Players’ and parents’ perception of the cricket development hubs in the Western Province

Abstract

This study investigates the cricket development Hubs in the Western Province with a focus on parents’/guardians’ and players’ perceptions. Given the historical inequalities in South Africa, many disadvantaged communities lack access to quality coaching, facilities, and equipment necessary for cricket participation. Numerous talented youngsters within these communities go unrecognised due to the absence of talent identification initiatives. The introduction of Hubs by Cricket South Africa (CSA) seeks to bridge this gap by offering coaching, competitive matches, and superior facilities to provide opportunity and foster sporting excellence. The primary objective of this research is to assess the perception of the parents’/guardians and players regarding the effectiveness of these Hubs in the Western Province. This study aims to gauge the perception of the parents/guardians and players in terms the appropriateness of Hub facilities, facility management, assess the Hubs’ contribution to producing skilled cricketers, and understand the experiences of players and parents’/guardians. Additionally, the study examines the quality and frequency of matches, the impact of coaching staff, mentorship programmes, and the accessibility of transport for players traveling to and from matches and practices. Employing a quantitative approach, the research utilises questionnaires to gather data from parents’/guardians and players. Within a constructivist and interpretive paradigm, the study seeks to reflect the perceptions of the subjects. The research is descriptive in nature, employing Likert-scale questionnaires to systematically capture the perspectives of parents’/guardians and players. A total of 460 questionnaires were distributed across two rounds of data collection, with 230 questionnaires issued to parents’/guardians and 230 to players. Ninety-nine of the questionnaires were returned by the parents’/guardians, with the players returning 107 questionnaires. The overall findings reflect a positive sentiment from parents’/guardians and players towards the Hub programme. The study confirmed that the Hub programme significantly contributes to cricketers’ development, enhancing technical skills, game knowledge, enjoyment, social skills, and self-confidence. The organization of the Hub programme garnered favourable opinions, underscoring its efficacy in nurturing cricket talent. However, parents’/guardians and players alluded to some areas the Hub programme can work on to enhance cricketer development. These areas included increasing the number of coaching staff, ensuring adequate provision of equipment to the cricketers, and ensuring that routine and proper maintenance is carried out on the facilities. Although parents’/guardians indicated satisfaction with the Hub programme providing transport for practices and matches, some were not pleased with the promptness of Hub transport for practices and matches. This research contributes to the understanding of sports programme implementation in disadvantaged communities, offering insights for enhancing the CSA Hub programme's impact.