South Africa's basketball community

What basketball in SA needs…

By on October 28, 2010 in News

The Article Basketball South Africa Make your own conclusion has without a doubt stirred some real debate I’ve not see in a while.  Worst of all, I feel that there has been more frustrations from the people but with little ideas of how to move forward without hurting the game of basketball.  I thought of just responding to the article as one of the comments but I believe my response should be in a form of an article as this is a very critical issue to address.

Firstly, let me confirm that comments mentioned on the article are well-founded and the frustrations are heartfelt. However, I would like to agree with the statement that we cannot all be pointing fingers at BSA.  There is little that one can do if he/she is not paid a salary to do a job.  My understanding is that the government and lotto only provides funds for certain projects and prescribes what funds should be used where and very little is put towards administration.  I would like to hear of anyone who can confidently say that they can run Basketball South Africa under the same funding policies and actually make a success of it.  I always say that it is almost as if the government has created a sporting funding system that is designed to fail. How is one supposed to attract the best people in an organisation without offering the best salaries?  Even worse, one cannot run the organisation and try to run a business that can benefit from it as this will be regarded as self enriching from the people’s sport.  Now, how is someone who has a paying job suppose to make basketball work as a secondary job?

In the perfect world, people who become presidents of organizations or governments for that matter are already rich individuals and they go into this knowing that this will require a lot more of their time without great pay in return.  They see this as their opportunity to create a legacy.   In our beloved country unfortunately, this is not the case and would probably not be for many years to come and there need to work with what the system allows.  I would like to challenge ballers out there to truly post practical basketball turnaround strategies given the currently working and funding environment we find ourselves in right now.  I am hoping that all comments on this article will start with “if I were the president of basketball South Africa, I would do the following …..”  Hopefully, this could stimulate all the creative minds to provide possible and positive solutions towards the game of basketball and these suggestions can hopefully be interrogated and provided to the powers that be for consideration.

While we write these comments, let’s also remember that some things are easier said than done, and some have been tried and failed dismally.  For example, doing road shows trying to talk to basketball players doesn’t work, basketball players themselves don’t even bother to come to these meetings (ask the frustrated Nthato Selebi and Kornelia Semmelink of the previous GBA interim committee).  Trying to get people out of the federation without clear plan will only recreate new challenges (what since Vuzi Mgobozi?). Trying to fix structures means nothing if there is no reason for people to play (no one is interested in taking the hard work required in the un-paying association positions).  I’ve seen people’s suggestions come and go with very little turnaround on the sport.  Therefore, I would rather we support the very structures we have with our great and brilliant ideas and try to help the best we can in areas we believe they need capacity.

With all this said, let me be the first to suggest what I believe basketball needs and will back this up with everything I got if given a chance.

If I were the president of Basketball SA, I would:

  1. Address the basketball nation of my vision of the sport
  2. Create a single basketball property to put basketball back South African conversations (The National League)
  3. Ensure that we have the best National Teams in order to attract media interest back into basketball, which would in turn create public interest and therefore sponsor interest
  4. Put more funds towards a PR company that will ensure that positive basketball articles are always in the media
  5. Create very close ties with a strong basketball brand like “the NBA”
  6. Create opportunities for basketball stakeholders to make a living off basketball

I know many people will be quick to say how about development, Universities league, schools, this and that.  Well, my answer is simple, the world cup was a great example of a government and its people coming together to make a big success of something, the above is for basketball PR, all other things will come later, only if we can all join hands and make one thing successful instead of doing many things with no real effect on the sport we love.

That’s me for now.

Peace, Love and Play Ball

Article by Cabby Magongwa

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There Are 12 Brilliant Comments

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  1. sipho says:

    I hear u Cabby, but I dont agree that people shud be sluggish in execution of their duties just because they get little remuneration. Surely they knew that before they VOLUNTARILY went in. I also dont agree with their way of empty promises especially to national team players.

