Madibaz George Football – going places
The Madibaz George Football Club is not only committed to excellence and making progress in the arena of competitive football in the region, club members also share a vision of giving back to the community and being role models for young people in general, and youngsters from a disadvantaged background in particular.
A strong driving force behind the Team’s progress is NMMU Sport Management graduate, Coach Lungisa (“Shakes”) Mkalipi, who firmly believes in the Team’s talent and who is committed to helping them achieve their full potential – both as rising soccer stars and as young people who share an uplifting set of values and a skills set that will empower them as positive role models to help make a difference in the world.
Working with young people is clearly this dedicated professional’s passion. He confesses that the time he spends with the team makes his day. “I see something in them, and I use every opportunity to motivate them – both on and off the field – by setting an example”, he enthuses. He personally lives by the dictum that one should “do one’s bit and the other things will follow” as he continues to encourage the Team to “… give it your all every day as you never know who is watching you”.
He believes young people should participate in sport for the right reasons. They should enjoy themselves and be allowed to make mistakes in a safe environment, yet cultivate critical life-skills such as time management and thinking out of the box , both on and off the sport field. “Fitness is a given”, he explains. However, “talent alone will not suffice; it is dedication that will take you further” he is quick to add.
The Madibaz George Football squad normally train three times a week – on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in preparation for matches that could be scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Sometimes more than one match is played on a day, as was the case recently when two matches were played on the Sunday. “We had one draw and won the others” says the proud coach who is officially accredited with a Level D Coaching License from SAFA and is looking towards advanced FIFA accreditation in the near future.
While it is his ambition to get at least one or two players to enter the professional arena, he emphasises that soccer, as most other sport codes, offers a relatively short career, and therefore a good education and preferably a strong academic background is very important.
Madibaz George Football, as with other sporting codes on campus, is supported administratively and tactically by Madibaz Sport, George, who also work closely with the university’s Sport office located in Port Elizabeth. A new gymnasium, along with swimming pool and various university sport fields are at the disposal of all NMMU George Campus students. Campus Principal, Prof. Quinton Johnson stated at the final game of the season at Lawaaikamp, which the Madibaz won 2-1, that the boys are playing an exciting brand of football under the leadership of our coach. We support them all the way.
We wish Coach “Shakes” and the Squad every success as they pursue their vision of securing a better position on the league next season – allowing them access to the play-offs of the Caste League (region).