against Australia. But I had a shocker against them in Cape Town, going for 42 runs in three overs. I was gutted and I thought it was going to be the end of my career. But Gary backed me for the game at the Wanderers, and Wayne Parnell and I hit 62 off 68 balls. I hit a six off the last ball to win the game. I don’t think it gets better than that, even if you’re a bowler.

I don’t think I’ve ever been filled with more emotion than that. I burst into tears involuntarily, not even realising how I’d come back from what I thought was the end of my career to being Man of the Match the following week.

  1. Davy Jacobs

The person I respect the most is Davy Jacobs, the ex-Warriors captain. He’s just got a very good outlook on life. He’s well directed and has a positive spin, on and off the field. Paddy Upton and Davey Jacobs are two people who have great perspective and that’s everything in life. The way people look at a situation determines where they go from it.

  1. Paddy Upton

Paddy Upton was a pleasure to work with. He was a mediator between Gary and the players, and I spent a lot of time talking to him. He’s quite a philosophical and deep kind of person. His philosophy comes down to: “What is the worst that can happen?”

Eventually I just got a bit of perspective. We seem to make a big deal of things that don’t mean that much in the bigger scheme of things. Even if you lose your job, you’re still a healthy individual.

  1. Russell Domingo

The people I appreciated most were people who were honest with me, encouraging me to take some time to learn about myself. These were the people who could genuinely guide you the most. Russell Domingo was a big part of that, he said: “Look your chance will come.” He always kept talking to me.

When I played my first pro game for the Warriors, Russell was the coach. I think I had a little cry to myself and gave him a hug. I thought: if all I ever do is play this one game, at least I could say I was a pro sportsman. I didn’t take any wickets against the Knights, so it wasn’t the ideal start!

  1. Brett Lee

I’d never really had cricketing heroes, but Brett Lee became one of them. Going to the IPL allowed me to meet up with some amazing people. Playing with Dale and some of the greats of the game. That’s the one thing about the IPL that’s been unparalleled. I first thought I could play pro cricket after I’d played a bit of amateur cricket. But guys like Brett Lee are on another level.

At the end of the day if you surround yourself with a few good people, then you’re better off than having 100 so-called “Friends”. I feel like I’ve learned a lot from life. I pay a lot more attention to people, and I like to observe.

 

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THE ALL-ROUNDER

Vernon Philander is one of a growing list of Proteas players who’ve enhanced their long-term career prospects without compromising their on-field careers.


In 2014 the 30-year-old Proteas opening bowler and lower order batsman completed a course in project management through GetSmarter, choosing this course because of off-the-field activities he had become involved in…


“I was involved in a couple of projects but at times I was struggling with the planning and management of them, that’s why I signed up for the course,” Philander explains. “I wasn’t always that organised so sometimes running the projects concurrently was a bit of chaos, but the course gave me some good tools in discipline and management.”


The projects Philander refers to are those run through his Vernon Philander Foundation, established in late 2013 to give back to his community.


“Where I come from many children can’t see that there are opportunities beyond what their brothers, sisters, uncles, and so on are involved in,” he says. “The intention is to give these children a better outlook on life and the tools to cope with it – not everything has to be about gangsterism and drugs. The starting point is Ravensmead, where I grew up, and we work closely with an organisation called Second Chance. One of the guys involved in that project was caught up in drugs while the other has been a world champion dancer. They have shown that you can make something out of nothing, and the way they tell their stories really gets across to the children.”


The inspiration behind Philander’s foundation came through his interaction with Gill Taylor, education and training manager at the Sports Science Institute of South Africa. Taylor is also the national manager of the Macsteel Maestros, both of which the SACA Player Plus programme are partnered with.
“She opened up my mind to the fact that you don’t have to be stuck in where you come from,’ Philander adds. ‘Sometimes we get wrapped up in our bubble thinking we’re stuck in the life we’re in, but we can all make a name for ourselves in our lives.”


One of Philander’s big goals is to expand the reach of his foundation, which is why he felt the need to upskill himself. Through discussions with his SACA PDM, Ruan Schlebusch, they identified the UCT Project Management Foundations course as the perfect one for him. However, his schedule with the national team posed challenges when it came to handing in assignments and writing exams.


“The one moment that stands out was when we were playing against Sri Lanka [in July 2014],” Philander remembers. “The internet connection was quite bad so I was struggling to get something in on time. I have to commend GetSmarter, because they were very understanding of my situation and it’s great that we can write exams anywhere in the world. If I had to do a course where I had to go to class, I would have struggled to fit it in.”


Philander is also thankful for SACA’s support during the 10-week course.


