Protect the young Baartman!
There has been so much attention, hype and excitement around 17-year-old Cape Town Spurs striker Luke ‘Boere’ Baartman as he continues to mesmerise the passionate football supporters whose attention he has caught since making his debut against Olando Pirates in the entertaining 2-1 home win for the Sean Connor-led side (who was stand-in coach after the club parted ways with club legend Shaun Bartlett) at Cape Town Stadium, coming on as a 49th-minute substitute replacing Ashley Cupido.
Bartlett won the team the promotion to the elite league and played a major role in grooming the exciting young striker and getting him ready for the huge task on his hands. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the excitement of seeing a 17-year-old making his DStv Premiership debut and looking the part, but there is everything wrong with putting so much weight on a youngster’s shoulders so soon even before he establishes himself as a regular starter at his club, let alone one of the best attackers in the league.
Just over a month after making his debut, we have put so much emphasis, pressure and expectations on this young striker even before he sets the league alight with his exploits. So much is expected from the boy, who has only started three of the five league games he’s been involved in, scoring one goal so far. He’s only played one full game, against Royal AM, as he’s come on as an impact player three times and was subbed off once. The high demands of the elite league, together with his club’s desperate situation, as they only have three points – from their famous win against Pirates – to show for the 13 matches they’ve played so far this campaign, make it all the tougher for him. This, being their first season back after five years of failed attempts to get back, by winning Motsepe Foundation Championship or relegation/promotion play-offs, the Urban Warriors have lost 12 of their games so far and it comes as no surprise that they find themselves rooted at the bottom of the log standings.
When you look at Spurs, you’ve got to admire their bravery because, most of the time, teams tend to overlook youth for experience when they are in the position and situation the Ikamva-based outfit find themselves in. Players at ‘Boere’s age are usually reserved for when things are going well and they get introduced gradually into the team, by coming on towards the end with their team enjoying a lead. For Spurs to continue to play the youngster ahead of more experienced campaigners says a lot about the belief they have in him and it also says a lot about what they feel he can achieve. However, we need to be careful not to crush his young shoulders with massive pressure of expectations, lest he breaks down and gets overwhelmed. He’s already under tremendous pressure with his club struggling to find the back of the net or get maximum points on a regular basis. It was good to see him break his duck, when he calmly slotted past Itumeleng Khune in their clash against Kaizer Chiefs – yet another game they lost when they could have gotten something from it. That the team lost meant his goal counted for less than it would have done had it been a winner. It would have taken his confidence, as well as that of the team, to another level. Because they are struggling and he’s such a young boy, with so much expected from him, he needs to be protected and allowed to grow into the game.
The mistake he made against Stellenbosch FC in the Western Cape derby, where he went into a tackle and, unwittingly, set up Iqraam Rayners one-on-one with goalkeeper Sam Ramsbottom, who struck home the opener, was the kind of school fees he needs to pay. His body language after the ball hit the back of the net told the story, but his bravery and big heart was marvellous to see, as he dusted himself off and continued fighting rather than dropping his head. For a 17-year-old, it could have been easy to blame himself and lose focus after making such a mistake, especially playing for a team struggling as much as Spurs are.
It is understandable that people expect him to shine, score goals and set the scene alight, based on his potential, but the danger is expecting too much from him too soon. The more games he plays without scoring goals, the lower the confidence and self-belief because strikers are judged based on the number of goals they score. Maybe, just maybe, the senior players and the technical team have a massive role to play in protecting the player and making him understand that he has a bright future ahead of him and that he should not stop enjoying the Beautiful Game. The moment frustration creeps in, he will – like anyone under pressure – start looking for an escape and that could become anything, but most of the time it is nothing to enhance their game. We have seen several young and promising talents that were never fulfilled because they were celebrated too soon. They were put on a pedestal long before they could even create a name for themselves. We have set the bar so low that one good game guarantees cover headlines and so much limelight. Not every youngster has it in them to withstand the gruelling task of becoming a professional footballer or athlete at a young age. Some of these youngsters become breadwinners by virtue of being professional athletes because they suddenly earn more than anyone in their families, or they are the only ones with an income. That means, if not well-guarded, their word is final whether right or wrong.
Remember promising youngsters like Mkhanyiseli Siwahla, Michael Nkambule, Emmanuel Letlotlo, Romano Scott, Stanton Lewis, Sipho Nunens, Siphelele Ntshangase and a litany of others who were seen as future stars that had so bright a future they were predicted to make a massive impact in big European leagues and at Bafana Bafana? These are just some of the players who never maximised their potential in football, for various reasons, and the last thing we need is to see more of our talent becoming victims of the same trappings. Most of these players couldn’t stand the spotlight that comes with playing professional football at a young age because they were rushed into stardom, without enough preparation and grounding. Sadly, we only hold on to memories and wonder what could have become of their talents, had they fulfilled their true potential and went on to represent the country beyond our shores? That’s one of the questions we will never have an answer to, but we can avoid it by ensuring that the next generation of youngsters is protected from the premature spotlight, high expectations, pressure and off-field demons.
The South African football fraternity has been dealt yet another blow by the untimely passing of sports journalist and 2010 FIFA World Cup Head of Communications, Jermaine Craig. What a humble and generous soul he was! Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends and everyone who knew JC. May his dear soul rest in peace.