The dedicated pupils of Oval North High School’s drill squad practise up to 20 hours a week, often without the equipment or support they need, but their commitment never wavers.
“Not being able to place anywhere in the competition is sad because these kids put in so much effort. They are so disciplined. I never have a problem with their discipline,” said team manager Madenieyah Gertse. “They sacrifice their weekends to practise drilling.”
In less than two weeks, the Beacon Valley squad will take part in the National Marching and Drilling Competition. Yet they face a steep disadvantage: they do not have drums, caps, ties or gloves. Gertse explained that while the team will borrow what they can, mismatched uniforms could cost them valuable points.
“We get penalised for wearing different colour blazers or broken school shoes, but some of our kids can’t afford new shoes or even a white shirt. Still, we open the doors for everybody,” she said. “This sport is not just for a certain type of child. It is for everybody, whether you are struggling financially, socially, or just to make a friend. Here we all become family.”
Creative solutions
But how does a squad practise without drums?
“They make the drum beats with their mouths,” Gertse explained.
Sometimes, they use makeshift drums cobbled together from broken parts held by tape, rope and cable ties. If no miracle sponsor steps in before 18 October, the squad will have to hire drums.
For Gertse, the role is personal. A former Oval North cadet herself, she returned as a teaching assistant two years ago and took over managing the squad.
“This is my way of giving back to the community, to create the safe space I once needed as a teenager,” she said. “We are in the heart of the violence in Beacon Valley, but our youth still want to show others that they are the generation ready to make a change.”
Her words echo those of another coach facing similar challenges.
At Eastville Primary School in Eastridge, coach Yunus Abrahams also leads a squad where discipline remains high despite constant disruptions from gang violence.
“The area is volatile,” he said. “A lot of the squad members’ friends and family are in gangs, but that hasn’t stopped these kids from dedicating themselves.”
Come rain or shine
When TygerBurger visited, a sudden downpour caught the pupils mid-practice. They marched on until Abrahams called a halt.
“Your parents are not going to be happy with me if you get sick,” he joked, shepherding them under cover.
Like Gertse, Abrahams sees his squad as a second family. Many of the children, he said, have been bullied or come from single-parent homes.
“They’ve all been in the same boat,” Abrahams explained. “Here, they’ve found their common ground. Their self-esteem has grown, and so have their marks. Most of them are A students now, because of drilling. I even tutored two of them. That’s the level of trust we have.”
Although Abrahams had experience coaching high school squads before, he had never taken a team to competition until Eastville. Their biggest success came last year when, against all expectations, they placed third overall.
“We didn’t expect to get as far as we did,” he said proudly.
- The interprovincial drilling and marching competition will take place at the Jan Burger Sports Complex in Parow on Saturday 18 October.
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