“Ruan was brilliant at checking in that I was still enjoying the course and finding it helpful. The SACA Player Plus programme is excellent motivation for us players to take a little time away from cricket to help set ourselves up for the outside world.”


Buoyed by this experience, Philander plans to tackle another course in the near future.
“I’m looking to do a course in property development, which is also an interest of mine through someone I know,” he says. “By the time I’m finished with the cricket side of things I’ll be able to focus on growing that side too.”


Ordinarily Philander would currently be at the tail end of a cricket season, but instead he has spent the past four months recovering from an ankle injury sustained during a warm-up before the second Test against India last November. He admits it’s been frustrating, but it’s also freed up time to explore even more opportunities beyond the game.


“I’ve become involved in a company called PDV Marketing that does artificial grass – it’s helped me broaden my avenues,’ he adds. ‘The business is growing quite rapidly and it’s helped to take my mind off cricket during a tough time when I haven’t been able to what I love. As can be imagined, it would be tough for anybody to not be able to work for four months.”


When not with physios doing rehab or spending time at his foundation, Philander has also been a regular at Parow Golf Club (where he plays off a 7 handicap) and spending time with his nearest and dearest.


“I always find time for golf,” says Philander animatedly. ‘It’s important to find time to do the things you enjoy – life is so busy that you can sometimes forget about yourself. So every now and again I clear a day or so to get on the course. It helps to clear my mind, as does spending time with my girlfriend. We try hard to enhance each other’s lives by pushing each other to be better. We really enjoy hiking and trail running together, and now that I’m mobile again it’s great to be able to do these things with her.”
Ultimately, Philander believes that if you align all the aspects in your life with the things you’re interested in, you’ll be all the better for it.


“You have to learn to be smart about the choices you make in life. If you do so they will no doubt enhance you as a person. My motto is: Don’t waste time in your life.”

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LEARNING THROUGH EXPERIENCE

Arno Jacobs discovered that being mentally prepared to leave the game doesn’t mean you’ll avoid the practical difficulties of doing so, but support remains at hand.

After 17 years on the senior circuit Arno Jacobs knew his playing career was drawing to a close, which is why the erstwhile Warriors batsman and wicketkeeper was not caught off guard when it ended after the 2012/13 season.


Jacobs had played through the change of eras from provincial to franchise cricket, plied his trade overseas and even had a taste of international cricket – playing for Scotland, interestingly. During his career he played in more than 300 matches in the three formats of the game, amassing 13 000 runs. So when he packed away his tog bag for the last time, he was happy to give himself a bit of distance from the game.


“I wanted to get away from the game for a while, but I was perhaps a bit naive. I wanted to become successful in business but lacked experience in the industry I ended up in,” he says.


After taking over ownership of the Port Elizabeth agency of a telecommunications company in June 2013, he had to make the tough decision 18 months later to relinquish the reins – not an easy call with a wife and daughter at home.


“It was a financial disaster, but I kind of had to go through it. Overall it’s not a failure, just an experience. When my business venture didn’t turn out to be a success I looked at different avenues back in cricket. The obvious options were coaching, umpiring or commentary. I explored the commentary angle but the doors didn’t open and I was fine with that.”


In the interim, using the CSA Level II Coaching Certificate he acquired during his cricket career, Jacobs turned to offering private coaching to school kids in the Port Elizabeth area – and this March Arno Jacobs Cricket turned a year old.


“I really enjoy the one-on-one scenario. It’s difficult to give enough attention to individuals in a group set-up, but that also has its merits because players can measure themselves against others.”


The 39-year-old laughs when asked how he related to coaches as a player, admitting he ‘wasn’t the easiest guy to deal with’. He adds, “I was opinionated, which doesn’t always come across as nice but I can now deal with that type of personality as a coach.”


Dealing with different personalities is also an important aspect of another side of the game Jacobs has immersed himself in – umpiring.


“It’s been nice to fit back into a team environment,” he says. “Getting into it is similar to coaching – there are two basic levels which you can complete anywhere in the country. The last level, which allows you to umpire First Class matches, requires a Cricket South Africa invitation so you don’t know when and where you may do it. I’m taking the long-term view. My goal is to umpire internationally, but I know things won’t happen overnight. I’ve been getting good appointments, though. I was invited to the Cubs Week in January [pictured] and am officiating at the academies week this month. I’ve also previously umpired at schools weeks.”


Being on the ‘authority’ side of the game has given Jacobs a new appreciation for umpires and the pressure that’s on them.


“The biggest eye opener is the thorough knowledge of the laws you have to have. The other important aspect of umpiring is managing players on the field – you have to make sure the game doesn’t drift and not allow players to dictate to you while still making sure you’re not overbearing.”


