Meet the CPUT NETBALL TECHNICAL TEAM who score goals, defend titles and continue to reach for greater heights

ANNELIE LUCAS Alumna 1992

My netball journey started as an obsessed supporter, keen player, and umpire, gradually leaning towards coaching as I stepped into the role of parent and now administration. A full circle serving the sport I so dearly love. Accountability, Integrity and inspiration. Values that I try to live by.

My coaching philosophy: I am a player-centred coach that facilitate and guide. I believe that players learn best when they have input into what they do in training and during competition, thereby, taking ownership and full responsibility. Quality, intensity, and uncompromising standards are non-negotiable. I’m firm in what I believe, have old school values with new school ideas. I coach because I have a passion for the game.

I believe in nurturing my players’ dreams to be the best on and off the court. I have and in-depth understanding of netball with excellent analytic skills and a natural feeling of planning the game. I pay attention to detail with the ability to motivate, challenge and inspire.”

My CPUT-netball family is very near and dear to my heart. Driving change in a very competitive netball arena is not always easy and blaming others for targets not reached can be easy, however, to reach our goals we must adjust as we go along. Our dream to become a team that will be able to compete in the Varsity Competition. We came very close 2017 however hit

Eat – sleep – netball – repeat

a curveball and landed back in the second division 2018. With clear goals, new management in the Sports Office and unity as none we won the second division 2019 and the future looked bright. Then Covid-19 hit. As player were forced to study from home, our home-based training was on par however players got part time jobs and when competition started opted to not play anymore.

2022 was a year for change. I was elected as the new Director of Coaches for Netball South Africa during the 2021 elections and shortly thereafter named the Legacy Manager for the 2023 NWC. This is such an honour and I know the change that we started small at CPUT can now grow into something bigger. Exiting times for us as the CPUT netball fraternity. This creates more opportunities for our coaches to grow. I stepped into the mentorship roll and we welcomed coach Babes to our family.

Coach Nicolene became part of the CUCSA management and was elected for USSA as the convenor coaches. Both coaches were part of the TNL management of the Western Cape teams, Nicolene as assistant coach of the Stings and Babes as the statistician for the Tornado’s. Anushka, the team manager a former student also made her mark and Avive, our statistician uses her opportunities as part of the Cape Town District attending various tournaments. Although our USSA team struggled this year the local hostel and inter-campus competition bloomed with Lungi driving this program.

What does the future have in store for us? I believe adjusting our sails, we’ll create

Nicolene Martin

Firstly, I would like thank CPUT for giving me the opportunity to coach at your institution.

As the newly appointed USSA Coaches Convenor it gives me the opportunity to gain knowledge and interact with other coaches and share ideas and educate our players.

Traveling to Malawi as the USSA team manager was an amazing experience. We realise how fortunate we are to have the best facilities and amazing support. Our team put up a great performance and won gold at the CUSSA games. I was part of an incredible management team and is blessed for all opportunities I had this year. more opportunities for our students by training and educating players to take a role as a coach or/and umpire when they step into their professions our focus group, sport management and education students. To grow our footprint on various campuses is very important and we want to ensure more students have opportunities to play netball. Female as well as male students.

I am part of the Southern Stings Team since 2017. At that time, I was the shadow coach and work under the leadership of Annelie Lucas and a phenomenal woman, sister, friend and mentor. I am the assistant coach for past 2 years and what a privilege it is to coach on a high performance level and work with our young talent in the Western Cape.

Mohamed Alley, thank you for giving us as a netball fraternity a voice, believing in our vision and program. The amazing players, the actual stars will rise as they grow, and I will push and support them to become the best they can be. As CPUT we will be able to reach much more players through our sport and we should use this opportunity to be able to change a player’s future through netball.

It starts with ME.

Coach An.

We came fourth at the Telkom National League this year, not want we wanted but it was an amazing tournament.

I am blessed and grateful for all the opportunities coming my way and will continue to work hard, believe in myself and trust the journey.