5 minute read
VOLLEYBALL: SHOWCASING THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE
BY LYNDON JULIUS
IN JUST THE LATEST of many accolades achieved by UWC Volleyball, two students from the university were selected to represent South Africa at the recent International University Sports Federation (FISU) World University Beach Volleyball Championship in Brazil. UWC Head of Volleyball, Elmien Cloete, was the head coach of the team at the Championship that took place from 6 to 10 September 2022.
TAMLYN THOMAS, a second-year BEd (Foundation Phase) student, was chosen to partner Nelia Tembe (Tshwane University of Technology) on the women’s side, while third-year BEd student Lukholo Jooste and University of Pretoria’s Danilo von Ludwiger made up the male duo. Incidentally, Tamlyn’ twin sister, Tamzin, was a top UWC and junior SA sprinter who is now at North-West University.
Thomas was over the moon with her selection. “It is both satisfying and an honour (to be chosen for Team SA), knowing that the sacrifices and hard work paid off. I also feel that there is a sense of belief from my coach and teammates for trusting me and allowing me to be in this position.”
JOOSTE ECHOED Tamlyn’s and fellow UWC students’ sentiments. “I feel honoured and excited to have represented South Africa and UWC on the world stage. Representing South Africa and UWC was really huge, and came with a huge responsibility of performing well.”
CLOETE PROUDLY SAYS she also represented the university as a volleyball player at the national level and as a netball player at the provincial level.
“I started at the university in 2009 as a sports administrator for volleyball, netball and basketball. I got involved with coaching, kind of a natural process, stemming from me being a physical education specialist, so teaching came naturally. I got my international coaching qualification soon after. I now manage the ladies’ football and volleyball office at the university.”
LUKHOLO JOOSTE
TRADITIONALLY, UWC volleyball teams have always been a force to be reckoned with, so their selection didn’t surprise Cloete.
“Our ladies’ indoor team over the last few years managed to either win the National Volleyball Club Champs or fi nished second. The same for the
LUKHOLO JOOSTE
USSA competition, both indoor and beach,” Cloete recalls. “Our men’s team were national club champs for many years, so UWC has always been strong in volleyball. We have been dominating the beach volleyball circuit for a very long time. Our alumni, Grant Goldschmidt and Leo Williams, participated in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
“I THINK WITH ALL SPORTS, grassroots development is crucial to success at the international level. Volleyball is not a very popular code being played at schools due to various reasons. It’s also not very high on the SASCOC [South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee] priority list of codes which means it’s not very visible and therefore not pulling sponsors to invest in the sport and the players. The pool of good-quality players is, therefore, very small.
“It’s only through more competition and exposure at the highest levels that athletes can test their skills. They can learn from their experiences, share that experiences with others and hopefully help to improve the level of play in the long run. Sport evolves all the time and if you are not part of what is happening globally, you will always play the catch-up game.”
[From left to right], Lukholo Jooste, Elmien Cloete and Tamlyn Thomas.
ASIDE FROM CHALLENGES with resources and sponsorship, student athletes engage in a constant balancing act when it comes to academics and sports. Many land professional contracts before they complete formal qualifications and choose to disrupt their studies rather than lose the opportunity to take their sports career to the next level. Administrators like Cloete do what they can to get their sports stars to make the best decisions.
“I believe formal education should be high on the priority list for every student athlete. Quite simply put, sport does not pay the bills, especially a sport like volleyball,” says Cloete.
Joining many other UWC sports administrators, Cloete set the example recently when she graduated cum laude with her Master’s in Sport, Recreation and Exercise Sciences degree, which focussed on high-performance sport at historically disadvantaged institutions.
CLOETE BELIEVES UWC is on the right track in its strategy for student sports development but requires more backing from civil society when it comes to sponsoring and partnerships.
“With the correct infrastructure and investments, we can become the top institution in the country for most of our codes, not just volleyball. We are fortunate that we are supported by the University Executive, but we need corporates to come on board and sponsor our teams or assist with the building and maintenance of training and competition facilities. In this regard, I need to acknowledge Campus Lifestyle owner and CEO, Mrs Ragmah Jappie, for always sponsoring us. She is the sponsor of the Team SA attire for this event.
“OUR INDOOR CODES are performing very well, and this is without an indoor facility on campus. Imagine what we can achieve if we have unrestricted access to proper training facilities.” B+G
