soccer4children soccer clinic kicks off!
The highly anticipated soccer clinic, hosted by soccer4children, partnered by Turn the tide 4 children, kicked off to a great start at the Eikenhof conference centre, just south of Johannesburg, on the 10th December 2010. Sixty-five children from different walks of life gathered at the venue, eager to acquire new footballing skills, as well as making new friends and being equipped with transformational life skills. The children spilled out of their different modes of transportation, keen on displaying their abilities and seizing the day…..read more
Learning about soccer and life
The second day of the soccer clinic for children , held at the Eikenhof conference centre, started off with the children being treated to a hearty breakfast, after which they engaged in some team building activities….read more
soccer 4 children impact felt
Sunday, 12th December 2010, proved to be a day during which the children would be taught the basics in soccer. So many of them have learnt the previous day’s lesson, which was the importance of teamwork, and that no player is greater than the next. They took this lesson to heart to the extent that, whomever I spoke to on the day, were able to expound on it, and comparisons were drawn to international footballers who relied on their respective teams to perform as well as they do on the global footballing stage…read more
Singleness of purpose and vision
Monday morning started off with overcast skies, promising as heavy a downpour as was had on Saturday. For this reason, the morning was spent reviewing football matches, and analysing games, with the coach encouraging feedback from the children…read more
“We are only a small link in the chain…”
Thursday 9th December 2010, saw the turn the tide 4 children offices in Victory Park, Johannesburg, visited by a group of volunteers who came to lend a hand in sorting the donated articles of clothing into size and type. The group, ranging in age from 13 to 40, approached the task with determination, so that the distribution aspect could be handled efficiently…read more
Making sure that no child is lost
At first glance, one would be forgiven to think that Khulu Sibanyoni appears to be an ordinary man. Once you have passed this façade, you will meet a warm, personable individual at whose heart lies a passion for children and a love for “the beautiful game.” Read more
Soccer for life!!
The day started off on an eventful note for the children. An all access granted trip to the Bidvest Wits stadium is every young boy’s dream. The children departed at seven o’çlock, filled with excitement at being invited to watch one of the country’s top soccer clubs being put through their paces…read more
soccer 4 children officially launches at Soccer City
The overcast skies and steady drizzle did nothing to mask the bottled up excitement the children felt on day 6 of the soccer 4 children soccer camp. This was the day that all the children attending the soccer 4 children soccer camp would be playing in a world class stadium, on a world class playing surface! Read more
Diamond in the rough unearthed
Day six ended with everyone heaping praises on the effortless skill displayed by a dimunitive eleven year old who goes by the name of Thapelo Makuba (pictured below), and hails from a little-known township in Germiston, called Dikatole…read more
“…keeping the momentum going…”
The soccer4children clinic boasts the impressive coaching credentials, and experience in the game, of six exceptionally talented volunteers. Their main role is to assist the head coach, Khulu Nsibanyoni in sharpening the footballing skills of the youngsters attending the camp…read more
“The dream making a difference…”
Everyone involved with the soccer4children soccer camp knows the tall gentleman who always seems to be in a hurry to be somewhere, but nobody really knows exactly who he is and what he is doing at the camp…read more
Giving the gift of giving…
After the rains had subsided, the soccer4children clinic held at Eikenhof saw the children being granted the opportunity to reciprocate the gesture of giving they had been receiving at the camp…read more
soccer4children…the dream realised
With the soccer4children soccer clinic drawing to a close, days 9 and 10 seemed to melt into each other. To an outside observer, the children appear to have known each other for much longer than the ten days the clinic had been going.
The children had forged solid bonds with each other, and one could sense their reluctance to go home after the clinic had ended. All the children were presented with gifts, the most important to them, being a replica “Jabulani” soccer ball…read more