Jacobs believes being an ex-player gives him a unique understanding of the ‘feel’ of a match, which is why he thinks more ex-players turning to umpiring will have a good effect on the game.


“Having played myself, my level of understanding about where players are coming from and my ability to relate to them is a positive. That said, umpiring is not an easy job and it can be lonely, but I would definitely say it’s worthwhile for ex-First Class players. I don’t know why we shy away from it here in South Africa.”


Emerging from the harder parts of transitioning out of the game has been made easier through the support Jacobs has received.


“Melonie Gobel [SACA Personal Development Manager based in the Eastern Cape] has been amazing and I still chat to her now and again. It can be daunting trying to find your way again after cricket and I have huge appreciation for the advice and rational voice she provided in helping my decision-making.”
For her part, Gobel says she is delighted how Jacobs has taken his opportunities and run with them.

“For me, one of the greatest elements of the SACA Player Plus Programme is the ability to network and create opportunities for players – it’s not always about physical assistance. After two years away from the game he came to me and we chatted about umpiring – he knew he wasn’t alone and that we were there to walk beside him. Ultimately, all we gave him was the opportunity of the umpiring course and he has run with it successfully. Over the years he’s been a delight to work with and very mature about looking after his beautiful wife and lovely little daughter.”


In the end, Jacobs even got that break from the game he wanted. Some of his former colleagues have also enabled him to tentatively get back into business, by utilising the BCom Honours degree in Accounting that he obtained at North West University in Potchefstroom in the early stages of his career between 1996 and 2001.


“I’m using it now to a certain degree. I facilitate the odd course, which means I use the theoretical background. I wouldn’t be able to build a career as a chartered accountant because I don’t have the relevant experience, and at my age plus with a family I can’t spare two years to do my articles. However, some of my old cricket friends have been very supportive and thrown some business my way. My knowledge of current systems is building, so something is developing…”

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SERVICE WITH A SMILE

Every good relationship has to be built on trust, which is exactly how Brad Player describes dealing with players as a SACA Personal Development Manager (PDM).

If there’s anyone who has seen how cricket has changed – particularly in the demands on players – it’s the appropriately named Brad Player. For the past three years Player has been the SACA PDM for the Cape Cobras, Western Province and more recently their Academy players, but his involvement in the professional side of the game dates back to 1984. His playing career spanned an impressive three decades, with Player featuring as an all-rounder for Free State, Western Province and Boland before retiring in 2001.
Ruan Schlebusch, SACA’s National Personal Development Manager, jokes that Player has actually retired lots of times (during his subsequent club career) before giving insight into how the 49-year-old became a PDM.
“We were looking for a solid person who would be trusted by players, and Brad’s name kept coming up. While there’s no set formula for recruiting a PDM we look for someone with experience in personal development and proven facilitation skills. There isn’t a high turnover in the position, and word of mouth is useful when shortlisting for a vacancy. We need people who do it for the right reasons, and share the same philosophy as us,” Schlebusch explains.
Player made a seamless transition into the PDM role.
“When I stopped playing professionally I remained in sports,” says Player. “I’ve worked with sports agencies servicing the sports retail market with wholesale equipment, and I also coach at Claremont CC. Those two jobs allow me to have a ‘mobile’ office, so adding the PDM role to my schedule was possible – a role which I enjoy very much.”
Unsurprisingly, he often thinks back to what life was like when he first came into the game compared to the service he and his colleagues now provide.
“I often joke with Ruan about how the programme could have changed my life,” he says. “Of course circumstances are different for each individual – in my case I didn’t really have family support and people to go to for advice and direction in life. When I first started playing I was 17. It was our so-called entry into the professional era, but at that stage I don’t think we quite knew how to do it – it wasn’t as professional as today. For instance, the thought process back then was to resign if you had been working and got a cricket contract. I initially did my national service after school and straight after that got a job at a corporate company, but it boiled down to making a decision about whether I would focus on my cricket.”
Nowadays such decisions aren’t as black and white any more, which is why Player and his fellow PDMs are trained to help them deal with the ‘grey’ areas. Considering the overall PDM group also has a variety of skills – some are psychologists and others are in education – they keep open dialogue among each other to deal with the changing landscape.
“Our PDMs get standardised training through our partnership with the Sports Science Institute, but we also do individualised fine-tuning work with PDMs on certain spheres,” Schlebusch explains. “For example, with Brad we did modules on facilitation but he has an advantage in other areas because he’s a former player. Thanks to the calibre of PDMs we have, communication is very open. Support and training is provided where needed so that everyone can be confident and competent in their jobs. They constantly phone each other, we have a WhatsApp group and we all meet at least once a year.”
While their discussions often focus on the changing landscape for cricketers, the PDMs stick to fundamentals when they deal with the players.
“We cover three areas,” says Player. “We have to understand the players’ needs, provide dual career support by matching it to the individual person, and we also do life skills facilitation.”
With three teams under their watch, which could amount to 30 players, regular contact could be tricky but Player is in a fortunate position at his old stomping ground.
“I used to play with the coaches who are currently involved there [Paul Adams and Faiek Davids] and they allow me to interact with the players at training. This helps me build a good relationship with the players because I see them often. We are required to interact twice a month with each of the players but I generally see them more often.”
Player expands on the realities the players are faced with: “Initially the drive is to succeed in cricket, but our role in working with the individual as a whole means we have to help them look a little further than cricket. Only a small percentage of players make enough money to be able to invest, for instance… and that’s where the PDMs come in. We have to guide the players in the journey they’ll take through cricket, knowing careers can be quite short-lived, so we have to prepare them for that next step. The nice thing about the programme is that it’s a dual highway – you can do both at the same time.”
Ultimately, it’s mutual understanding that determines the success of a PDM-player relationship.
“You have to build a relationship of trust with the players, it’s not just about ticking a box,” says Player. “With some players it takes a long time before they open up to you, and it’s when they do or they get their driver’s licence or finish their degree that you get the satisfaction. The reward for us lies in their success.”