    However, whilst I agree with yo ideas, I also wish for…

    1. Transparency( they shud alert stakeholders to their predicaments)
    2. A rubust marketing venture(I agree with u)
    3. A detailed/well articulated/systemic working document that they can use to raise more funds
    4. Detailed annual financial reports(published).
    5. Adopt a working model corporate governance from other sports codes
    6. Professionalism especially when dealing with most importatnt stakeholders i.e national players

  2. Partially agree Cubby, but the mistake that a lot of sports adminstrators make is they make the “perfect plans” without the involvement of the stakeholders. If I get to to involved in the development of plans then I am able to say what my contribution will be (financially and otherwise) and I know exactly and can agree with administrator as to where the will be able to accommodate and as other relevant stakeholders we will be in agreement as to what our contribution will be. Maybe as stakeholders we would agree to finance administration and BSA deals with implementation thereof but now as stakeholders there are no policies, frameworks and guidelines as to what our responsibilities are given the current set up of the funding. If I was the president I would definitely involce all stakeholders and lay on the table my contribution in as far as finances and otherwise and then formulate service level agreements with stakeholders involved as to their responsibilities and contributions given the current situation.

  3. Lepara says:

    Lepara checking in and thank you to everyone for your great ideas.

    Here it goes; if I were the president of Basketball South Africa I would:
    1. Be business minded about the development of the sports;

    2. There needs to be a board of trustees consisting of influential people in the country, for example Menzi Simelani (He is the only one that comes to mind at the moment, but I’m sure there are others out there). The board of trustees would
    A) Give Basketball South Africa credibility;
    B) Fund and help with fund raising efforts by influencing potential donors; and
    C) Ensure that the funds are not being wasted unnecessarily.

    3. Put together a development team. It is obvious that the money that basketball is getting from the government is not enough to run its programmes. The development team would
    (A) Raise funds by approaching individuals in South Africa, namely: ex-basketball players, current basketball fanatics like yours truly, wealthy people and people who are sympathetic to the sport;
    (B) Raise funds by approaching the corporate world. There are a lot of companies out there who have funds for social responsibilities;
    (C) Write high quality and honest reports to the donors so that the organisation can have people/companies/foundations who give annually, or monthly rather than once off; and
    (D) Nurse the relationship with donors by communicating with them regularly and sending stuff when they say they would.
    The funds that are raised by this team, will ensure that basketball programmes are running. Some of the funds will of course go towards salaries.

    4. Put together a team of field staff in each province. The team will comprise of professionals, whose purposes are
    A) to run basketball in provinces. Starting with junior basketball all the way up to senior level for men and not leaving out wheelchair basketball; and
    B) improve the level of activity surrounding basketball. There are enough basketball in the country.

    There are probably better ways of doing this, but these are my views and they are incomplete. They can definitely be improved.

    Let basketball be the winner,
    Lepara

  4. Joseph Mangadi says:

    Thanks Cabby for the article it is long overdue as maybe if it comes from you ballers will listen, stand up and be counted. I am conviced that most people who criticise BSA and other basketball structures have no idea what they are talking about as they have never served in any of the structures. Speaking from experience it is difficult to balance work, family and volunteering to serve as an Exec member of a structure due to time and resource constraints.

    If have said it before that basketball administration needs as many skilled people as possible in order to rescucitate the sport. It therefore pains me when I know that there are a lot of former players who would rather criticise or rebel 😉 than volunteer to help structures.

