Sporting GAP

The new web site for Sporting GAP will be launched shortly for those players looking to go to South Africa for serious cricket coaching.
There will also be opportunity for you to coach and work along side underprivileged children as part of your GAP year.

The web site will be www.sportinggap.com

Please also don't forget that we have the Player Agency side :

www.phillipssportsagency.com

Port Elizabeth Cricket Academy

Introduction

This cricket programme will lift your game to new heights through intensive training and unlimited use of world class facilities, as well as professional training techniques and individual coaching from some of the game's greats, including past international players.

You will also be living and playing in South Africa, one of the world's greatest cricketing nations, allowing you to tackle international cricket while discovering an amazing country full of great travel and awesome adventures.

The Academy

The academy has been developed in conjunction with the Eastern Cape Academy of Sport and, over the past five years, has established itself as one of the leading institutions through which talented cricketers are able to develop to their full potential.

In order to achieve this, a comprehensive programme focussing on the physical, mental and technical aspects required to succeed at provincial and international level has been developed. As far as possible, cricketers of a similar standard are selected to join the programme. This helps to create a balanced squad of players and the ideal platform for people to develop their own game to the next level.

The academy has also provided a training base for many of the world's top cricketers such as Kepler Wessels, Dave Richardson and Mark Boucher, and the Academy continues to welcome more talented players each year, in the hope of seeing them make their own mark on international cricket.

The Programme

The Academy programme is structured into three modules that cover all technical and mental aspects of player development.

Module 1 consists of intensive evaluations, observations and assessments. These include medical and visual screening, psychological profiling, fitness evaluations, detailed video analysis of technique and personal interviews to establish each player’s strengths and weaknesses.
Introductory seminars will also be held to help focus on the importance and need for the correct training methods. Scientific aspects to enhance performance and the development of life skills are also included. These will comprise areas on weight training, stretching, sprinting, warming up and cooling down, the correct method of throwing, and a nutritional curriculum.
The cricket sessions will be aimed at starting an interactive discussion plan with regard to match strategy, net and fielding practices, and match play.

Module 2 sees players working extensively on the technical aspects of their game in ‘grooving’ sessions. Experts in sports psychology will highlight the importance of concentration, goal-setting, self-confidence, arousal control, visualisation and the psychological approach to the game. Module 2 will also focus on fitness and, in particular, strength building, where players will be taken through a weight-training programme.

Module 3 provides the players with the correct preparation to reach their peak performance for any pre-season trials at their home club and/or county. This will be achieved through intensive net and middle practice, as well as competitive matches.

The Coaching

Coaching of a very high standard will be provided on an individual, group and team level. The academy coaches expose players to modern coaching methods, including technical analysis using video equipment. This will form the basis of the coaching programme and includes expert tuition from leading international coaches.

The Facilities

The Academy has outstanding facilities that you will have access to throughout the programme. These include the following:
- Four cricket ovals
- Four artificial turf practice nets
- Fourteen turf practice nets
- Club house
- Indoor facilities in poor weather

Scientific Support

A highly qualified team consisting of sports scientists from the Department of Human Movement Science and physiotherapists will support the coaching programme. Their syllabus will consist of:
- Scientific testing to maintain fitness and prevent injuries
- The development of a sound mental approach to the game
- Self and group dynamics and self empowerment

Travel and Adventure

Although the programme's main focus is developing your sporting talent, we believe that each player should experience what else South Africa really has to offer. This gives players a much greater understanding of the country and, most importantly, brings the team together as a solid group of friends. And, with so many adventurous activities on offer, South Africa certainly isn't short of things to do!
All players will be able to enjoy the following activities and excursions as part of the programme:
- Visit to the Kragga Kamma Wildlife Reserve
- Visit to the Seaview Lion Park
- Trip to the world's highest bungee jump
- Visit to the surfing Mecca of the world - Jeffrey's Bay
- Authentic evening meal under the stars at a Boma

Port Elizabeth is a hot-spot for travellers worldwide and with its abundance and variety of exciting activities there is no wonder why. You will be able to experience all the delights of the local area, including the game reserves, its renowned scuba schools and friendly nightlife, as well as its 40km of golden beaches which include Nelson Mandela Bay. There is a whole variety of extreme sports and adventurous activities for you to try out - if you can muster up the courage!