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FINDING THE RIGHT FIT

Glen Addicott has always had a passion for what he does. Rather than investing all that passion into his work as a cricketer in an often unpredictable landscape, he found another area into which he could channel his energy.

Four years ago a new challenge in his cricket career seemed logical for Pietermaritzburg-born Glen Addicott. After seven seasons as a regular for KwaZulu-Natal Inland, the top-order batsman had only played a handful of matches for the Dolphins in 2010-11 and 2011-12, so he felt the timing was right for a move to South Western Districts to explore further playing opportunities.

“My former club coach from Maritzburg Varsity, Gary Hampson, had moved down to the area to coach SWD and offered me the chance to join them, which I did,” the 31-year-old says.

As it turned out, ’real life’ caught up quickly for Addicott in the Southern Cape.

“I came down to George in 2012, then in February 2013 married to Jesse Ann and then she fell pregnant. All that meant I became quite keen to settle down. While I was still in Maritzburg I had spent a year studying towards a Bachelor of Business Administration, my degree wasn’t complete. I had also done Level I and Level II coaching courses but that’s not what I wanted to do.”

Fortunately, Addicott had already been introduced to a long-term career option in which he was interested.

“In 2011 I was playing club cricket in England [for Vauxhall Mallards, based close to the east coast of England] and one of my mates was also a personal trainer. He was training a guy with polio and invited me to join them at a CrossFit box – that’s what their ‘gyms’ are called. Being fully fit I thought it would be easy, but the session broke me and from that day I knew I wanted to do CrossFit. Basically, CrossFit is all about functional movement, which comes from a split between gymnastics, weight lifting and cardio work, which could be riding, running or swimming. Also, every day is different and varied and it’s performed at high intensity. It’s one of the fastest growing sports in the world and has its own CrossFit Games.”

To turn that interest into a career, Addicott tapped into the resources available to him, starting with SACA Personal Development Managers, Ruan Schlebusch and Brad Player.

“Ruan helped me draw up contracts, come up with a business plan and enrol in various classes to own a CrossFit box. Brad was also great, and even these days he often pops in for coffee and a chat.”

Addicott also found a willing business partner in his SWD captain, Ross McMillan, with whom he has come a long way.

“Ross and I have known each other for many years,” he says. “We grew up playing cricket against each other [McMillan for Hilton College and Addicott for St Charles College], and then together in numerous teams, such as KwaZulu-Natal Inland and then SWD. Ross has always been business-minded and had a desire to run a business. I, on the other hand, am not naturally that way inclined and so my skills lay in the programming and coaching of classes. We made a great team.

“That said, in June 2015 a great opportunity arose for Ross and he left us, and retired from cricket, to pursue a career in the financial sector [as a Financial Planner with Momentum] – a fantastic move for him and a certain loss for us. Although we miss him, I have learnt some wonderful business skills and thus am very happy with how things are going at CrossFit George.”

Having now gone it alone, how does Addicott look back on the decision to put his kit bag in storage?

“It was a tough decision. Cricket was my life and I didn’t have any other job. However, it was also a pretty easy decision in the sense that I’m still involved in sport and people. The major difference is that when you own your own business it’s 24-7 while with cricket you get lots of down time. So the business side has been a bit of a change.”

However, he confirms that he’s in it for the long run.

