Education Through Soccer spreading opportunities by building strong ties in Zandspruit
All participation is sponsored and coaches ensure players get safely to and from practice and matches.
Sport can often be about achieving victories off the pitch.
Education Through Soccer (ETS) is well into its Rand Central Local Football Association season and is taking a more holistic approach. ETS values individual growth and opportunity over trophies while drawing players from across the socio-economic sphere.
Among their ranks are 30 players from Zandspruit, spread across their multiple age groups. These players’ participation at the club is free of charge with the club sponsoring kit, transport, and even regular meals for the 20 boys and 10 girls. ETS’s relationship with professional outfit TS Galaxy has created a direct path to a future in the game, illustrated by TS Galaxy snapping up seven of the Zandspruit players at the end of last season.
The Tuffney family is the custodians of the Plein Street organisation and their belief in the players’ immense talent and potential prompted them to extend the charitable hand. Assisting with logistics is coach Kelvin Simbeye who dedicates much of his time to ensuring young players in Zandspruit have an avenue to better their lives.
Kelvin has been with ETS since 2019 and helps recruit standout talent in the informal settlement. Through his connection to multiple teams playing within Zandspruit, he has eyes in all corners and when they are not at school or ETS, Kelvin is hard at work training with the players and keeping them out of trouble.
“When the players do have potential, I take them to ETS. The club is helping the boys a lot. If they don’t have boots, the club makes sure they have boots,” elaborated Kelvin.
Transport to and from practice and games is a challenge for less advantaged players and Kelvin spends many hours behind the wheel each week. Elaborating on his motivations, he stated, “Not all of them will get that opportunity. ETS is a good place for the players because we are like a family. We make sure every age group is always together so they feel they have another family, that is the culture of ETS.”
Lloyd Tuffney is a UEFA A licensed coach and his son Shawn holds a UEFA B licence, exposing the players to an exemplary standard rare to South Africa. Andile Goso and Surprise Matlou, a sample of the U12 players at ETS, expressed their appreciation to the club, saying how they looked forward to coming to ETS every day. Kelvin is their role model and together bright horizons beckon.
Reiterating the ETS ethos, Kelvin said, “The training they get here is great. We do not only think about winning but make sure the kids are developed.”