These include:
Mountain biking, camping, shark diving, bungee jumping, 4x4 safaris, golf, fishing, scuba diving, parachuting, horse riding, dune boarding, boogey boards, deep sea cruises, tennis, squash, kayaking, badminton, water skiing, coastal hiking, power kiting and more!

Time will also be available for you to travel around Southern Africa, and beyond. Head west to Cape Town and the legendary Table Mountain, or veer north to Namibia, and the deadly skeleton coast. Our in-country staff will be able to advise on safe ways to travel and will be only too happy to suggest some of the best sights to see in Southern Africa.

Accommodation

The accommodation is basic but comfortable and you will stay in a dormitory style room. The accommodation has a very sociable atmosphere and you will find it a great place to relax and unwind in the evenings. Shops and other useful amenities are either a short walk or taxi ride away. All transfers between the accommodation and training grounds are also included.

Cricket Academy in Cape Town

ALL ROUNDER CRICKET ACADEMY
Presents

CAPE TOWN ACADEMY TOUR 2010

World Class Coaching!

World Class Facilities!

• 10 week residential cricket tour
• Tailored, structured programme for talented athletes
• Quality coaching in all aspects of the game
• Creation of a fun, professional environment and instilling a passion for
the game of cricket
• Life changing experience in a beautiful city

About the All Rounder Cricket Academy:

The All Rounder Cricket Academy is based at Cape Town Cricket Club in the beautiful city of Cape Town, South Africa. The Academy provides professional and innovative coaching for all ages and levels of ability. The qualified and experienced coaches will ensure that every session is structured, productive and most importantly enjoyable.

We are proud to launch a comprehensive cricket academy tour including:
Private and group cricket coaching with the director and head coaches of the Academy including video analysis, skills specific training and innovative coaching drills.
Biokinetics assessment and sessions including cricket and individual specific programme (Grant Compton, ex Strength and Conditioning Coach for the South African Cricket Team)
Nutrition assessment and sessions (at the Sports Science Institute of South Africa)
Sports Psychology assessment and sessions
Net session at Cape Town Cricket Club with Premier League
Opportunities to play in local league matches and matches organised against the Western Province Academy

Optional extras: Attend the SA vs. England Test match in Newlands Suite. Tourist outings of the amazing city of Cape Town including Table Mountain, Cape Point and the wine farms of Stellenbosch. Tour to Garden Route to be arranged.
Accommodation at comfortable self catering guest house situated close to CTCC with all amenities within walking distance
Transport in luxury air conditioned minibus
Temporary gym membership for period

Course currently available:

11th January – 21st March 2010

To register your interest for one of the above courses please contact:

ANTHONY PHILLIPS (ECB Coaches Association: PH1-30341)
Tel: +44(0) 7917 674967
email: sacricketacademy@gmail.com
www.phillipssportsagency.com



Deposit is required to have academy place confirmed.
Please note that terms and conditions apply. Contract to be signed.
Application open to cricketers aged 18-30

Phillips Sports Agency

OUR VISION

Our vision is to represent sportsmen and -women with integrity, professionalism and excellence in the international sports arena.

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to give sportspersons the opportunity to focus on their sport and to believe they can be the best.

To achieve our mission, we endeavor to:

• Offer a personalised service and hands-on management approach.
• Unlock the real commercial value of our clients for the benefit of themselves, the sporting codes they represent and the sport’s sponsors.
• Offer individualised, strategic solutions in an industry where the action is fast and furious.