“My parents and my wife’s parents have moved down here [no doubt to be closer to their granddaughters, born in 2013 and 2015]. Personally, it was tough in the beginning with early mornings and late evenings for classes but here in George the life is great, there’s very little to complain about. I do miss cricket but I’ve fallen into another passion.”

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THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED

Success. Failure. Disappointment. Perseverance. Dreams. These words begin to describe the journey Kevin Bennett has been on to achieve his objectives.

Kevin Bennett has played for Border since making his debut in the 2005-06 season, but has spent a significant portion of that time as a non-contract player. As a result the 34-year-old batsman has doggedly pursued opportunities outside of cricket.

“In 2001 I started studying at Rhodes University and then moved to NMMU [Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University], but it didn’t work out at either. At Rhodes, I was involved in a confrontation and was excluded during my second year. The following year I moved to NMMU where I played hockey and cricket, but in my second year in Port Elizabeth I couldn’t afford to continue my studies. I was living in an expensive flat in Summerstrand and I was paying for my studies, so I ended up going home where I continued my BCom Economics degree through Unisa while working.”

Back home – and with his ‘wild and loose’ persona behind him thanks to his newfound Christian faith – Bennett made his provincial breakthrough and managed to complete his degree, the first in his family to do so. Those efforts did not go unnoticed and culminated in an invitation to another learning institute in 2007.

“My brother Bevan was studying at and playing for the University of the Western Cape and I was invited by Advocate Nick Kock to come and play there too. Nick, who ran a life skills programme called Sport Skills 4 Life Skills, which encourages guys from disadvantaged backgrounds to play cricket and get an education, wanted me to do a post graduate course there and inspire other students to take their studies seriously.”

His time in the Cape ended up being quite busy as he was balancing the demands of doing a post graduate certificate in education whilst lending a hand at two other learning institutions.

“I worked at MSC Business College in Bellville [as he had done in East London] and concurrently lectured at Damelin College in Somerset West.”

Things were about to change.

“My fiancée was still in East London. We wanted to relocate but she struggled to find a job in Cape Town and in the end I decided to move back home. I applied to some schools and got a job at AW Barnes Primary in Parkside. That was in 2010, and I’ve been teaching there ever since. The school is surrounded by Second Creek informal settlement, and because I’m passionate about community development I’ve tried my best to help the kids, and the community, see that there are opportunities out there for them.”

Bennett understands the value of being given an opportunity to succeed. He and his twin brother Bevan do not come from an affluent family, and it was thanks to sports scholarships that they attended Selborne College where Bevan now teaches and coaches cricket. It was with this in mind that Bennett approached SACA to broaden his horizons even more.

“I remember players going to SACA meetings, but my first real involvement was when I approached Melonie Gobel [SACA’s East London-based PDM] to ask if I could do an MBA. She asked me to get the documentation from Mancosa and said that we would take it from there. I had to pay my registration fee and then, if I passed, SACA would cover my tuition fees.”

It is well known that doing a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) course is extremely demanding, so what was Bennett’s experience?

“Everyone said it would be so difficult, and that it would be almost impossible as a husband, father, teacher and a cricketer, but I’ve got through it and all of those things are still intact, and I am still intact. The highlight for me is that I tested my limits and I now know that I have a work ethic I never had before.”

So, no stressful times?

“The last two to three years were very difficult because I haven’t slept much, I’d wake up at three in the morning, study, then go to work, then find ways to train whether it’s a run or hitting some balls before studying some more and going to bed late. My wife Haylee was brilliant because she handled everything to do with our son Micah, who was two when I started studying. There were one or two arguments when I couldn’t fulfil certain responsibilities, like changing nappies, but in a sense the lows turned into highs because making up after an argument actually brought us closer together.”

Bennett is grateful for what cricket has afforded him.

“In cricket you have to manage success and failure. You have to find a happy balance. Personally, it took me some time to get that right. I was speaking to a guy recently who asked me why I chose cricket over hockey. His point was that success is never guaranteed in cricket but I told him the beauty of cricket is that it’s like no other game because it teaches you things that you need in life. It teaches you patience, how to deal with difficult people both within and outside of your team; it teaches you about dealing with people from different backgrounds, especially in the case of a team like Border. It’s such an amazing team because you play with guys who are from rural areas. Some don’t even live in a house but they’re playing cricket. It’s been such an enriching experience watching guys in situations like that still have the fight in them to win no matter where they come from.”

There is no doubt that Bennett himself has put up a similar fight.

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CHOOSING HIS TIME

When a cricketer leaves the game at 25, history suggests that they don’t do so on their own terms… not so for Dale Deeb.

