The bleeding of South African sporting talent to more lucrative markets is a hot topic at the moment, particularly on the rugby and cricket fronts.
Rugby players have been doing it for years and the sport’s seemingly endless production line has made it easier to cope, while the recent Kolpak deals in cricket has shifted the focus to that sport.
In December last year, national coach Roger Barrow confirmed to The Star that he had been offered a position as head coach of Australia’s men’s and women’s national rowing teams.
Fortunately for South Africa, the 2016 World Rowing Coach of the Year declined the offer due to family commitments.
Uprooting his young family where they would be stripped of their support system while he is away for long stints ultimately convinced him to stay.
It was the ideal opportunity for one of the brightest young coaches in the sport where he would have had all the support and funds his heart desired.
Barrow put his heart and soul into the South African rowing programme that has reached unprecedented heights over two Olympic cycles, which included a gold and a silver medal.
“It would have been awesome as a challenge and being in an environment where you have everything,” Barrow said.
“I would have loved the experience and see myself as a coach grow in an environment like that. To leave what we’ve done would have been hard because I believe we have so much to grow.”
South Africa still has not truly realised what it has in Barrow and, for that matter, many other coaches from other sporting codes who are just like the athletes on other countries’ radars.
While we are happy to dish out national contracts to keep our top rugby players in the country, we are not doing enough to keep our top coaching talent in the country.
For Barrow it was never about the money but more about the facilities and support Australia were willing to provide that made the offer enticing.
Some of South Africa’s top rugby coaches are abroad, where they are seen as an asset improving the game abroad while it is dying a slow death here.
National swimming coach Graham Hill has had similar offers but we’ve somehow managed to keep hold of him.
In athletics there is a lack of young coaches coming through while ageing stalwarts battle to make ends meet.
Former national hurdles coach Hennie Kotze packed up for the umpteenth time to coach in the Middle East, leaving his local athletes in disarray.
While it is regrettable that the athletes have to suffer, it is also understandable why he would take up a lucrative offer at the drop of a hat.
South Africa just doesn’t seem to have a culture of looking after its coaches. Perhaps it is a global problem and it is merely the exchange rate that makes it easier to attract our top talent.
Athletics SA have vowed to offer greater support to local coaches, while the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) have also made an effort to develop local talent through the SA Coaching Framework.
We may be producing better coaches through these initiatives but it does not necessary put food on the tables for the ones who are successful.
If we do not look after our top coaching talent it will have a knock-on effect on the quality of athletes we produce.