United Stars is not just a football club solely concerned with what happens on the soccer pitch but is also founded on strong principles and values which place the academic achievements of its players at the centre of all its activities.
“This was the outline embodied in the founding document of the club,” said Lusanda Jika, secretary general of United Stars, who also acts as the public relations officer for the club.
She was speaking in an interview with Alex News following her team’s crowning as champions of the U13 Year End Tournament of the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association.
“Our primary activity as a football club is to ensure we keep these boys off the streets and away from mischief, which may comprise substance abuse and other forms of criminal activity,” Jika said.
“In our endeavour to groom these boys to achieve football excellence, we also seek to develop a well-rounded human being who leads a healthy lifestyle and is also educationally astute to [be able to] cope with the demands of life outside of football.”
On this score, Jika said the club goes out of its way to help the boys with the academic side of their development. She said Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays were dedicated to football training sessions which include coaching on a healthy lifestyle; while Mondays and Fridays are reserved for academic catch-ups.
“We have special sittings where we devote our time to going through schoolwork and doing homework and supplementary reading where necessary,” she said.
Formed in 2010 – though only in their second season of the Alex Football League – Jika said their chairperson, Sakhile Zulu had correctly predicted that the club would be a force to be reckoned with within two years of participation in the league.
“It’s a dream come true for him,” Jika concluded, adding that they look forward to defending the trophy come year-end.