By the time Dale Deeb had turned 25, his cricket CV was quite impressive. During high school at Trinityhouse in Randburg, he made SA Schools teams two years in a row, the highlight being captaining the 2008 side that included Temba Bavuma and Titans players Graeme van Buuren and Mangaliso Mosehle. After school, the spinning all-rounder represented SA Under-19 against England in 2009 before earning his breakthrough at the Highveld Lions via provincial cricket for Gauteng and North West. As has become popular with local cricketers, he’d also done a stint playing club cricket in the United Kingdom in 2012. However, by the end of the 2014-15 season Deeb chose to focus more on his work CV.

“It was a huge decision,” he admits. “Firstly, I was 25 but couldn’t really support myself on the contract I was being offered. Also I got to a point where I’d done everything I could for two seasons and was playing some of my best cricket, but wasn’t really getting any chances with the Lions. Ultimately, I also had something to fall back on.”

Deeb had already experienced a challenging period of studying. 

“I started off studying at the University of Johannesburg, but once I was contracted it just became too hectic. I was all over the country and it was too busy for me to even attend lectures. Then I went overseas, and when I got back I decided I needed to continue studying to get a degree. At UJ I studied B.Com Finance, but switched to B.Com Economics when I moved over to Unisa in 2011.”

As it turned out, studying part-time tested all of Deeb’s resolve.

“It required a lot more discipline, because if you don’t put in the time you’re not going to pass. One of the things I discovered that helped me was to do more subjects in winter when you have more time. In summer, during the season, I’d do three or four subjects, and then in winter I’d do six. I would still get my assignments and cram them in, but for three weeks during winter I’d put in eight or nine hours every day to work towards my exams.”

Finding Deeb with his books while padded up, or in stadium function rooms, or alongside regular roommate Nicky van den Bergh (himself studying towards his LLB at the time) became a common occurrence.

“I really put my head down in the last couple of years of studying and managed to finish my degree in 2015,” he says.

In the interim, Deeb also explored some business interests, initially getting involved with a business that erected, rented and sold scaffolding.

“We were bought out, so I’m currently involved in a company called Solid Ceiling Products with two partners. We import ceilings and partitioning for offices in commercial spaces and houses, and employ about 14 people in Johannesburg and Durban.”

Essentially it was Deeb’s need to get more hands-on that sealed his decision to move into the business full time.

“It wasn’t a case of when I get my degree, I’m going to stop playing cricket. It was more a case of weighing up the degree I had against the business I was in and what would be more meaningful for me in the long run – what would present me with a better future. It’s obviously been an adjustment working in an office rather than being on the field, but it’s all part of growing up – even if I do sometimes miss cricket.”

While financial considerations played a role in him transitioning out of cricket, Deeb highlights the challenges cricketers face.

“Yes, it had a lot to do with financial considerations, but I also felt it was the right time because I could commit to a long-term plan. There is no certainty in cricket. I needed more security or communication to stay patient, because I wanted a long-term future.”

And while Deeb is not even turning out for his old club, Wanderers, it’s not because he’s fallen out of love with the game.

“I’m loving working and doing what I do, but also having my weekends free. Maybe in time I’ll play a bit again, but when I look back I had seven years that I loved playing. I had an absolute blast in the last three years and ended with my best season [He was awarded the 2014-15 Provincial Three-Day Player of the Season]. Also, I felt I’d done everything I’d set out to do. I wanted to take 200 first-class wickets, and I did that. I also wanted to become an all-rounder, and in the last few seasons I averaged 30s and 40s with the bat.

“Overall, I’m happy about starting something new and being positive about it. The timing was right.”

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DEVELOPING ALL-ROUNDERS

Cricketers’ on-field careers can last only so long, which is why SACA takes its role in developing well-rounded people seriously.

After the establishment of the Player Plus programme in 2008, it was imperative for SACA to find the right partner to help the programme achieve its goals – offering comprehensive personal development, education and support for their members.

Fortunately, a suitable life skills partner was not hard to come by. While the Sports Science Institute of South Africa (SSISA) has been at the forefront of fine-tuning the physical and mental requirements of elite athletes, they had not neglected the fact that performance is influenced by off the field factors too – be it personal, lifestyle or environmental.

As Gill Taylor, the Education, Training and Development Manager of SSISA, says, “Our extensive research shows that the most successful athletes or players globally are those who have a balanced approach, and who take ownership of what they’re doing in all aspects of their life. It’s not about the cricketer, but the person beyond that.”

Through SSISA’s Macsteel Maestros initiative, primarily a CSI programme which focusses on disadvantaged athletes, Taylor and her team of mentors around the country have built up a well of relevant content.

