In partnership with the Ekurhuleni Volleyball Association, the Department of Education’s Ekurhuleni South District sports unit initiated a programme designed to promote volleyball in schools.
The department’s initiative has been welcomed by local schools and hailed as a great idea that will provide schools with the opportunity to discover talent among youngsters at school level.
As part of the initiative, on May 12, coaches from the unit visited Boksburg High School to provide teachers with basic volleyball skills that they will thereby pass on to the targeted learners.
The volleyball coaching clinics were also part of the provincial government initiative called Ntirhisano Outreach Programme. It was attended by the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation’s acting HOD Vuyani Mpofu.
Ntirhisano Service Delivery Community Outreach programme is aimed at resolving service delivery challenges in communities.
Mpofu stated that for proper sporting codes to take place teachers need to have more knowledge about the sport they are coaching.
“Most of the time you realise that people have passion but passion alone doesn’t assist, you need to have basics and these educators can identify learners who are talented,” said Mpofu.
Elliot Sithole from the unit said they want to introduce volleyball in many schools in the region.
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“This initiative will serve as a platform for those schools that wants to start the sport (volleyball). We teach them how the sport works and we expose them to various departments related to this sport.
“Most schools should adopt the style of having different sports in their schools because not every learner wants to be a soccer player or netball player, many talents are hidden due to lack of other sporting activities at schools,” said Sithole.
School principal Enoch Thango described the initiative as a great idea.
“Remember, sports is very instrumental in uniting people and I am hoping a strong connection among the schools will be created. I am positive that schools will put together some ideas and make volleyball a very competitive sport,” said Thango.
Mpofu thanked the Boksburg High management for allowing the department to use the school facilities.
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