Stars in their Eyes

Stars in their Eyes coaches are unique individuals. They are completely committed to their communities, and they are trained to continuously search for ways in which they can create linkages between sport and issues surrounding positive community development.

Stars in their Eyes focuses on improving the quality of the coaching skills of our people, as well as developing their leadership skills. Our coaches are involved in many areas, amongs others:
•    Sports coaching for school children and youth;
•    Organising community sport tournaments;
•    Creating projects which inspire youths to change their lives.

Structurally, we have ‘built’ a pyramid of community coaches all over South Africa, all able to ‘take charge’ in terms of creating positive change in their communities.

The first layer – the bottom of the pyramid – today consists of  420 community coaches in 173 villages, and who are all able to run community programs at grass roots level. These coaches are active at micro level, i.e. each in his/own own community. In addition to our own coaches we have also trained coaches from ‘other’ organisations, such as Spur Masidlale and the Score Foundation.

The next layer (but still at the bottom of the pyramid) consists of ‘senior community coaches’, i.e. coaches who assume responsibility at a higher level – coordinating, organising, motivating and lecturing. These coaches are responsibility for a group (or cluster) of communities which are situated close to one another, and we have already trained 50 coaches at this level.

A further level consists of regional coaches in areas such as the West Coast, Eden, Overberg, KwaZulu. The specific responsibility for these coaches is to create strategic partnerships within their regions, to lead, plan and control. In addition to managing the organization, they are also responsible for the guidance of new coaches in the provinces which were added during 2011: Gauteng/Tswane, NorthWest and Northern Cape.

The following 8 senior regional coordinators report to Elton and Desiree.

Zola is a huge inspiration to the coaches in the impoverished Eastern Cape, specifically those who are active in the Addo-region. Since being trained as advanced coach, he has gone from strength to strength in changing the perception of football as ‘kicking a ball’, to one of intense community activity. Anybody who wishes to experience what Stars in its ultimate form means, should visit one of Zola’s tournaments. Pensioners, toddlers, the fire brigade,  even the local policemen become involved. Amidst the football matches, there is singing and dancing, and always something to eat for the communty’s elders.

Like the Stars goodwill ambassador Larry Joe, Granwill Pienaar has come a long way since his release from prison as a juvenile offender. Ever since joining Stars in their Eyes in 2007 he has been a highly energetic and deeply committed coach to football and community development. Shorty was the champion of taking Stars into partnerships with the prison and authorities. As regional coördinator he has taken football to a new level in the Central Karoo, and has become ‘the big guy’ in terms of not allowing politics to effect the opportuinities which are afforded to his kids.

Also known as ‘The Silent One’, Ricardo Kock has pushed forward with development work in Bitterfontein, a village which is really off the beaten track. His work as rregional coördinator was hampered by the extreme distanced, and the absence of any form of reliable public transport. Notwithstanding these difficulties, Ricardo has managed to put football on the map in his region, and has taken football to places such as Kharkams and Hondeklipbaai. Last but not least, he has become a community councillor of the African National Congress, which shows the level of support which he has in his community.

Kerlien (The Iron lady) Klaassen thrives on her work as regional coördinator, notwithstanding the fact that she is also employed fulltime by the department of correctional services in the Southern Cap region. Kerlien is well-respected (even feared) by her male colleagues, due the fact that honesty and integrity is of utmost importance to her. In addition to these aspects, Kerlien always brings a smile to the party, and is able to turn the greatest of difficulties around. It has been a priviledge to work with Kerlien, and to experience the support which she has brought to communities such as Lawaaikamp, Knysna, Mosselbaai and Plettenbergbaai.

During the past years Ricardo (aka Bob Marley) Phillipshas been a steady, reliable stalwart of the Stars in their Eyes Foundation. He is deeply committed to the communities of Hout Bay. Ricardo has worked tirelessly to unite the different racial and cultural groups of Hout Bay, and he was intrumental in creating one united club out of three previously separate, and fiercely competitive clubs. This undermined unity, and created a lot of strife. Apart from his work with the disadvantaged youth of Hout Bay and surrounds, Ricardo has also played a big role in taking the dream of an artificial field for Hout Ba to reality.

Monwabisis (Prince) Ralarala is active in the city townships such as Langa, Nyanga, Gugulethu and Kayelitsha. He is a well-know and respected community leader, who has managed to convince different interest groups to realise that they have to come together and collaborate in order to achieve real change in their communities. Prince is very active in taking the Stars-model to schools, and has worked extremely hard at this. In addition, he has done the operational management of  a number of WorldCoach courses, and the KNVB lecturers have at all times been very complimentary with regards his capabilities in terms of managing discipline and timekeeping.

Likewise to Granwill Pienaar, Martin van Wyk has also come a long way from his time as juvenile offender. According to Martin, his decision to change his life came just at the right time. Since then, he has progressed his studies, has become the local sports coördinator in his village, has created broad-based cooperation between schools, local authorities, sports bodies and businesses. Martin has become a solid negotiator, who understands that in the complex South African cultural society, winning is not awlays everything. But rather getting people to respect each other’s point of view. Martin will definitely achieve great success in his life!

Above: Martin (left) with some Dutch trainers during a visit to a school

Sharon Lombard played for Banyana Banyana for a number of years. Since hanging up her boots she has become a much feared referee in Western Cape football, and was named Referee of the Tournament at the 1996 Nike under 15 Tournament, named Western Province Sportswoman as well as Referee of the Year in 1999. Sharon was also the woman in the middle in the final of the Halala Cup in 2003, men's Coca Cola Cup in 2003, Coke Ladies Final in 2003, 2004 and 2005. She was also the Vodacom final in 2005 and 2006. Sharon is a wonderfully committed community person in the impoverished West Coast communiy of Atlantis, and also travels far and wide to reach the outlying fishing villages in her region. She instills iron discipline on any Stars course in which she is involved, and has become a crucial member of the team.

Above: Sharon (in the orange shirt) doing what she loves best: working with the kids!

Why the focus on deploying coaches to focus on community development as opposed to ‘pure’ soccer skills??

One of our great friends, Francis Kimanzi of MYSA Kenya, once said:

“A game of soccer is only 90 minutes,

but a community will be there forever….”