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Let the children play.
This is the unofficial motto of Unchain the Plain, an organisation set on reintroducing sport as a means to keep children in the streets for the right reasons.
When they officially launched two years ago, their aim was to reintroduce street sports - including street tennis and cricket - as a means to teach sporting codes unfamiliar to local children.
Now, with a line of their own balls and bats for cricket, soccer, rugby, tennis and even badminton, the club is taking sport development to a new level.
Having been the official ball sponsor for the recent inaugural Cape Flats 7s, they will also be the official ball manufacturer for Netball games in the Mitchell’s Plain union.
Mark Skriker, organisation chair, says they were invited by former Mitchell’s Plain ward councillor and now deputy mayor, Eddie Andrews to get involved in the 7s event.
“For us it is recognition of the work we are doing in respect of sporting development. The tournament is an opportunity for our youngsters to showcase their talents and also to magnetize more young people to this sport,” he says.
“Through sport we can teach important life lessons and also resurrect young lives. We value the opportunity to be part of the 7s. It puts us in touch with other like-minded individuals. It’s also an opportunity to build a network and at the same time to promote and develop the game of rugby.”
Now, they will again host their adopt-a-ball campaign.
The campaign urges locals and businesses to purchase balls which are again donated to the organisation, who then shares the balls with their champions situated now also beyond Mitchell’s Plain’s borders.
“We are hoping to raise R100 000 rand with the adopt a ball campaign. These funds will be used to procure more equipment that will be distributed in vulnerable communities. We want to flood the Cape Flats with sporting equipment and set in motion a sporting revolution. The balls can be adopted at R120 each,” he says.
These include rugby, soccer and netballs.
“We have a network of champions in various communities that will benefit from the sponsored balls. We also have an inventory of requests made to Unchain the Plain. We assess each application on its merits and how it underpins our vision to use sport as a catalyst to bring about social cohesion and transformation,” he says.
Recently, they have included champions in Worcester, Caledon, Khayelitsha, Hanover Park, Nyanga, Manenberg and further afield in little towns.
“What started out in Mitchell’s Plain has now spread to many other areas because of the need for sporting intervention. We have some 30 champions on our books and this number is growing,” he says.
Having started by redistributing second hand equipment donated to them to schools in Mitchell’s Plain, the move to produce their own quality balls allows the organisation to do more. And there is room for anyone to get involved.
“If you want to mobilise children in your area and get them to play then you can engage us for assistance. We want to get children involved in sport. Sport offers a sense of identity and belonging. We provide starter packs to our champions that includes equipment for a variety of sports. We monitor our champions and the equipment gets used,” says Skirker.
“We replace balls and bats that can no longer be used. Our key focus area at the moment is community/street sports and girls women’s rugby. We also want to promote 7s rugby for girls and boys. We are really short on cricket equipment at the moment and we are hoping to procure our own vehicle soon.”
Cricket is one of the key areas they wish to improve on among youth.
“Our youngsters are mostly exposed to soccer. Many of them have never played cricket and cannot bowl or bat. Hand-eye coordination and motor skills seems to be the biggest issues. It’s not that they don’t have the natural talent. It’s a case of that talent not being cultivated. We have played street cricket all over Mitchell’s Plain and it has stimulated an interest in the game. We have also manufactured our range of street cricket bats and children are taking to this game. Once they are comfortable and enjoy playing the game, we want to migrate them to red-ball cricket,” he says.
“I think we are starting to make a real impact. We are creating an enabling and safe environment for children to play. We are slowly but surely taking back our streets and open spaces. We can do even more if more people and organisations buy into this vision.”
Most of their interventions in embattled communities remain reactive, he says.
“We have to prevent rather than cure. We have to change the mindsets of our kids. Sport is one of the best proactive solutions to the many challenges we face in our communities. It allows us to teach important attributes and key life lessons. This, however, needs to be a collective effort and as Unchain the Plain our efforts are contingent on those around us. We all need to get stuck in.”
