Precious Mthembu

“I think education is the key for all the young players. Going to school is important, especially being a female athlete in South Africa. The sports that we play is not professional, you need to have another source of income.”

“Netball has really changed my life drastically and I’m hoping that someone will follow in my footsteps. To take the journey that I’ve taken by using sports to change their lives.”

“If athletes do not have the support and their basic needs are not satisfied then they die out. Young athletes drop out of sport because of the lack of support from around their communities.”

““Also being an athlete, I know what it feels like to not get what you’re supposed to get. My job is to communicate with federations, captains and managers to make sure that everyone is happy within their roles and codes. Just to make sure everyone has what they’re supposed to have.”

“The players can be inspired by their coaches who have played at the highest level before.”

“We are former players, we have played in the same together, and we have always had the same goal, so the connection is great.”

“Preparation is everything.”

“The pride of seeing the team celebrate victories together is something I’ll never forget.”

“Being the first coach to help take South Africa into the top four is a milestone, but it’s also just the beginning of where we want to go.”