The Five Cs Mark Boucher needs to impart to the Proteas

The Proteas new team director Mark Boucher could do worse than to dip into a basic youth coaching manual as his starting point.

With so much going on the Proteas need to go back to basics to begin the rebuilding process.

The five Cs are five principles or experiences that coaches try to impart to young sportspeople learning there way in the game and building a platform for success.

Five Cs Boucher needs to impart

Competence 

If the bulk of the Proteas squad did not doubt their competence after the year they have had they would not be human, but the new head coach must restore South Africa’s best players faith in their skillsets.

So much of the game of cricket is mental that players can easily go astray not because they aren’t good enough but simply because they think they aren’t up to scratch.

Many people suffer from imposter syndrome, and it can be especially virulent in professional sport where players are subjected to intense press scrutiny and sometimes a barrage of abuse from social media.

At a basic level, every coach is responsible for ensuring players are competent to perform their duties while players sense of that should be based on their skills and reinforced by a positive mindset.

Confidence

You might question whether confidence and a sense of competence aren’t the same thing and the answer is no. Confidence can be born out of a feeling of competence but it is something greater.

The best way for a team to build confidence is to win but there are things that Boucher could do to push the players beyond their comfort zones. In professional sport it is much more difficult to create an environment that uses failure as a tool for learning and development. Fans and stakeholders desire to win it makes it difficult for a coach to value effort and persistence over outcomes and results.

Boucher to restore Proteas’ shattered confidence

Confidence starts with the coach though and hopefully Cricket South Africa have found the right man to inject some of that back into the Proteas.

Connection 

It goes without saying that players in a team benefit from building strong bonds with each other but in a national team setup connection needs to stretch beyond the playing squad.

When a team is under pressure like the Proteas are, and criticism hits you from all sides it is harder for players to feel connected to supporters and the tendency is to close ranks.

“Connection is related to the ability to build positive bonds with people and institutions, resulting in successful relationships with family… and the community,” writes independent coach education consultant, Sarah McQuade.

All of the Proteas players were once fans themselves, watching their heroes on TV or at the ground, and it is really important that players connect with the big picture of South African cricket.

Character 

In cricket character is often depicted as being lacking in teams that are losing or not doing well but while performance and application on the field are essential, Boucher would do well to adopt a holistic approach to this C.

Setting out team values and ensuring that players abide by them helps to maintain the character of a team.

This also means ensuring that players understand and take ownership of their responsibilities within a team and the same goes for everyone involved in cricket in South Africa.

Creativity

The best cricketers in the world are the most creative, they are able to find a way to apply their skills to different situations.

The best laid plans of mice and men go oft awry as Robert Burns wrote and cricket is a realm where this rings true. You can only plan so much of a cricket match but slavish adherence to a scheme has been the downfall of the Proteas before.

ICYMI – Boucher appointed Proteas team director

Boucher needs to empower players to not just make bold decisions but make the right decisions.

Every game of cricket is different because it is played on an organic surface making adaptability and creative key to achieving success at the highest level.