Top athletes gushing over support systems
After winning his second 400m world title in London last year, Wayde van Niekerk was both gushing and blushing when he admitted to the global media that his latest gold medal was the first he would be allowed to keep.
The other accolades he has received for the multitude of titles he has won, including the 2015 global crown and the 2016 Olympic title, are available for Van Niekerk to look at whenever he wants. He can even pick them up and hang them around his neck. But they’re not really his. They belong to his mom.
“My mother says any medals I won under her roof will stay under her roof,” Van Niekerk revealed with a sheepish grin in the English capital.
Not that he minds. He often talks about how much his family means to him and how much he appreciates their support, so Van Niekerk is no doubt happy to share the glory.
In most interviews, he’ll credit his coach or his physiotherapist, or both, because he values their input in keeping him fit and injury-free (when he’s not launching an amateur touch rugby career).
Van Niekerk doesn’t view himself as an individual athlete. He considers himself to be a member of a team.
South Africa’s other Olympic track champion, Caster Semenya, is equally outspoken about the support she receives from various individuals, particularly coach Jean Verster.
When she speaks about herself, Semenya uses plurals. It’s always “we” and “us”. Never “I” or “me”. And they are not alone. On the sidelines of last season’s World Championships, where Van Niekerk and Semenya earned two medals each, many athletes were vocal in expressing their gratitude to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) for recognising their coaches by giving them medals if their athletes reached the podium.
Very few global stars are self- trained, and for good reason. A support team doesn’t only provide guidance on the track and in the gym, it also offers a circle of trust and a source of motivation.
So the announcement made this week that the R8 million deal between Olympic 100m finalist Akani Simbine and Liquid Telecom would incorporate support for the athlete’s coach, giving Werner Prinsloo the opportunity to work with him full-time, was a progressive move.
If a sponsor wants full value for its money, long-term investment and a commitment to an individual’s support team can play key roles in ensuring their success.
And by roping a crucial member of his team into the deal, Simbine’s sponsor has ensured he will not have to worry about whether his coach has the time, energy or resources to give him the attention he needs over the next three years.
Considering how much value athletes place in the investment of their support teams, sponsors could do themselves some real favours by immersing their brands in the environments of their assets, and Liquid Telecom’s approach could well trigger similar deals across various other codes.
No athlete stands alone. Even without a coach, they all have support systems, and nurturing those systems is as important as the backing which is usually targeted solely at the athlete.
By giving support to the support, brands will invest in an athlete’s future, and that’s what they really need.