POLOKWANE – When the South African u/19 men’s softball side jets off to the US for the 2016 Junior Men’s World Championship 11th edition, which will be held in Michigan, the intellectual hope will be based on the tactical nous of head coach, Mamphiri Backstage Sethosa.
Sethosa (39) and his young charges will be faced with strong opposition during this international assignment when they trade bats with New Zealand, Japan, Mexico, Canada and Israel from 24 to 30 July.
Those in the know say the diminutive, dark and handsome Sethosa was destined for great things since he cut his softball teeth in 1990 at his home club, Moletlane Texas development team.
He reminisces about the day he was given the role as a back stopper.
“We were scheduled to feature in a major tournament and on the eve of the competition, our catcher got injured and I became the perfect stopgap. I seized the opportunity and since that day I became a full time catcher,” he explains.
There was a stage when he made the leggings, faceguard and chest guard an integral part of his persona. Conceding a pass ball was like committing a crime equivalent to treason and it was inevitable from the moment of his softball debut that he would have a prolific career and be a leader in the sport.
The leadership role first came during the 2002 Inter-provincial Tournament when he was tasked to captain the provincial side under the auspices of Great North Softball Association now renamed Limpopo Softball Association.
The suave lad from Zebediela has claimed several medals from tournaments like the United School Sport Association of South Africa, Softball South Africa’s National Championships, the Martin Saas Memorial Tournament, and the defunct Hansa Classic to further strengthen his claim as a softball legend.
Sethosa feels positive ahead of the tournament and says: “We have all the bases covered during training camps. By now, the boys know what is expected of them and I am confident that we will shine.”
