Soccer initiative for boys and girls has dual aim

Seven-a-side soccer is changing young lives in far-flung Eastern Cape village schools.

On Friday, 12 teams from four schools in KwaBhaca in the Alfred Nzo district, battled each other out for supremacy.

On Saturday, four other schools from in and around Mthatha under the O R Tambo inland education district, showcased their skills at a tournament held at Nozuko Senior Secondary School near Ikwezi township.

But, unlike regular school tournaments, each side has to have four male players and three female players at all times.

Matches, team selection, referees and coaches are selected by the players themselves.

And to top it all, each school team consists of players from the same grade.

A KwaZulu-Natal-based cement company working with the department of education in the Eastern Cape is promoting the novel form of the popular game as a way to fight substance abuse, violence, teen pregnancy and bullying in schools, to help boost healthy lifestyles among pupils.

The Natal Portland Cement (NPC) programme is also designed to empower children with life orientation skills by encouraging them to talk about the challenges they face and to try find lasting solutions.

Speaking to the Daily Dispatch at the event, NPC's corporate social investment specialist, Wendy Ngcobo, said the tournament’s focus was not just on soccer.

“It [having mixed teams] works well as a tool for genderbased violence,” she said.

“Boys learn to show respect to girls, while the idea of having them play soccer itself is just a tool to get the message across.

“They learn that winning is not everything but it’s more about respect for your team.”

She said they had started several similar projects with schools in KZN but because they were starting to make inroads in the Eastern Cape as a company, they felt compelled to be active within local communities here.

Ngangelizwe Senior Secondary School pupil Esona Panduva, 15, said she had only started playing soccer this year as the sport had not been offered at her previous school. But she conceded that it was sometimes tough on the field up against the boys.

“They go in hard but I love that they don’t give us special treatment and just treat us as players like them,” she said.

Atwell Madala Senior Secondary pupil Chulumanco Qashani said the tournament proved that girls were as capable as boys when it came to playing soccer.

Qashani was chosen in her class team as a youth leader.

She said the initiative had been a real eye-opener for her because they were encouraged to listen to the same people they were chosen to lead.

“Sometimes as a leader you have to be led,” she said.

O R Tambo inland district education sports co-ordinator Yoliswa Mxakaza also hailed the tournament, saying sport was generally renowned for playing a big role in building social cohesion and boosting unity among pupils from different schools.

She said sometimes adults did not fully understand the pressures facing young people.

“But now they are able to reach out to each other using their own language.”