Bondonno and Radebe make history for ELBA
“The three coaches have helped them a lot and we have pushed them to their limits so I am very excited that they are going to live their dreams.”
In a first for Edenvale Lions Basketball Academy (ELBA), two of its members have signed with Westlake Preparatory School and Academy in Florida, America.
Edenvale residents Samukelo Radebe and Luke Bondonno signed with the academy in the middle of March and are set to be Bulldogs in just a few months.
Although Bondonno and Radebe have played basketball for serval years, they worked tirelessly at achieving this dream for the past two years. The two 18-year-olds who matriculated last year visited Washington DC in 2020 as part of A Trax Sports Nation programme and tour.
The pair said Trax Sports Nation and basketball players from the USA visited SA and selected several players to go overseas. Bondonno and Radebe were among the players selected.
“All expenses were paid for, all we had to ensure we had were tickets to get there and home,” said Radebe.
After receiving the news, Westlake was interested in them, the pair were both excited and overwhelmed. Although they had offers from other schools, including junior colleges, Radebe and Bondonno weighed up their pros and cons and decided to do what was best for them.
“A junior college can be tougher, not just physically but also mentally,” said Radebe.
To get where they are today, Bondonno and Radebe put countless hours on and off the court into the sport. The duo did not see it as a sacrifice to spend time away from family and friends to better themselves and their skills.
“It’s not difficult knowing I have to give my all to be where I want to be. “I want to give back to the youngsters and the next generation of the sport. “I want them to believe that it is possible to make it as a South African basketball player. I want to support my family and that’s all the motivation I need.”
Like Radebe, Bondonno loves his time on the court. “I love the grind. it makes me feel alive. Putting in the hours is worth it and so much more,” said Bondonno. “I want to help people become the best person they can through the lessons I have learned.”
Although they will be on scholarship, Bondonno and Radebe agreed academics are just as important as their sporting skills. “Good grades are vital, we will need to ensure we keep our marks up to ensure we stay in the academy and the team,” said Radebe. “As an athlete, you need to be physically and mentally stable and good academics form part of that,” said Bondonno. “There will be times it will seem like nothing will happen, but the reasons we are doing this will outweigh the doubts.”
Bondonno said although it’s easy to give up, he doesn’t plan to. “When you’re following your dream, you can’t have a plan B.”
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Although co-founder of ELBA coach Edson Makavan said he has mixed feelings about Radebe and Bondonno leaving ELBA he is happy for the duo.
“They are family members but they are going far away so it is emotional for me, but I am happy for them. “The whole point of the ELBA is to grow these youngsters and they have to pursue their dreams. I am happy for them, these are the first ones from the academy.”
Makavan described Bondonno and Radebe’s achievement as groundbreaking for the academy and said the pair will be the ambassadors for the academy and SA.
“The three coaches have helped them a lot and we have pushed them to their limits so I am very excited that they are going to live their dreams.”
However, despite his praise, he reminded them to give it their all and said, “You are both lions, when you are that side you mustn’t eat grass, you have to stick to meat because a lion lives on meat.”
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