“We deal with three pillars in the life skills landscape. The first pillar is personal growth skills, things like communication, ethics, values, diversity… I sometimes call them the ‘touchy-feely’ aspects. Second is self-management and those are the practical issues in a player’s life like do they have a will and a tax number, or do they understand time-management. We also have a module that deals with taking responsibility, drinking responsibly and substance abuse – those types of things. Then finally, we look at professional skills which includes dealing with media, social networking and nowadays linked to that is a dual career programme.”

Often the main question when trying to engage professional sportsman, especially on topics not directly related to their sport, is ‘how?’.

“When SACA approached us saying they were looking at working more closely with the cricketers, one of the things emphasised was that it had to be a relationship-based programme. It’s no good just saying to a player that if they need a psychologist they should go and see one, they need somebody they can confide in, build a relationship with and with whom they are able to discuss any aspect of their life.”

This is why it was decided that each franchise would have a Personal Development Manager (PDM), who would not only deliver workshops to a team but also engage in one-on-one sessions. In group sessions, topics would also be to-the-point rather than broad.

“Topics range from self-confidence and respecting differences, to conflict-management and teamwork. Many of the team workshops lead from or are followed up by individual sessions. You need to know what the team’s goals are and then create a synergy, like if we’re doing a session on communication it has to be done in a team dynamic.”

Taylor says that their research and feedback has also delivered some interesting insight on the effectiveness of the life skills sessions they’ve conducted over the years.

“The research we did showed that when doing life skills sessions, there’s an increase in critical thinking, which is what creates behavioural changes. Encouragingly, coaches have given feedback that they feel their teams have played better after life skills sessions.”

Taylor explains why a healthy player-PDM relationship is important.

“Initially the players were wary of the PDMs, wondering whether they were there to feed back to their coaches or selectors. Nowadays it’s completely understood that they’re there to meet the players’ needs. There is now a healthy trust relationship between players and PDMs. Players are particularly receptive when they’re injured, have had a change in family situation or nearing retirement but a big focus area for us will also be the other transition period, when players first leave school and are met by things like contracts, free time and female attention.”

The identification of suitable, qualified PDMs is crucial to the success of the programme.

“We were fortunate that when SACA partnered with SSISA we already had a group of experienced PDMs at our disposal. By that time they had already been with us for about eight years so they understood what sportspeople go through. They do this secondary to their other jobs. We usually look at people who’ve been in the field and who are able to view things objectively.”

As they do with players, PDMs are also continuously given opportunities to enhance their skills and knowledge.

“They get training annually. All of them went through an accredited course on career assessment and advice; then every year we give them new modules to work from for life skills training and there is constant liaison between them and myself, and Ruan Schlebusch, the National SACA PDM Manager, with regards to the life skills programmes. What helps is that they bring to us the topical issues which players talk to them about and then we change things accordingly.”

Having worked with other sports bodies, Taylor is greatly encouraged by the benefits cricketers are receiving off the playing field.

“Many sports tend to only do one-off programmes whereas the Player Plus programme engages with players through the PDM-player relationship on an ongoing basis. There is regular evaluation of player needs and appropriate action to cater for it. It’s harder to get through to the players in cases where you engage once-off, so we’re really happy with the partnership we have with SACA. Hopefully other sports will follow their example…”

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FROM FIRST CLASS TO CLASSROOM

Pursuing your sporting dream as a cricketer has its ups and downs, but one thing is certain, at some point the journey will end. All the more reason to be prepared for it or, like SWD captain Waldo Lategan, be in a position to choose the right moment…

At 26, South Western Districts captain Waldo Lategan is making what might be perceived to be a premature decision to join the ‘real world’, but through the SACA Player Plus programme it’s one he’s been preparing four years for.

“Usually you look at cricket as a career until you’re 30 before you have to start thinking about life after it. As a result, you put lots of pressure on yourself because you feel you have to perform every season to have your contract renewed. So, because I felt that pressure, I thought let me get something behind my name and see if some of that pressure goes away by knowing that I have something to fall back on.”

Contemplating studying, again, was a hurdle in itself. In 2008, fresh out of Oudtshoorn High School where he became SWD’s first ever SA Schools player, Lategan moved to Bloemfontein to study Human Movement Science at University of the Free State and play for the province. By mid-2011 he returned to SWD on a semi-professional playing contract, but without a degree.

“It wasn’t the right thing for me,” he says, but with the guidance of his SACA Personal Development Manager he worked out what a suitable career option would be.

“Ruan Schlebusch was very helpful in this regard when he was still the PDM for SWD. He lit the fire that led to me studying and helped me with the admin and applying for a SACA bursary. I have to give him lots of credit and to Brad Player too who became our PDM after him.

