Former Protea gymnast Ilse Pelser shares an aerial view of coaching
Former Protea gymnast, Ilse Pelser shares with us what it takes to be a coach.
Former Protea gymnast Ilse Pelser saw no better way to give back to the community than through the sport that enriched her life.
Her aim was a simple one – give children the opportunity to grow and learn while helping them develop self-discipline and tenacity.
Life as a coach means she gets up by about 6:00 so she can prepare her children for the day and depending on what day of the week it is, coaching and travelling between Joburg and Pretoria takes up much of her time. Even though her week is busy, she makes sure to spend some quality family time on Sundays.
Pelser is the owner of Newlands-based JCG Gymnastics and works with other head coaches whom she provides with the best opportunities to learn and grow, as her vision is for each gymnast and staff member to reach their full potential.
Through gymnastics, she has visited more than 25 countries including the USA, Italy, Germany, France, England, Australia, Egypt, and Algeria, representing South Africa, first as a gymnast and then as a coach.
Although the privilege of representing her country and her passion for teaching children this beautiful sport will never wane, it does come with, at times, its challenges. “As coaches in South Africa, we face many challenges including, how to make a sustainable living whilst producing high-level gymnasts and also balancing gymnastic and family life.”
She added most evenings she was not home before 19:30. “So it sometimes becomes tricky to manage it all. I am very fortunate to have a wonderful supportive husband and my mother who lives with us is a rock and someone we all depend on.”
In her time as a coach, she has grown immensely. “Having my own two children in my 30s also gave me a different perspective on how to be a tough, demanding coach, but first and foremost a loving coach.”
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