Having people in your corner who can love and support them goes a long way in breeding the champions of the future, is a mantra Springbok captain Siya Kolisi lives by.
The two-time World Cup winner was speaking at a Red Bull Roots Clinic at Nelson Mandela University on Saturday, a one-day event established to foster and nurture the young rugby talents of tomorrow.
The occasion saw a host of young players hang on every word of advice uttered by the Bok captain.
The clinic, which was first hosted in Durban in 2023, is a multiyear partnership between the Kolisi Foundation and the energy drink producer as they look to discover talent and instil the values of rugby into young players.
The future stars were put through their paces as they learnt about the various aspects of the game, but moreover, it was an opportunity for the young ones to learn key concepts like teamwork and relationship building, both on and off the field.
“Today [Saturday] was really special for me, and really encouraging for the vision I have for the communities I come from, not just for Zwide, but communities that have very few resources and still need help in this regard.
“If we can do this more often in different communities with different sports, we can make this much bigger.
“Seeing how happy the children were, they obviously want more of this because it takes you away from the bad things that are present in society,” Kolisi said.
Speaking about the importance of parental involvement and support for young, aspiring sportsmen and women, Kolisi felt it was the biggest driver for children to succeed when they know their parents or loved ones were fully backing them.
“The children need people to be there, offer encouragement and love them, give them time and just give them good, positive guidance.
“Sometimes it’s not just your parents, sometimes it’s an uncle, a brother or sister, a teacher or a coach, it doesn’t just end with the parents.
“These are the spaces where we should be giving positive affirmations, words of encouragement that let them know they can be whatever they want because they don’t always get it at home.
“Sometimes the parents are not thinking about that, not because they don’t want to, but because they are worrying about how they are going to put food on the table.
“So it is important for us as adults that we are mindful of how we treat them and how we treat each other in front of them.
“They need protection from seeing things they shouldn’t be seeing because it tends to affect them when they are older and how they see life,” he said.
HeraldLIVE
Kolisi helping to create future champions
Image: WERNER HILLS
Having people in your corner who can love and support them goes a long way in breeding the champions of the future, is a mantra Springbok captain Siya Kolisi lives by.
The two-time World Cup winner was speaking at a Red Bull Roots Clinic at Nelson Mandela University on Saturday, a one-day event established to foster and nurture the young rugby talents of tomorrow.
The occasion saw a host of young players hang on every word of advice uttered by the Bok captain.
The clinic, which was first hosted in Durban in 2023, is a multiyear partnership between the Kolisi Foundation and the energy drink producer as they look to discover talent and instil the values of rugby into young players.
The future stars were put through their paces as they learnt about the various aspects of the game, but moreover, it was an opportunity for the young ones to learn key concepts like teamwork and relationship building, both on and off the field.
“Today [Saturday] was really special for me, and really encouraging for the vision I have for the communities I come from, not just for Zwide, but communities that have very few resources and still need help in this regard.
“If we can do this more often in different communities with different sports, we can make this much bigger.
“Seeing how happy the children were, they obviously want more of this because it takes you away from the bad things that are present in society,” Kolisi said.
Speaking about the importance of parental involvement and support for young, aspiring sportsmen and women, Kolisi felt it was the biggest driver for children to succeed when they know their parents or loved ones were fully backing them.
“The children need people to be there, offer encouragement and love them, give them time and just give them good, positive guidance.
“Sometimes it’s not just your parents, sometimes it’s an uncle, a brother or sister, a teacher or a coach, it doesn’t just end with the parents.
“These are the spaces where we should be giving positive affirmations, words of encouragement that let them know they can be whatever they want because they don’t always get it at home.
“Sometimes the parents are not thinking about that, not because they don’t want to, but because they are worrying about how they are going to put food on the table.
“So it is important for us as adults that we are mindful of how we treat them and how we treat each other in front of them.
“They need protection from seeing things they shouldn’t be seeing because it tends to affect them when they are older and how they see life,” he said.
HeraldLIVE
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