“I signed the SWD contract in April 2011, then I spent the off-season playing club cricket in England [for Marehay CC in Derbyshire] and while there, started studying through Unisa in July 2011. When Ruan and I discussed what to study my thoughts were on how I would end up working with kids… I have a big passion for coaching and kids. That’s how teaching came up as a possible option.”

Four years later, having successfully attained his Bachelor of Education (Intermediary) degree, he’ll be doing just that come January 2016.

“I’m getting married in March 2016, and my fiancé [Steph-Mari Harmse] has a very good job at Netcare Cuyler Hospital in Uitenhage. As soon as I finished my exams earlier this year I sent my CV off to schools there and got offers back from three primary schools. After weighing them up, primarily based on how strong their sport was, I accepted an offer from Handhaaf Primary School. I will be teaching Grade 6 and 7 maths.”

As a bonus for Lategan, he still has some cricket to play…

“Initially I asked the three schools if they would allow me to start in April, after the season ends, but they weren’t willing to – they want teachers for a full year. Also, I can’t take the chance of only looking for jobs then, but in negotiating with Handhaaf and SWD it looks like I’ll still be able to play the limited overs matches on Sundays. This will allow me to see out my contract and start my teaching post simultaneously. We’ve been doing well in the provincial one-day tournament and I want to continue making a contribution to that effort. I also feel responsibility to SWD because for four years they’ve given me a contract and allowed me to take time off when I needed to write exams – I owe them my gratitude too.”

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A TRANSITION WELL-MANAGED

A sudden end to your playing career doesn’t mean an abrupt end to your SACA Player Plus access, as Craig Thyssen happily discovered

One Saturday, erstwhile Warriors all-rounder Craig Thyssen was scoring 33 for Walsall CC in an English club match. The next Saturday his 10-year-long career was over…

“I didn’t know it would be my last match,” he says, recalling what followed that fateful match on 21 July 2013.

“On the Monday morning I woke up, had breakfast and went to the gym like a normal day. Afterwards, while I was lying on the couch watching TV I just started having headaches and stuff. I remember there was a clock on the wall, it couldn’t have been more than four metres away but I couldn’t see the time on it… it was so blurry. When I got up my head was sore so I thought it was just a migraine.”

Only it wasn’t… after a week of ‘tunnel vision headaches’, a teammate’s brother advised a brain scan. The result? “They found strokes on the brain.”

“A few weeks earlier I’d hurt my knee and considered flying home but when I told them that at the hospital they said I might have died on the flight… they found a blood clot on my heart too and it would have exploded at altitude! A higher power was looking out for me.”

Following treatment Thyssen did return home, but the remaining blank spot in his left eye ended, at 29, a career that had started as a prodigious schoolboy at Grey High in Port Elizabeth.

As it turns out, he now nurtures talented schoolboys, as Paarl Gym’s first team coach.

“I was lucky, when this happened to me I still had a season – 2013/14 – left on my Warriors contract, so I could still look at what I wanted to do. Melonie Gobel [SACA’s Eastern Cape-based Personal Development Manager] was a massive help in me identifying that I should to go into coaching.”

“With Craig, as with all the players we work with, we really looked holistically after the player and to make sure that they’re ‘okay’,” says Gobel. “Usually we’ll start from a financial perspective by identifying their short-term and long-term goals. We also look at life preparation work, like getting a will in order and other life skills they might identify in one-on-one workshops. More specific to Craig, he now didn’t have a job, so we gave him a CV template to do his own and then fine-tuned it with him. Then we as SACA heard of the coaching job at Paarl Gym and endorsed and motivated for him – he got the job ahead of a number of other candidates.”

To round off their transition support, SACA Player Plus also motivated for Thyssen – and current national bowling coach Charl Langeveldt – to do the CSA Level III coaching course in 2014/15 .

“There was obviously limited space, but he did superbly and got great marks. It shows what a person can do, given the opportunity,” Gobel concludes.

Buoyed by the support, Thyssen has made a successful start to his new career.

“When I arrived in January 2014, the first team was ranked in the 50s I think – remember it’s a rugby school – but we ended the year ranked 10th so I think we’ve done well.”

He has also been unafraid to go straight to the top for some advice…

“[Proteas coach] Russell Domingo was my coach from Under-15 to academy level, and brought me back to the Warriors after two years playing for Free State. He has always been willing to answer any questions I have.”

Besides that, Thyssen can count on first hand experience – three years of SA Schools [2000-02] alongside the likes of AB de Villiers and competing against Brendon McCullum and Alistair Cook on SA Under-19 tours – to nurture the schoolboys under his watch.

“They are always asking me questions about that and my career. The one thing I always tell them is that talent can only take you so far, but you have to work hard if you want to turn professional… and that your career can end when you least expect it.”

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