Tag: Melonie Gobel

Text Info Strip

Back

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…

Read More

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…”

Share:

Text Info Strip

Back

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.

Share:

Text Info Strip

Back

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…”

Share:

Text Info Strip

Back

TRADING PLACES

At 33, Warriors bowler Lundi Mbane has worked long and hard at his trade, but has also been preparing for his next one…

Even before Lundi Mbane began his professional cricket career with Border in 2004, he had an introduction to what his long-term career might entail – thanks to his father…

“At an early age my father taught me how to weld, that’s when I started becoming interested in plumbing,” the Mdantsane-born medium-pacer recalls.

However, circumstances meant that Mbane had to wait until 2013 – his 30th year – to get any formal training in that trade.

“I was never good at school and I didn’t have money to go and study straight after it, so it was only in 2013 when I applied for a bursary through the SACA Player Plus programme that I could study plumbing. I did a 45-day course in Mdantsane [through Buffalo City Public FET College at John Knox Bokwe Campus] during the off-season.”

Despite his stated lack of prowess at school and absence of tertiary education, Mbane surprised himself by how well he coped with the course.

“It was quite easy, I think it was because it was something I was used to doing, but I also learnt a lot. It was very helpful because there was some other things about plumbing that I didn’t know from watching my father.”

Enriched by the experience, Mbane enrolled for another course during the 2014 off-season. This time in carpentry.

“My interest in carpentry is from a friend of mine in England [who he met while playing for Shaw CC during the 2012 off-season]. He was doing it and I found it very interesting so I thought when I have time I will try it. The course I did in 2014 was also meant to be 45 days but I finished it in 30 days, I finished my modules quickly.”

It all means that as the 33-year-old approaches the end of his professional playing career, he is in a favourable position to transition into his working life after cricket and be able to look after his fiance and their two children – a nine-year-old daughter and two-year-old son.

In that regard, Mbane encourages all players to use the benefits of the SACA Player Plus programme for life beyond the boundary.

“I would like to see even more players at the Warriors studying, and I’ve been asking them what they are going to do after cricket. I’m trying to set an example.”

Mbane credits Melonie Gobel, SACA’s Eastern Cape-based Personal Development Manager, with helping him on the path to setting an example.

“Over the years I’ve spoken to her a lot and she has really helped me prepare for life after cricket is finished,” he says.

For her part, Gobel can’t speak highly enough of Mbane.

“Lundi comes from very humble beginnings, but he has literally run with the training courses he has done. He has also become involved in coaching in his community and is an incredible role model to the children in Mdantsane.”

On a more practical level, Gobel talks about the support she has provided him with.

“With Lundi specifically we had to look at his financial health, looking at drawing up a will because he has a family and helping him with the practicalities of buying a house – which he has done. Then the trade programme and skills training has set him up incredibly well.”

In turn, Mbane is determined to continue engaging with Gobel around his next career.

“I’ve told her that I want to get some work experience, even if I don’t get paid initially. She has promised that when I’m done with my career she will speak to companies.”

Ultimately Mbane wants to open up his own plumbing business, so with that in mind intends to round off his learning.

“I intend to continue studying because I want to get to a diploma, and then look at starting up my own plumbing company.”

Share: