A coach at the Ravensmead Football Club u-8 team said he is proud of his team after they had lost only two matches the entire season.
The club, established in 1965, after being first called Linden Parks, has drawn children from the broader local community. Sabastian Williams, coach of the u-8s, said the team performed so well because there was buy-in and dedication from stakeholders, including coaches, parents and players.
“We set a goal for this year just to be in the final,” he said. “The training sessions were moulded around getting into the knockout finals so the tactics, formation and passing drills were drilled into the children with a lot of repetition work. With the kids being all under 8 it was difficult at times to get the message across, but we stuck to our guns.”
Discipline
Williams said one of the main goals at the club is to install discipline. “We call it the DDD, meaning discipline, dedication and determination. We also strive to give them the life tools to tackle life outside the soccer field and we value education and courage very much. With the club being in a poor area at times it’s difficult to coach these kids as you can see how tough it is at home. That is why we strive to teach them to work hard for what they want and encourage them to respect the opponents.”
4-1Winning the knockout final against Matroosfontein Football Club 4-1 on penalties was not the only thing the club achieved this season. At the club’s recent presentation ceremony the team was named Team of the Year (75% win record), Zeke Nero won the Golden Boot (19 goals during the season) and Rjay Fortuin won the Golden Glove (10 clean sweeps).
“To be part of the coaching staff for these young group of kids that achieved the impossible made it the worthwhile proving that with hard work that you can achieve anything that you put your mind to it. The year 2024 will always be special to us as this year we hosted a family day in memory of my late dad, Rodney Williams, who was chair of the juniors. His life revolved around the kids. We strive to continue his legacy by giving them the best we can.”
