Browsing by Author "Broster, Philip"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    The challenges faced by the only black team playing 6-down touch rugby at In2Touch : "I just saw all these white people and just thought Wah...what is going to happeb to us!"
    (2008) Broster, Philip
    These findings seriously question the idea that sport promotes egalitarianism. The data reveals that the legacy of apartheid still means that access to sports such as 6-down touch rugby are available only to areas with particular facilities and to those that can afford it. It is not available for all. Sport itself is not magic-wand through which people naturally find it possible to put behind them societal differences. Differences from greater society are mirrored in sport and this was evident from my data.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Open Access
    Talent identification and development in South African professional football – a coach perspective
    (2025) Nobre, Pedro Lacerda; Broster, Philip; Dove, Mary Ann
    The growing complexity and competitiveness of professional sport have underscored the importance of Talent Identification and Development (TID) in football. This study examines the TID frameworks employed by South Africa's top professional male football clubs through the perspectives of coaches and key informants. This research addresses the lack of academic focus on TID practices in the Global South, highlighting the critical role of coaches in bridging theoretical frameworks and practical applications and realities. Using a qualitative, exploratory design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 male professionals from seven Premier Soccer League (PSL) clubs across four provinces, including head coaches, youth coaches, and key operational staff. Thematic analysis revealed six core themes and 18 sub-themes, illustrating the interconnected and multifactorial nature of TID. Player characteristics, recruitment processes, and the complementarity between Data-driven and Intuition-driven approaches to TID emerged as pivotal elements. A significant disparity was identified between youth and senior levels, with youth football hindered by insufficient investment, infrastructure, and structured competitions. Despite the positive contribution of the under twenty-three years old national league, the Diski League, these systemic challenges limit the development of young players in South Africa. The study offers an integrated and holistic perspective on TID, evidence of presence of sophisticated professional practices, and advocates for an ecological approach to TID. It proposes three policy recommendations: improving coach development professionalization; regional youth intensive training camps for talented players; and a structured youth competition framework. These measures aim to unlock South Africa's untapped football potential, paving the way for greater success at both national and international levels.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    The increased feminization of the surfing economy: An exploration of the lived experiences of female surfers in Muizenberg, South Africa
    (2021) Stroehlein, Leonie Victoria; Broster, Philip
    This thesis is a phenomenological exploration of female surfers' lived experiences in the surfing culture and economy of Muizenberg, South Africa. The research design includes a review of literature, participant observation and semi structured in-depth interviews. The approach was qualitative so as to gain deep insights into women's lived experiences participating in a predominantly male sporting culture and economy. Thereby, the everyday experiences, feelings, victories and constraints of female surfers were central to the investigation. Even though some athletes showed active resistance to gendered identities and contest stereotypical femininities, this research demonstrates that females still feel marginalized in what they see as the continued male-dominant sport of surfing. The results reveal that identity creation of female surfers is influenced by the media representation of women as well as the masculinity of the sport. The female surfers of the study face structural, interpersonal as well as intrapersonal constraints in their surfing lives. It is striking that most of the interpersonal constraints refer to attitudes of male surfers towards women. Furthermore, it has been revealed that female surfers are active participants in and drivers of the surfing economy. However, women often are socially and economically devalued and continue to be a minority in the surfing community. There is little to suggest that female surfers' constraints and gendered identity creation at Muizenberg will change significantly as long as there is no combined effort of media, professional surfing organizations and men in positions of influence to work towards an improvement of support for female surfers from beginner to professional. In order to move towards advancing female surfing, gender equality has to be addressed across multidimensional structures.