OUR APPROACH

The relationships with our athletes are holistic and professional. We are strong on delivery and place a very high premium on personal communication.

Our client management focuses on four key areas:

• Career planning
• Employment negotiations
• Commercialisation of the player/athlete
• Financial and tax management

GAP Cricket Coach

Volunteer Cricket Coaching in South Africa

There is no need to state how passionate South Africans are about cricket! The sport is followed and played by thousands and many improvised games are seen in the streets. World class players continue to fuel the passion for South African cricket and hundreds of township children dream of representing the nation in test match cricket. This cricket coaching placement will give you the chance to spend your gap year, career break or coaching holiday organising structured games and training for these children in a fun and rewarding environment.

Your Placement

With your help as a cricket coach, township hopes can begin to be turned into a sports reality. However, although this is a positive aim, the main focus of our cricket placement is to give kids the chance to play the game in a fun and structured environment. We welcome volunteers with any level of cricket experience, be it playing socially with friends, representing your school, club or university team or even as far as holding coaching qualifications. The emphasis is not on developing Africa's next international star, but on getting alongside children from less-advantaged backgrounds and building friendships on a common ground. Whatever your background, be assured that you will be able to offer something positive to the children you work with.

During your coaching placement, you will be under the guidance of our in-country team. The first stage as a coach is to help organise and run training clinics and matches for the children, as well as providing them with decent cricket equipment to use. This will be a great experience for forming relationships with the players and also for developing your own confidence. The second stage will be planning and running cricket tournaments that incorporate both matches and team-building activities. Although the focus is on personal skills and sports development, there will be ample opportunity to scout for talented individuals who, with the right support and training, could go on to play professional level cricket. The cricket academies with which we work are keen to identify the individuals who will form South Africa's next generation of test match cricketers. Who knows, you may meet players who are destined for a future in the top end of the game!

Your Role

Being a cricket coach in South Africa will mean you are responsible for running and supervising all training and matches for the players. This may sound daunting but you will soon realise that you have an understanding of cricket that the players are so desperate to acquire. The rewards are great because the players are enthusiastic, but they rarely get to experience a team structure. By introducing simple batting and fielding techniques, as well as position holding and team play, your players will develop rapidly. You will also have solid support from the other volunteers, our in-country staff and local coaches who will give you all the training methods and ideas that you might need. From technical bowling theory to beach cricket, you will soon develop your own coaching programme, unique to you and your players.
Cricket in South Africa

There is no need to state how passionate South Africans are about cricket! The sport is followed and played by thousands and many improvised games are seen in the streets. World class players continue to fuel the passion for South African cricket and hundreds of township children dream of representing the nation in test match cricket. This cricket coaching placement will give you the chance to spend your gap year, career break or coaching holiday organising structured games and training for these children in a fun and rewarding environment.

Your Placement

With your help as a cricket coach, township hopes can begin to be turned into a sports reality. However, although this is a positive aim, the main focus of our cricket placement is to give kids the chance to play the game in a fun and structured environment. We welcome volunteers with any level of cricket experience, be it playing socially with friends, representing your school, club or university team or even as far as holding coaching qualifications. The emphasis is not on developing Africa's next international star, but on getting alongside children from less-advantaged backgrounds and building friendships on a common ground. Whatever your background, be assured that you will be able to offer something positive to the children you work with.

During your coaching placement, you will be under the guidance of our in-country team. The first stage as a coach is to help organise and run training clinics and matches for the children, as well as providing them with decent cricket equipment to use. This will be a great experience for forming relationships with the players and also for developing your own confidence. The second stage will be planning and running cricket tournaments that incorporate both matches and team-building activities. Although the focus is on personal skills and sports development, there will be ample opportunity to scout for talented individuals who, with the right support and training, could go on to play professional level cricket. The cricket academies with which we work are keen to identify the individuals who will form South Africa's next generation of test match cricketers. Who knows, you may meet players who are destined for a future in the top end of the game!

