The University Sport is set to continue to make a mark on the higher education landscape – some of the University players are part of the national teams that played international tournaments recently. In April, the Sport department signed new contracts with Sport coaches. The length of the contracts for this year varies between six and eight months, based on the league competition and sometimes the USSA competition period.
The Deputy Director of the department, Siyabulela Mkwalo said that the contractual arrangement with coaches was informed by the sport code categorisation. “There are four sport codes that fall under the priority section, and these are Basketball, Football, Netball and Athletics. These sport codes enjoy a biased support service in the form of technical staff since they form part of the High- Performance programme,” said Mkwalo. These sporting codes are compelled to participate in multiple competitions that include regional, provincial league, domestic cup competitions and national competitions on annual basis. Mkwalo also said the coaching experience was also considered. “The accumulated exposure is a critical component that is considered for the appointment and remuneration of coaches,” Mkwalo said. He also said that performance and results were taken into consideration in the appointment process.
Mkwalo, said his department has programmes that will be driven by these ‘specialists’ that are sourced from outside the University. According to Mkwalo, the coaches’ main duties relate to talent acquisition and training, programme development, event promotion, and sport club awareness on campus. Coaches are also to help students achieve healthy lifestyles and developing targets. Coaches also must monitor and enhance players’ performance by providing encouragement and constructive feedback and identifying strengths and weaknesses to enable better performing athletes during local competition and USSA tournaments.
During the induction that took place on 3 May 2024, new and returning coaches were informed of all the University processes that relate to their duties. For instance, Khehla Ndlovu, the Transport department head, explained to the coaches the procedure followed when requesting a vehicle for a trip. Dr Mthoko Ntuli, Student Development Officer, explained all the procedures that govern students on campus and relate to Sport.