Sella goes all out to give youths a chance
Club’s launch event was attended by its members, mentors and top SA players
Sella’s Pool Club launched its pool academy at an event attended by the club’s young members, their mentors and top SA players.
Sella Doyle, a Dispatch Local Heroes winner, feeds more than 80 children twice weekly through Sella’s Feeding Scheme, but has been feeding more than just their hunger through the game of pool.
Doyle took a shack at her brother’s house and converted it into a pool club about two months ago, with two tables for the youngsters to practise on. She used to have a pool club five years ago.
“I had a [video] game shop and there was a pool table in there. I saw the potential of the kids and decided to start a pool club for the three game shops in Parkside to play against each other.”
She has 21 children at the new club, with more wanting to learn.
“They practise daily and play leagues games on Sundays,” Doyle said.
“Only the under-23s play in the league because it’s normally played at bars and taverns.”
Ex-Border pool player Ntando “Wise Man” Nkosiyane remembered the first time he saw Doyle with “all these kids following her” to a league game.
“The kids were actually her team and I remember thinking ‘these are talented youngsters’. Many people were reluctant to coach or mentor me as a youngster, so what Sella and the mentors [at the academy] are doing is great for pool as a sport,” Nkosiyane said.
Eastern Cape Pool and Snooker Association president Dalithemba Luwaca said: “We want to change the culture of cue sports because people think it’s a shebeen sport and that kids will follow the wrong paths there.
“We want cue sports to be accessible in centres where there is no alcohol. Our aim is to have 60% of the teams playing league pool to be youngsters and projects like these are a start.”
Sella’s Pool Club manager and mentor Angelo Cassels said they also taught life skills at the academy.
“This club was started as a way of keeping kids busy and away from negative elements,” Cassels said.
National player Edward Johnson said he would visit to mentor the children.
Doyle said: “What I want to achieve with this project is to see teenagers take their rightful place in their communities and strive for excellence in every challenge they face.”