Your Role

Being a cricket coach in South Africa will mean you are responsible for running and supervising all training and matches for the players. This may sound daunting but you will soon realise that you have an understanding of cricket that the players are so desperate to acquire. The rewards are great because the players are enthusiastic, but they rarely get to experience a team structure. By introducing simple batting and fielding techniques, as well as position holding and team play, your players will develop rapidly. You will also have solid support from the other volunteers, our in-country staff and local coaches who will give you all the training methods and ideas that you might need. From technical bowling theory to beach cricket, you will soon develop your own coaching programme, unique to you and your players.


www.phillipssportsagency.com

Cricket Academy in Port Elizabeth

SOUTH AFRICAN CRICKET ACADEMY

In partnership with the Umzingisi Foundation
Port Elizabeth, South Africa


WORLD CLASS COACHING

WORLD CLASS FACILITIES


• 4 - 12 weeks residential cricket school
• Tailored, structured programme for talented athletes
• Quality coaching in all aspects of the game
• Creation of a fun, professional environment and instilling a love for the game of cricket
• Life changing experience

About Port Elizabeth Cricket Academy:
The academy has been developed in conjunction with the Eastern Cape Academy of Sport and, over the past five years, has established itself as one of the leading institutions through which talented cricketers are able to develop to their full potential.

In order to achieve this, a comprehensive programme focussing on the physical, mental and technical aspects required to succeed at provincial and international level has been developed. As far as possible, cricketers of a similar standard are selected to join the programme. This helps to create a balanced squad of players and the ideal platform for people to develop their own game to the next level.

The academy has also provided a training base for many of the world's top cricketers such as Kepler Wessels, Dave Richardson and Mark Boucher, and the Academy continues to welcome more talented players each year, in the hope of seeing them make their own mark on international cricket.

Courses currently available:

10th January – 21st March 2010

To register your interest for one of the above courses please contact:

ANTHONY PHILLIPS
(ECB Coaches Association: PH1-30341)

Tel: +44(0)7917 674967

Email: sacricketacademy@gmail.com

www.phillipssportsagency.com

Places are secured on a first come first served basis.
Deposit is required to have academy place confirmed.
Please note that terms and conditions apply and all applicants under the age of 18 should provide written consent from a parent or guardian.

GAP Year in South Africa

1. YDS VOLUNTEER SPORTS COACHING PLACEMENTS

Nelson Mandela Bay (Port Elizabeth), South Africa

4 week – 12 week sessions

From 450GBP.


1.1 Sport in South Africa

Having been awarded the hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup (the first African nation to do so) and being a great cricket and rugby nation, the love for sport in South Africa could not be greater, and nowhere more so than in the coastal city of Port Elizabeth (PE). The townships surrounding PE are full of keen and often talented young players and although the passion never fades, the opportunities to play and develop in a well-structured environment are very limited. Some sports have a tendency or tradition of being associated with people from wealthy and affluent backgrounds. And, while South Africa has had many top players over the years in all sporting codes, few have yet come from the poorer areas and townships, which sadly still have very little infrastructure in place to allow these enthusiasts to develop in the game. Our programmes as well have initiated a notable change in this regard. Also, by working as a sport coach in South Africa during your gap year, career break or volunteer holiday, you will contribute to enabling children to enjoy the fun and educational sides of sport through structured trainings, whilst using the power of sport to instill life skills and raise awareness on a wide variety of social and health topics, which most children have to face daily. We are dedicated to sustainable development. This is why part of the fee you pay goes towards buying decent equipment for beneficiary organisations in South Africa. You will often use this equipment during your project and it is usually left with the community when you leave. In some cases, an equipment donation may not be appropriate so a financial contribution is made instead.

