Hoerskool Patriot teacher is breaking records and setting the bar sky high

From the dusty streets of Ezinambeni to representing South Africa in the Youth World Cup and receiving multiple accolades for best defender among others, there is no stopping Gerald Mthombeni.

He is set to represent West Rand District at the Netball South Africa Males Championship at Ellis Park, Johannesburg.

Gerald is a business studies and economics, management studies teacher at Hoërskool Patriot, a pro netball player, an accredited netball SA coach, and umpire B+ National Grading.

Gerald shared that he started playing netball at primary school at the tender age of nine.

“In 2007, I met Ethel Mnguni, and she invited me to the Mpumalanga School Sport trials. I was then chosen for the Mpumalanga School Boys U17 team, where we played at the national school tournament,” Gerald said.

When asked about the biggest break in his netball career, Gerald reckoned that in 2010 he was asked by a friend to assist Sekhukhune District at the Netball South Africa Males Championships, which was his break for his netball career, because he then was exposed to elite netball.

“In 2010, I met Caroline Basiamisi, who then became my mentor and coach. I moved to Pretoria. I then played for Bojanala Netball Federation for two consecutive years at the senior national level, which was 2011 and 2012,” he added.

When Gerald relocated to his place of birth in 2013, he quickly seized the opportunity to play for the Nkangala Netball Federation and was afforded the opportunity to captain the team at the senior males national championship.

Seeing that there was no stopping his immense determination and his love for netball, he was later invited by the Gauteng Central to play in their A team.

“That meant I would be able to play in the Senior A division. I took that opportunity in 2014. We won the SA Netball Championships gold medal, and I then made the SA Men’s Team,” Gerald said.

The multi-talented gentleman has played for Tshwane, where he also captained the team that won gold in the SA Championships B section in 2018.

“In 2019 – 2022, I started playing for West Rand A section in the SA Championships, and we would finish on the podium. In 2023, I then played for Enhlanzeni because my parents had relocated to that area and I had more friends on that side. We played in the B section at the SA Championships and won silver medals,” Gerald proudly smiled.

Gerald has been on the SA team since 2014, however, he did confess that his job as an educator takes priority, and it is quite challenging to keep up with all the requirements of the national duties.

“I am a full-time teacher and I study online, doing my final year with Unisa (second-year qualification) playing netball and ring ball has taught me a lot about life. Sport in general contributed a lot; it taught me time management and discipline on and off the court,” he assured.

Gerald confessed that netball has afforded him many opportunities in life.

“I was able to do my first qualification because of netball.

I got a sports bursary at Tshwane University of Technology and I managed to travel around South Africa and abroad through netball creating memories and finding friends from all over the world,” he remembered.

He added that in 2021 his team played an international series against Uganda and Kenya, where they scooped first position as the SA Protea Pumas.

In 2022 his team received an official invitation to the Americas Championships and got to play against Jamaica, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada and Barbuda.

“There were times when giving up made sense, but my parents Maria and Simon Mthombeni, along with my siblings, supported me and gave me hope that one day, this would pay off. I am grateful for their support and love,” Gerald ended.

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