The u-16 boys of Newmans Football Club are already pretty good at kicking ball (they won their league), but now they also get a chance to up their academic score.
The boys recently started swapping soccer training sessions for study sessions in preparation for the November exams.
Sessions run for the duration of the exams for those who need the help, says the club’s founder, Nathan Newman.
Newman explains this is a trial run to set the stage for a comprehensive academic support programme at the club to help the players succeed beyond football.
“We work in collaboration with the Western Cape Sports School (WCSS) which is the club’s home ground.”
The club also creates opportunities for boys from the school to play football and while there are skilled footballers Newman noticed some struggle academically. “We had the opportunity to offer three boys scholarships and none achieved 50% in their academics. That is why I decided we must do something to assist these boys holistically.”
Bond
The planned academic programme for next year will include study sessions on Mondays and football training on Wednesdays.
“You can only squeeze so much football out of a kid. The chance of making it to professional level is 1%, so we need to upskill them beyond football and make them understand that schooling is very important. Especially our age groups from u-14 to u-18.”
Newman says many boys walk to practise and lack daily routines where parents are not always on hand as they work long hours.
“Parents were so pleased when we started now. My son is going to football, but he is also going to study, and on Wednesday he is going to play football – either way, the boys are not going to be on the street.”
They have started with the trial run to assist the boys in the November exams, but from next year at the end of term one they will look at the boys’ academic reports.
“That will determine how many days they will study and how many days they will play football. We are trying to collaborate with the Sports School for the performance reports.”
Newman says he managed to get tutors, third-year students, first-year teachers, and retired teachers on board to assist with the programme.
The trial focuses on the under 16s – Grades 9 and 10.
“It is all good to have another football club in Kuils River, but what are we doing extra for the kids? I want to go beyond just kids coming to play football,” Newman says.
“It needs to be a holistic environment – like a family bond.
“The u-16 team have won the league and the knockout – they’ve done the double this season. Those boys have a good bond and now they are also studying together, which creates an even better bond.”