1.2 Your Placement & Activities

The children you work with are largely centered in the so-called "black townships" and "coloured northern areas" that skirt the city. The YDS placements will mainly involve working with informal township and street leagues, which means there might at times be a lack of organisation, seen from a "European perspective" at least! However, so long as you have the ability to accept that things may not always go as planned; this really will be an exciting and rewarding placement as you will be making a real impact on grassroots sport and youth development. The first stage as a coach is to help organise and run training clinics and matches for the children, as well as providing them with decent sporting equipment. This is great for forming relationships with the players and developing your own confidence. The second stage will be planning tournaments, holiday camps, motivational talks and a variety of other educational activities that incorporate both fun playing and the promotion of health and social awareness and knowledge. Though the focus is on sport, the priority is foremost on developing personal life skills by equipping children with the necessary tools to face daily challenges, feel empowered and advocate responsible citizenship. Obviously, children who are lucky to have special talent should be identified as we work closely with sports academies. With transformation in sport high on the South African political and sports agenda, you might find individuals who will form South Africa's next generation of professional athletes. As previously mentioned, it is important to understand the concept of "Youth Development through Sport" (YDS), which is very different from "Sport Development". The emphasis is not on developing Africa's next international stars but about getting alongside children from less-advantaged backgrounds and building relationships conducive for the success and sustainability of the projects and their intended goals and objectives. It is from here that you will start to give enthusiastic players the chance to play the sport they love in an organised and fun environment. Whatever your background, be assured that you will be able to offer something positive to the children and sports projects you work on.
Placements are either in-school or after-school. You will get a taste of both, each one having its own specificities. Generally, with the in-school placements you will interact with a greater number of children, but will have to do with a more counted amount of time, which limits the project in terms of the in-depth implementation of the curriculum. You will change classes and schools regularly, enabling you to reach out to many more children, but making it more difficult to develop to sustain the relationships. Currently, our program reaches some 14'000 children in 25 schools. On the other hand, the after-school placements are more street outreach-based. The context is therefore less scholar and more streetwise. You will interact with fewer children (we currently have some 400 overall beneficiaries), but more regularly. This leads to a bigger effort needing to be put on full curriculum implementation, thus increasing the levels of interaction with the participants.

1.3 Your Role

We welcome sports volunteers who enjoy playing or coaching sport, be it socially with friends, representing your school, club or university team or even as far as holding coaching qualifications. You will work under the supervision, leadership and in close collaboration with our permanent local staff. Being a sports coach in South Africa will mean you are responsible for running and supervising all trainings and matches for the players. Importantly as well, you will be a conduit for the proper implementation of our YDS curriculum, which you will receive prior training on. The project is larger than sport, it is about developing responsible youth, reducing at-risk and delinquency behaviours, keeping children off the streets in a fun but serious and consistent way, as well as bridging social divides, creating platforms of opportunity and enhancing awareness and knowledge on a wide range of key social and health issues. This is done through specific games, workshops, motivational talks, group discussions, events, holiday camps, knowledge and self-assessment tests and promoting a positive conduct day after day, all of which you will required to actively participate in. Any other creative ideas you may wish to share will always be welcome. Finally, you may be required to assist with the administrative management of the projects, which includes keeping attendance registers, equipment and other stock counts, completing participants' profiles, getting parental consent forms signed, overseeing the feeding schemes and all other tasks related to the proper implementation of the YDS curriculum, its monitoring and evaluation systems. This may sound daunting but you will soon realise that a big part of your role will simply be to act as a role model, by displaying a positive, vibrant, professional and pro-active attitude. You will have an understanding of basic social / health knowledge that the youth desperately need to gain, so share as much as you can. Sport wise, by introducing the basics of team play, movement, position holding, general health and fitness - usually in fun, group sessions - your players will develop rapidly. The rewards are great because the raw talent is often there, but the experience of a team structure is not. Children are willing and eager, and as your sensitive approach boosts their self-confidence and self-esteem, you will be able to develop quality relationships which will benefit both you and the children. You will also have solid support from the other volunteers, our in-country staff and local coaches and will be able to exchange views and knowledge on training methods and ideas that you might need.