WESTRIDGE Tennis Club saw some 400 children take to the court under the wing of professional tennis coach Emmanuel Ngema. After working as a development officer for eThekwini Tennis Association (ETA) for close to a decade, Ngema is shifting his focus to private coaching this year. Berea Mail sat down to chat with the accomplished coach to find out more about his inspiring journey.
Ngema was appointed as a development officer by ETA in 2014, when he worked to cultivate tennis among youth from disadvantaged communities. With more than 20 tennis courts available at Westridge Tennis Club, Ngema’s programme grew with some 400 children taking part.
“When I started, there was not a single Black child playing tennis here. I started with 20 children, and we ended up having 400 children – that’s why this development was number one in South Africa,” said Ngema who added that 90% of the children in the programme hailed from Cato Crest.
Amazingly, despite the number of children he worked with, Ngema’s coaching yielded several rising stars.
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“It was tough. Some coaches couldn’t believe I achieved what I did, but I was passionate about my work, and I proved them wrong. I produced quality players from such a large group of children,” said Ngema.
“Some of [my students] have played for South Africa. It’s a wonderful feeling when I see that,” he added.
Even for the children who simply enjoy tennis on a social level, Ngema believes the sport offers them a chance to grow their confidence, cultivate healthy habits and avoid substance use.
“Our former president, Nelson Mandela, said sport can change the world. Sport inspires children. It speaks a language that children can understand. I love those words. It’s true – sport can transform them – from shacks, these children are studying at prestigious schools free of charge because of tennis,” he said.
While Ngema continues to set youngsters up for success on the courts, his own tennis journey played out against a very different backdrop during the oppressive apartheid regime.
From garden work to game point
Ngema who hails from KwaMashu, was working as a gardener in Durban North when he had his first taste of the game.
“My first tennis coach was Douglas MacMillian. I was working for him as a gardener in 1972. He decided to teach me tennis, and ten years later, he introduced me to his tennis club which was Prospect Tennis Club. Fortunately, the club welcomed me and invited me to play in their club tournament in 1982 where I won the cup,” said Ngema.
His success garnered the attention of a club member who challenged Ngema to a singles match.
“I was a schoolboy at the time. He said he would collect me at the Durban bus stop and arrived at 15:00 in his blue BMW,” recalled Ngema, adding that he won the first and second sets 6/0 before winning the game overall.
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Little did Ngema know that professional tennis coach Andy MacDonald was watching the game from afar. Ngema recalled how MacDonald approached him after the match.
“He said he wanted to meet me at the court the next day. I remember the long walk to meet him. As I arrived, I realised he was a coach – he was teaching children. He said he had watched me from a distance and wanted to see how I hit the ball. I knew he wanted to see my style. Within three minutes, [MacDonald] wanted to know who had taught me to play tennis,” said Ngema, who added that MacDonald encouraged him to pursue a career as a tennis coach.
Without the funding to pursue this avenue, the prospect of coaching was beyond Ngema’s reach.
“I told [MacDonald] it was too expensive for me to pursue the journey to be a coach, but he helped me. He trained me for four years on how to coach. After that, he sent me to Johannesburg to write my first exam for coaching. That’s where I met Bob Hewitt, a top tennis player who won Wimbledon,” said Ngema.
He qualified as a tennis coach and received a sponsorship to start a development programme in KwaMashu.
Coaching found me
Commenting on his new coaching venture, Ngema said, “I am trying to reach the community at large. I hope to develop young players from grassroots level to advanced level. I am also available to share my knowledge with other aspiring coaches.”
“I would like to share my knowledge with anyone who is interested. I can help coaches who are interested in my expertise,” he added.
For more information, call Ngema on 081 062 7995.
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