Hoops in Africa Taking Cape Town to the Hoop By: Brian McCormick

From May 17-31, I joined fellow American coaches Sean McDonnell (Head Coach, Hiram College), Andrew Miller (Assistant Coach, Hiram College) and Will Robinson (Head Coach, Woodbridge HS, VA) on a Hoops 4 Hope Coaches Tour in the Western Cape, South Africa.

“Let’s go Cats! Let’s go Cats!” I cheered raucously behind the Cape Technikon (a Cape Town college and my adopted team in South Africa) bench, attempting to garner home court support for the struggling Cats. Squeezing between two co-eds (basketball groupies in South Africa!), I managed to grab Head Coach Thierry Kita’s attention, yelling at him to pressure the University of Cape Town guards. On the verge of a blowout, down 23-13, Kita relented and went man defensively. Finally, the Cats picked up the intensity, took advantage of their quickness and rolled to a twenty-point victory, capped by Timothy “Vlade” Molteno’s gym rattling, buzzer beating dunk.

During my two weeks, I was fortunate to coach a few team practices, ostensibly to work on certain aspects of the game, but also for the coaches to learn from how I, and as an extension American coaches, run practices and drills. Our host and Cape Town’s “Basketball Guru” Thierry Kita had Coach Will redo his zone defense, while I worked on team offense, playing off the ball and shooting during my practice with the Cape Tech Men’s team. Craig Daniels, Cape Town’s most knowledgeable coach and the Montana Vikings’ Head Coach, had me work on help defense and institute a couple set plays for their shooter. At my two practices with the Cape Tech Women, I taught a man-to-man full court trap, worked on their help defense and went through an individual offensive skills clinic. I enjoyed working with these players the most because I had the opportunity to get to know many of them off the court, talking trash with the Vikings’ players and hanging out with some of the Cape Tech players. 

During our visit, the Hoops 4 Hope Coaches Ambassador Tour conducted nearly two clinics a day, reaching over one thousand players and coaches. “We worked hard to give clinics throughout the entire Cape Town region and involved players of all ages,” said Andrew Miller, Hoop 4 Hope’s United States Coaching Director and Tour organizer. “But, we focused mainly on empowering parents, teachers and experienced players to become coaches, so they can share their newfound knowledge and be leaders for the next generation.” Our largest clinic had nearly one hundred players and coaches crowded onto one court with only a handful of basketballs at our disposal. At a few clinics, players played in their bare feet. One of our best clinics took place in a basketless cafeteria, with seventy players and coaches. The coaches and players retained their enthusiasm the entire time, and refused to leave after the clinic, remaining instead to ask questions and get autographs, while parents thanked us with a home-cooked meal.

I developed a relationship with a couple players from the Future Stars club who were also members of The Academy, a program for the top 20 under-18 players in Cape Town. During our first weekend, we held a coaches’ clinic for the Western Cape Basketball Association (WCBA) coaches, and The Academy players practiced as our demonstration team. It was a long weekend, and I spent more time talking and instructing the players than instructing the coaches. Later, we did a clinic at Meeway, a facility in Khayelitsha, the largest township in Cape Town, and five Academy players were there. They were a very attentive group and asked a number of questions about basketball in the States. As we did our ball handling clinic, and their confidence started to border on cockiness, I had to bring them back to earth with some tough 2 ball drills and moves out of And 1, but, to their credit, they tried everything and were able to laugh at their mistakes, determined to master each move before I left the gym.

We were invited back to train the entire Future Stars team at their practice and I was sent to work with the Women’s team. I took them through an offensive clinic, teaching V cuts, L cuts, triple threat, basket cuts and pick-and-rolls. We ended with a game of Cut Throat. They passed incredibly well and their natural instincts within the game were outstanding. It was fun just watching them play: it was like a poor man’s Princeton on the first day of practice. They were a fun group, and after we finished, they tried teaching me some phrases in Xhosa, one of South Africa’s many official languages. So, by the time I left, I could say, “Molo. Unjani wena?” (Hi. How are you?) and “Diphilile enkosi.” (Good, thank you). 

Thierry Kita, Director of the WCBA and H4H’s Coaching Director, proclaimed: “We are so grateful to our American Coaching Friends from Hoops 4 Hope for all their time, knowledge and energy. This tour was the most significant event the WCBA has ever had. H4H has made an incredible difference and raised the level of basketball in South Africa. We look forward to their next trip!”

In 2002, H4H plans to continue the work of the Coaches Ambassador Tour with a follow-up tour including high school players and coaches from California. The California Ambassadors will play against The Academy, UCT, Cape Tech and the Montana Vikings; practice with The Academy; attend a day of classes at either UCT or Cape Tech; conduct youth clinics at Meeway, Montana School and elsewhere; and visit Robben Island, District Six, Cape Point Nature Preserve and Table Mountain.

The California Ambassador Tour provides a range of opportunities for supporting the H4H program. High school players interested in learning about Africa, playing against Cape Town’s best teams and instructing the next generation of Cape Town players can apply to be a part of the trip (commitment to community service will be evaluated along with talent). Coaches who would like to help coach the Ambassadors as well as lead clinics in South Africa are encouraged to contact Coach McCormick via below email address. Teams who would like to donate used gear and/or uniforms and businesses that would like to sponsor a local player or the whole Ambassador program are encouraged to contact us as well.

Cape Town is a most amazing city: the juxtaposition of wealth and squalor, selfishness and joy, ignorance and beauty somewhat overwhelmed us. Cape Town is the world’s most beautiful city, yet nearly 60% of the population lives in housing erected out of materials from garbage dumps. However, the people were hospitable, friendly, welcoming, attentive: everything we could have hoped for and more. 

The Ambassador trip will be an unbelievable experience in a remarkable city. I learned more about Africa in two weeks than I did in eight years of high school and college. We watched a sunset from atop Table Mountain, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and downtown Cape Town. I talked at length to a man who lived in District Six and was forcibly removed along with other Blacks because whites decided they did not want Blacks living so close to downtown. We visited Robben Island where political prisoners were imprisoned from the sixties until the early nineties and saw Nelson Mandela’s cell. I learned phrases in Afrikaans and Xhosa and tried, to no avail, to learn the songs that the girls on the Cape Tech bench sang. I saw a baboon steal a lady’s purse, and we raced an ostrich in our team van. I cannot wait to go back to Africa and can only encourage those players, coaches, teams and businesses with any interest to please contact me via email to learn how to become a part of the California Ambassador program.

If you are interested in helping these players, becoming involved with the Ambassador 2002 trip or learning more about basketball in South Africa, check the Hoops4Hope web page at www.hoopsafrica.org or email coachmccormick@hotmail.com.