After realising that soccer tournaments in rural areas only cater for senior teams, an aspiring female coach Dimakatso ‘Lady Casper’ Mokgomme organised u.14 boys’ soccer tournament in Moletjie, Ga-Rankuwe where 16 teams battled it out for medals and cash prizes recently. This was her first soccer tournament but she plans to make it an annual competition to give youngsters a platform to showcase talent on the pitch.
She formed a football club named Lady Casper FC for u.14 and u.17 boys with the aim to fight crime in her area and encourage youth to participate in sport to stay fit and live a healthy lifestyle. The u.14 team caters for 28 players while the newly formed u.17 team accommodates 16 players. She said she tried to establish netball teams but young women in her area don’t seem interested.
Teams had to pay an affiliation fee of R250 to enter the tournament. The winning team walked home with R2 000, gold medals and the trophy while the runners-up won R1 000, silver medals and a trophy. The third and fourth place finishers received bronze medals, a trophy as well as R600 and R400 in cash prizes respectively.
Dimakatso emphasised that her grandmother contributed some of her social grant money to make the tournament a success and other sponsors such as a local professional football player, Tlou ‘Gautrain’ Segolela donated medals, balls and trophies. The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture also donated balls, two soccer shorts, and tracksuits for Lady Casper and again awarded her with a trophy for her concept and for being the first young female coach to host a tournament in rural villages. She said the department also pledged to support her in any way possible to make her future tournaments a success.
“My biggest wish is to build a crime and drug free society through sport. I have realised that youth engage in criminal activities and use drugs because of lack of activities in the community. I also want to see one of my players playing in professional tournaments. I was motivated by former Ria Stars Football Club coach, Ria Ledwaba to establish soccer teams and I wish more female sport fanatics would join the party and establish teams in various sporting codes,” she emphasised.
She further said she was a soccer player in primary school but could not continue with her football career after progressing to secondary school because the school does not participate in any sporting code. Lady Casper outlined that she wished to host regular tournaments in the area and pleaded with businesses to assist her financially to make her dream a reality. She added that she wants to have a team in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) in the future to prove to other women that sport is not only for men.
Lady Casper, a Grade 12 learner in Mochedi High School wants to study Media and Sport Coaching Science after completing her matric. She wants to become a professional coach and sport commentator upon completion of her studies. She encouraged young people to use their various talents to earn a decent living.
Story and photo: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za
