He said he played for one of the junior cricket teams in Soweto – The Pioneers and the primary school where he attended school, namely Masegkrele Primary School.
“I didn’t spend most of the time in Soweto as my family had to move to Vosloorus. When I arrived some years ago, there was no cricket at all here in Vosloorus so I had no choice but to go and train with the junior Dawn Park Cricket Team,” said Phele.
He said when cricket was introduced in townships, it was called Baker’s Mini Cricket before it became KFC Mini Cricket.
“I played with different teams that took part in the Baker’s Mini Cricket League at the time and I gained a lot of experience.
“In 1996 Vosloorus Cricket Club’s junior team was introduced and I played for the team until I was too old to play for the junior team. Because there was no senior team to graduate to, I then started to coach pre-schools and primary schools around Vosloorus. I was still young at the time,” Phele told Kathorus MAIL.
He said he used the knowledge he gained while coaching pre-schools to correct his mistakes as a young and to grow as a coach.
“In 2014 I went to complete the Mini-Cricket Coaching Certificate Level One and obtained it in the same year. After I got my certificate, I started to coach Vosloorus Cricket Club junior team,” he said.
After that, he never looked back. “Right now I am busy with my Level Two Mini-Cricket Coach Certificate, which it will be awarded to me in June,” he said.
He added that he has achieved a lot a Vosloorus Cricket Club Junior Team coach.
“What I need now is to get more sponsors to come and support cricket so that it can grow and be one of the biggest sport in the township. Secondly, I want to see parents supporting their children. Lastly, I want to see Vosloorus having a cricket stadium like they do in the suburbs,” concludes Phele.
He said what he is doing for township children is out of love for cricket. He is not being paid for what he is doing.
