VETERANS TEACH AMATEURS LIFE SKILLS
Old guard facilitate SAB intiative
FORMER South African football players were on hand this week to facilitate the SAB League Youth Diversion programme, offering critical life-skills training to young players participating in the National Championships of Safa’s largest grassroots development league.
The programme is a partnership between the breweries and local non-governmental organisation, Footballers4Life, whose veteran players train South Africa’s future stars.
These players include Silver Shabalala (AmaZulu, Cosmos, Black Leopards), Collen Tlemo (Cosmos, Portadown), Charles Motlohi (Bloemfontein Celtic, Mamelodi Sundowns, Bafana Bafana), and Enrico Bhana (Tembisa Classic, Dangerous Darkies, Wits).
The programme is a new component of the breweries’ recently extended commitment to local grassroots football development through the SAB League, and is aimed at driving positive social change among players by equipping them with important life skills.
Skills transferred to the players during the workshops include computer skills (CV writing, financial management); insight into non-administrative football careers (physiotherapy, fitness training, sports psychology) and administrative careers (public relations, management); and an introduction to the learner’s licence course.
Participants in the Youth Diversion Programme include players representing the country’s nine provinces and one invitational team from University Sports South Africa who are competing in weeklong SAB League National Championships.
“The Youth Diversion Programme focuses on fulfilling players’ sporting potential, helping them to manage well-balanced and empowered lives,” said Hepsy Mkhungo, SAB head: enterprise development and community partnerships.
The SAB League National Championships take place in Stellenbosch, Western Cape, with the final clash on Saturday, July 13. –