HE is only 13-years-old, yet Olwethu Qabaka, of Khayalethu Youth Centre, is already an up-and-coming coach.
Qabaka, has inspired other children to join KFC Mini-Cricket by coaching and coordinating the programme at the centre.
Having started playing KFC Mini-Cricket in 2015, the young batsman and bowler learned to play the game from his coaches and also by watching others play.
Other than playing cricket, Qabaka enjoys his academic work as well as playing football and says when he gets older, he wants to continue to help others by becoming a medical doctor.
He has moved on from soft ball cricket to playing hard ball cricket, but he is still involved in the Mini-Cricket programme as a coach and coordinator. He started coaching there when he realised that some of his team mates were battling to learn the skills.
He then opted to assist them and found that he had a knack for passing on his knowledge.
“I soon learned that different kids learn in different ways and so I had to find other ways to teach cricket skills to the different kinds of kids,” he said.
“I think I’m good at playing cricket, but I am also very good at coaching the game.”
The coaches at the youth centre have been very supportive of him and they have encouraged his coaching.
“I have learned valuable lessons from the other coaches at the youth centre. They have shown me that it’s important to listen to the players’ problems, and they have taught me different coaching methods. The kids I coach listen to me, even though I am the same age as them, which is amazing,” Qabaka said.
