Conversation so far:
What year was Curtly Ambrose born?
Ambrose was born in Swetes, Antigua on 21 September 1963
Who were Curtly Ambrose's parents?
His father was a carpenter from the village
Who was Curtly Ambrose's mother?
The family had no background in cricket, but his mother was a fan.
What were Curtly Ambrose's hobbies as a youth?
his favourite sport was basketball, although he occasionally umpired cricket matches
How did Curtly Ambrose end up switching sports?
Ambrose was not particularly tall until he reached his late teens. Around this time, his mother encouraged him to become more involved in cricket.

Question: Why did she do that?
Self-contained rewrite: Why did Curtly Ambrose's mother do that?