Ek onthou nog hoe ons in Julie 1985 vasgenael voor die TV na die eindstryd van die Wimbledon-tennistoernooi gesit en kyk het. Die Suid-Afrikaanse boorling Kevin Curren het teen die 17-jarige Duitser Boris Becker gespeel. Ten spyte van Curren se ongelooflike kishoue, was dit Becker se jeugdige ratsheid wat hom uiteindelik die oorwinning besorg het.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vir ons as Suid-Afrikaners was dit \u2019n bitter pil om te sluk dat so \u2019n japsnoet ons held in vier stelle kon uitoorl\u00ea. Becker was destyds die jongste mans-enkelspelspeler wat \u2019n Grand Slam-toernooi gewen het.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Boris Becker se oorwinning in 1985 was nie maar net \u2019n blote gelukskoot nie. Die volgende jaar het hy sy titel suksesvol teen die w\u00eareld se nommer 1-speler, Ivan Lendl, verdedig. Uiteindelik het hy ses Grand Slam-toernooie gewen, waarvan drie die Wimbledon-titel was, asook in 1992 \u2019n Olimpiese goue medalje in Barcelona.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hy het altesaam sewe keer in Wimbledon-eindstryde gespeel en is in 1989 as die w\u00eareld se speler van die jaar bekroon. In 1987 het hy \u2019n wedstryd met \u2019n rekordlengte van ses uur en 22 minute teen John McEnroe gewen en uiteindelik in 1999 as speler uitgetree. Later was hy drie jaar lank die w\u00eareld se nommer 1-speler, Novak Djokovic, se afrigter en in 2003 is hy vereer deur in die International Tennis Hall of Fame opgeneem te word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wat \u2019n ongelooflike CV en rolmodel. Ongelukkig is dit nie die einde van sy CV nie. Ons het onlangs in die nuus verneem dat die einste Becker op 54- jarige ouderdom vir 2\u00bd jaar tronk toe gestuur is vir insolvensiebedrog wat hy gepleeg het. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2019n Vriend saam met wie ek al kursusse aangebied het, het eenmaal ges\u00ea hy glo dit is beter om mense wat reeds oorlede is as helde voor te hou. Hoekom? Aangesien ons reeds weet hoe hul lewe ge\u00ebindig het, is dit onwaarskynlik dat ons vertroue in hulle later geknou sal word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aan die een kant wil \u2019n mens wonder hoe dit moontlik is dat \u2019n man wat meer as $25 miljoen prysgeld en \u2019n algehele inkomste van $130 miljoen (borgskappe ingesluit) uit tennis verdien het, in finansi\u00eble moeilikheid kan beland. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aan die ander kant is dit tragies om te sien hoe di\u00e9 goue seun van tennis so ver geval het.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Het Boris Becker se sukses dalk vir hom te veel roem op \u2019n bloedjong ouderdom gebring? Sewentien jaar oud en die miljoene stroom in; enorme bedrae prysgeld en groot sportmaatskappye wat toustaan omdat hulle jou graag in hul handelsmerk-klere wil sien deelneem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dit is vir elke ouer wonderlik as jou spruit op \u2019n jong ouderdom al uitsonderlik presteer, hetsy dit op akademiese, kultuur- of sportgebied is. In vandag se mededingende w\u00eareld is dit vir enige ouer \u2019n riem onder die hart as jou telg hom of haar uitsonderlik kan onderskei.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ek onthou egter ook die jare toe ek as ho\u00ebrskoolonderwyser die skool se atletiekorganiseerder was. Een van my verantwoordelikhede was om die sterkste atletiekspan moontlik vir interskole-kompetisies in te skryf. Dan kom gr. 8-leerders wat al in die laerskool provinsiale kleure in drie atletieknommers behaal het, maar nou nie verder wil deelneem nie, want \u201cek het reeds provinsiale kleure gekry en is nie lus vir die harde oefen net om dit weer te kry nie\u201d. S\u00f3 gaan van ons mees talentvolle atlete dikwels vir sport verlore. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wanneer jy jonk is, soos in Becker se geval met sy eerste Wimbledon-toernooi, het jy niks om te verloor nie. Nadat hy egter die titel gewen het, was die druk vierkantig op sy skouers, want toe verwag almal van hom om dit weer te doen, en die nuusmedia laat nie so iemand met rus nie. Kan \u2019n mens van \u2019n tiener verwag om sulke groot roem en druk te verwerk en ongeskonde en nederig anderkant uit te kom?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Groot roem, word ges\u00ea, bring meer mense tot \u2019n val as swaarkry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Goeie karakter is net so belangrik soos goeie prestasie. In skole en by ons werkplekke word baie klem op prestasie gel\u00ea, maar uitsonderlike prestasies sonder \u2019n sterk karakter lei maklik tot hoogmoed. En hoogmoed, s\u00ea die Bybel, kom tot \u2019n val.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(David Malherbe is \u2019n vryskutskrywer \u2013 www.jedidiah.org.za.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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