The JAG Sports and Education Foundation have aligned with Sporting Chance in order to share structures and cooperate on similar initiatives in developing communities.
Sporting Chance has been dedicated to coaching and promoting sport for the past sixteen years. The prime objective throughout that time has been to provide opportunities for sporting achievement for as many children as possible by offering professional coaching at schools and sports clubs. Sporting Chance has advocated and implemented various programs for coaching school-age children.
The programs portfolio implemented by Sporting Chance:
Street Cricket
The emerging communities are filled with sport mad children. So many want to be actively involved and need a sporting environment in which to display their skills without having to travel too far. Sport has kept these children occupied whilst living in an environment which seldom encourages self improvement and empowerment. Talent is in abundance and the skills newly learnt have to be worked on! So what better place to demonstrate their sporting ability than on the streets where they live.
Introducing Street Cricket, the league was launched in 2004 with a pilot project in Langa. In 2005 the league progressed to 5 communities of the Western Cape and in 2006 the league expanded beyond the Western Cape to include three communities of the Southern Cape with a total of ten communities.
The Street Cricket league starts at the beginning of October and finishes with the Festival Finale at the end of November prior to the start of the December school holidays where the kids become part of the Calypso beach Cricket festivals.
After a few weeks of intense rivalry and fierce competition the teams play against one another in the respective regional finals, finishing off with the main finals being played under lights with the top team from each region competing for the coveted Street Cricket Champions Trophy.
Calypso Cricket
Calypso Beach Cricket is a fun and highly competitive adaptation of conventional cricket. Utilizing most of the rules of cricket, the game is played in ankle-deep water with two teams of ten players each. Although not strictly conventional, it nevertheless teaches the basic techniques and rules of the game in a fun and informal atmosphere.
In 1991 it was brought to South Africa by Sporting Chance and was initially used to create an uplifting environment where children could enjoy themselves in a non-elitist environment. The enthusiasm generated by those involved has become a highlight for the coaching staff and many of the young participants, and although we continue to stress the fun aspect of the festival, it has become the perfect vehicle through which to identify sporting talent amongst the players.
Busloads of the kids are transported to the beach each day, many of whom have never seen the sea before. Over the years the event has grown considerably and due to the increasing demand and support from the United Cricket Board of South Africa the festivals have expanded in the form of a “road show” from East London to Cape Town. The 2007 festivals promises to be the biggest and best yet launching in KwaZulu Natal and moving down the coast to Cape Town involving over 8000 participants.
