Footballers hit the books to create future leaders
For the 26 Premier Soccer League (PSL) footballers who graduated from their course in finance at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (Gibs) in Johannesburg last week, horizons were broadened and ambitions of future leadership positions in the sport stoked.
The three-month PSL and Multi-Choice-backed player transition programme covered modules in personal finance, use of social media in business, how to invest money and business leadership and administration skills. Participants ranged in age from veterans such as former Bafana Bafana captain Thulani Hlatshwayo, and former Kaizer Chiefs, now AmaZulu, defender Ramahlwe Mphahlele, both 34; to 19-year-old Orlando Pirates talent Relebohile Mofokeng.
For Mphahlele, such courses are a start on the path to changing the narrative of footballers not being sensible with money and lifestyles.
“It’s getting there. It still has a long way to go because the past generations have created a stigma, and with some of them, yes, they deserved that tag,” Mphahlele said.
“But it’s our responsibility as the current players and upcoming ones to change it, to say ‘yes it was like this but we can be better’, and learn from the mistakes of previous generations. The programme was impactful, it was insightful. We’ve learnt so much at Gibs. It clearly shows they [the PSL] care about us and our life after retirement.”
DISCIPLINE
Mphahlele said it took discipline to study and attend classes after training sessions.
“We had a lot of online classes. Sometimes you’re coming from training and so tired but you have to sit in front of the laptop, which is not our strongest point. But we had to do what we had to do to stay on this course and I’m proud of the guys and myself. It was not easy.”
Mofokeng said the course was offered to clubs and players had to volunteer. The teenager was the player who put his hand up at Pirates, which says something of his awareness — unusual among young players — of how crucial money management issues can be for footballers. The attacking midfielder said such courses could be even more beneficial to players starting out in their careers who still have to earn and spend money.
“It was a learning process, learning from people like Thulani Hlatshwayo and Ramahlwe Mphahlele, and finding out what they did to get this far,” Mofokeng said.
“It has unlocked a lot of things in my mind. And for me having such programmes is something we wish we could have had as youngsters and the youngsters we have in this group are privileged to have such an opportunity,” Hlatshwayo said.
“I have been interested in starting businesses but my failure was executing them. Now I think I’m ready to start a business in the right way.”
Other players among the 26 graduates were Kamohelo Mokotjo, Daniel Akpeyi, Reyaad Pieterse, Andile Mbanjwa, Kabelo Mahlasela, Mxolisi Macuphu and Sandile Mthethwa.
TWENTY-SIX PREMIER SOCCER LEAGUE PLAYERS GRADUATE FROM FINANCE COURSE