    ANYWHO, If I were the president of Basketball SA, I would:

    1. REVISE THE POLITICAL MODEL OF BSA ie Membership: change from provincial to affiliate model (Schools, Leagues, etc); Board: from representative to skilled appointment

    2. REFOCUS THE MANDATE OF BSA ie from controling to coordinating body

    3. PRIORITISE TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT OF ADMINISTRATORS – both BSA and member structures

    4. SWALLOW MY PRIDE AND APOLOGISE TO ENGEN AND OCTAGON FOR THE HANDLING OF THE ENGEN PROGRAMME

    5. PRAY THAT THE PBL OWNERS STOP BEING SELFISH CAPITALIST AND ALLOW COMPETITORS TO RUN OTHER PROFESSIONAL LEAGUES eg LOP, Miles and Associates! and NBA AFRICA (In my dreams) OR in the meantime organise the Amateur National League

    AMEN

  5. Frank Sinatra says:

    To add some other ingredients to the pot.

    What BSA needs is a team that does what their position says they should do.

  6. Rocka says:

    just read on the BSA site:
    http://www.basketballsa.org/facts.php
    “BSA is also the sole television rights owner in all competitions in South Africa.” – can this be true?

  7. Cabby says:

    There are many great ideas mentioned here. How about we take it to the next level. Considering that most of us are not making money off basketball at the moment (BSA or otherwise), may i suggest that we take those suggestions and try to apply them at our local communities and see what works. This is a little exercise that would immediately put you in any basketball administration position which will allow you to see what would work for basketball and what will not. For funds, instead of think big names and funders, think of your local businesses for small change. If you can raise R10K at local level, then there shouldnt be any reason why BSA cannot raise R1mil from big business. If the constitution does not work at BSA level, create one that would at local level and use that as a pilot to show BSA what works and what doesn’t. My idea is to try to stop people from just writing or talking without any real experience or pilot to backup their suggestions.

    This however may not apply to some of the good points made here e.g. Transparency, and some of points from Joseph’s comments as they require one to be inside the structure, but then again, as has been said for many years on this website, be the change you want to see so if things are not happening in BSA, tell us what your vision is, get into the structures and hopefully we can see you rise to the level in BSA where your wishes for change around basketball can be effected by yourself.

  8. Cabby says:

    There are many great ideas mentioned here. How about we take it to the next level. Considering that most of us are not making money off basketball at the moment (BSA or otherwise), may i suggest that we take those suggestions and try to apply them at our local communities and see what works. This is a little exercise that would immediately put you in any basketball administration position which will allow you to see what would work for basketball and what will not. For funds, instead of think big names and funders, think of your local businesses for small change. If you can raise R10K at local level, then there shouldnt be any reason why BSA cannot raise R1mil from big business. If the constitution does not work at BSA level, create one that would at local level and use that as a pilot to show BSA what works and what doesn’t. My idea is to try to stop people from just writing or talking without any real experience or pilot to backup their suggestions.

    This however may not apply to some of the good points made here e.g. Transparency, and some of points from Joseph’s comments as they require one to be inside the structure, but then again, as has been said for many years on this website, be the change you want to see so if things are not happening in BSA, tell us what your vision is, get into the structures and hopefully we can see you rise to the level in BSA where your wishes for change around basketball can be effected by yourself.

  9. Cabby says:

    Oh Rocca, i meant to reply to you, YES, BSA is the sole TV rights owner

  10. Rocka says:

    so…..rugby SA is the sole TV rights owner to all things Rugby? is this law? or BSA trying to take advantage of people’s ignorance to wrap up the industry? cause if i threw it down in my community like u suggest and my ish were bigger than 5-star, i’d have to ask BSA for tv rights to my own event even if they ain’t done jack to help a brotha out? so like I do the work and they get paid?

  11. Nyiiko says:

    Yeah…I think basketball is not well recognised in SA…It would really be nice to know that on weekends, like soccer we have our specific time to watch our home (SA) games…That’d really be great…People around SA know so little about bascketball and I believe something can be done about that to stop

  12. Nyiiko says:

    Ladies should also get taught about this sport….There’s this thing in SA that basketball is for the guys…It would be fantastic to see more and more girls/ladies grow in basketball….I’m a girl and have been playing at varsity, but the development was very slow because people were less interested in the sport….Girls and Basketball===Flames

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