Sporting Chance grand finale takes it to the streets

After more than three decades of creating safe spaces and campaigning for the rights of children to simply be able to play, Sporting Chance, an NGO focused on youth sports development and health education in South Africa, continues to promote, develop and create opportunities for children from marginalised communities.

Over the past six weeks, more than 250 youngsters from Langa, Ocean View and Khayelitsha have grabbed the opportunity to show off their skills and compete in adapted versions of cricket and soccer, culminating in the Sporting Chance Street Sports Finale, held in Langa, last Friday, March 15.

“We organise children under the age of 13 into teams of six with at least two members of each team being girls,” said Sporting Chance founder and managing director, Brad Bing, who established the organisation in 1990.

“Our goal is to get as many children as possible, regardless of race or gender, away from negative influences on the streets and open up opportunities for them to foster interest in education and life skills that sports participation brings,” he said.

A former first class cricketer, Bing knows all too well the importance of having structures in place to ensure all-round development of children on and off the playing field.

He also understands the challenges a lack of resources and opportunities, considering the many years he spent working with youngsters from impoverished communities.

He said a belief in the power of sport to positively change young lives has always been the driving force behind the organisation.

“Our prime objective is to provide opportunities for sporting achievement for as many children as possible – irrespective of race, gender or social class – by offering professional coaching within all community sectors. Based on the knowledge that the foundation for sporting ability is laid during the formative years, Sporting Chance advocates and implements various programmes for coaching school-age children,” he said.

He said Sporting Chance’s philosophy is to get children off the streets, or away from their computer games and TVs and instil in them, a love of sport, with disciplined, structured coaching that strikes a balance between sports, academics, and “play”.

A lover of all sports, cricket, understandably remain close to his heart, with the cricket component of the tournament endorsed by Cricket South Africa and forming part of the body’s cricket pipeline.

“It’s so exciting to present a platform that allows for raw and natural talent to be identified and nurtured, and in addition to that, the joy this programme brings to the children participating is just incredible,” said Bing.

For the record, Team Khayelitsha was crowned street and cricket champions, with Ocean View runners up in the soccer section and Langa finishing second in the cricket section.