West Coast Sports Solutions is now registered as an NPO.
Organitation – West Coast Sports Solutions – Registration number 281 – 169 NPO
For me, a long-awaited dream has finally come true, I am positive that we will make a bigger difference as a team.
This is me..
Date of birth – 16.05.56
Age – 67 years
School – Hopefield Primary
Occupation – Builder and Project Manager
Construction company – Hopefield Master Builders
I have a simple philosophy of life:
It’s all about the kids – They are the future.
Having grown up on a farm during the apartheid years, forced to leave school at 14, i didn’t have many options or opportunities as a young man.
As a result, i struggles to accept the fact that so many young people choose to throw their lives away. Compared to the apartheid years, young people now have amazing opportunities to create better lives for themselves.
In fact, my single biggest concern is that more and more children leave school too early, and too many young people do not use their chances to rise up in life.
Unfortunately, they also face a very different world from the one i grew up in. While high unemployment leaves many kids despondent and without motivation to fight for a better future, drugs, crime and gangsterism seem to provide better options for making a life, or at least coping with it.
While many parents try and push their kids to – at the very least – complete school, that is not enough any more. 50 years ago, having grade 8 was enough to get a job.
Not any more.
Unfortunately, education does not end with a metric certificate either.
At the end of the day, however, everything comes down to motivation, drive and a sense of purpose. Looking at primary school kids loitering around on the streets, when they are supposed to be at school, it is clear that they need more than what they are being taught at school or at home.
Back in 1993, i decided to start doing something to uplift the kids in my home town, Hopefield. I organized a fun day trip for underprivileged six children.
Their appreciation drove me to try to do more. Over the years i ran many projects, mostly by myself, to try and help the kids in my home town.
My most recent project is West Coast Sports Solutions
Why?
Sport does many things for those partaking in it:
1. It teaches us about the effort needed to reach a goal, even if it takes years.
2. It teaches us self discipline, which is crucial for those who want to study after school.
3. It allows us to meet new people, and get to know them in a friendly environment.
4. Being part of a team, teaches us that we sometimes have to make sacrifices for something bigger than ourselves.
5. Being part of a team, teaches us how to fit into a group, and work towards a common goal – a skill that is essential in the workplace.
6. As humans, we don’t want to be alone. Being part of a team gives us a sense of belonging, and a sense of purpose – without getting involved with the wrong crowd.
7. Being part of a team teaches us about supporting one another, helping everyone to stay motivated as they work toward their shared (and individual) goals.
8. Sport, and the regular practice it requires, teaches us about commitment, and the value of routine – regular, continued effort towards our goals.
Because success – or failure – comes from that which we do repeatedly.
At the end of the day, success is a habit.
Despite (or maybe because of) the lack of opportunity as i grew up, i feels i wants to serve my community to make it a better place. A place where people have hope, and kids believe in their dreams.
Sport, with all of the benefits that it brings, gives hope – and increase chances of success – for kids who may never have any other opportunity to get their lives together.
For some, sport opens doors to new opportunities. For others, sport builds a foundation on which they can build their own futures.
Here’s what some of the kids from a previous project have to say about me:
