University and stakeholder partnerships to innovate in sport – the development of the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) career transition screening tool

Abstract

In sports, the value and mutual benefit of university–stakeholder partnerships have been well-recognised. It has been argued that cricket has a unique set of challenges compared to other team sports. In 2016, the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) and the University of Cape Town established a partnership to (i) conduct novel research on professional cricketers and (ii) ensure SACA programmes and initiatives are informed by said research and/or the currently available literature. As the demand on professional cricketers has increased, so has the interest in their career transitioning. That is, how do professional cricketers manage stressors created by changes (or non-changes) throughout their playing careers? To help identify gaps for intervention as a cricketer transitions through their professional career, the purpose of this short report is to describe how a university–stakeholder partnership developed a career transitioning screening tool for professional cricketers in South Africa.