CSA looking at US baseball techniques for talent management

Cricket South Africa (CSA) is looking at the lucrative American baseball system in order to improve on its performance and talent management plans at the domestic level.
CSA has sent High Performance Manager Vinnie Barnes, Youth Cricket Manager Niels Momberg and provincial side Highveld Lions head coach Geoffrey Toyana to attend the Leaders in Performance Conference in New York to study the most competitive and professional sporting environment in the world.
"We decided on this because not only will it give Vinnie the opportunity to get up to date with the latest techniques and thinking in the performance aspect of sport but we have also arranged for our delegates to visit the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees baseball franchises," CSA general manager of cricket Corrie van Zyl said.

"I believe we can learn a lot about how they go about talent identification and how best to fit it into our programmes.
"As manager of our youth cricket I am sure that Niels will bring back a lot of ideas that will be of use to all our franchises and affiliates and not just to our national programmes, he said.
Van Zyl said the three-member team will share their experiences with the domestic clubs and help them make more competitive.

"Geoffrey's presence is part of our thinking to provide incentives for all our coaches both at the franchise and semi-professional level.

"We will be having a coaching conference in mid-August when the three of them will share their experiences with representatives from the franchises and affiliates," he said.
Van Zyl said in future the winners of the Coach of the Year contest will be sent on such initiatives.