Passionate coach uses netball to help youngsters off the street
As a former hockey player, Hazel Gertze, 62, is now among the best netball coaches in the community.
IN response to reducing crime in Wentworth and getting the youth off the streets, a passionate mother turned to sports.
Having been involved with netball in the area since 2015, Hazel Gertze, 62, is best known as a coach to many in the community.
Although a former hockey player, she was among a group of individuals who put their foot down following the spate of shootings in the area in late 2014.
“I remember that December, there was a lot of shooting that led to some youngsters sadly passing away. We started talking on Facebook about all the shootings and drugs in Wentworth and decided we will have a meeting at Wentworth Organisation for Women (WOW).
Carl Webster was elected then and continues to flourish in his role.
“He then encouraged me to coach netball. Take note, I was a hockey player. I knew very little about netball. But he made sure I attend all the necessary coaching clinics. Today I am a registered level one coach,” said the mother of two, who also has six grandchildren and a great-grandson.
Her coaching career includes working with U11 to U15 at Assegai Primary School as well as some learners at Wentworth Secondary School.
“My best highlight was taking the girls to Cape Town. To see the joy and excitement on their faces is something I will never forget. Some of them had never been out of Durban. The thing I love the most is watching how some of the girls develop into very good players,” she said.
Her hopes for netball in the country is for its growth, especially since she believes it fared well in the World Cup. She wants the girls she’s coached to always remember the discipline that was taught to them and to always respect the next person.
Her advice to her athletes is, “They should exercise and try to get a ball to do some passes. If they can go for a jog with their parents, to do so. “When playing netball, you must be fit because you are running continuously on the court,” she added.
