PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - More partnerships between Premier Soccer League (PSL) teams and local football clubs could soon be a reality in Bitou, starting with a pilot project between the municipality and local football club Plett FC.
This potentially career changing development for local soccer enthusiasts is just one of the plans in the pipeline from a partnership between Plett FC, a local NPO and football club, and Bitou Municipality.
The first phase of the pilot project includes basic soccer skills for thousands of children and coaching clinics for over 100 coaches around Kwanokuthula, Bossiesgif and New Horizons where municipal facilities will be used by Plett FC.
After phase one, the project will be rolled out to other parts of Bitou where more projects will be implemented like tutoring. The coaching clinics will be headed by local football coach, Byron Shrosbree and head coach of PSL outfit SuperSport United Gavin Hunt, who says his dream is to live in Plettenberg Bay and better the lives of local children.
This ties in with the fact that Hunt is a board member at Plett FC, and has already hosted clinics for local footballers. In February he made the trip to Plett to host a clinic where he offered training for Plett FC players.
Prior to Hunt's visit to Plett in February, SuperSport United in its own right already had an established connection with the coastal town, having developed two talented young soccer stars from Plett, Athenkosi Dlala and Sibusiso Maziko. Not to mention legendary club captain-turned-coach Thabo September, from Knysna.
Bitou Mayor, Dave Swart, said this project would give new hope to the community. "It not only gives people hope but it also gives them a sense of community and of people working together.
When we look at sport it is not just fitness, it brings development to people in personal skills, interpersonal skills, and actually creates a sense of community," Swart said.
Bitou Municipal Manager, Mbulelo Memani, says the municipality welcomes the opportunity and understands the impact it will have on young people in the area. "It might be a dream that looks far-fetched but it's a dream that is realisable. Sooner than we anticipate we could have one of these kids, if they are properly groomed and grounded, playing for one of the top teams in the country," Memani said.
Meanwhile, Hunt says that a PSL tournament with local teams could be held in January 2024. Hunt says that beyond the tournament the teams would also host coaching clinics for the locals. Hunt has already brought his SuperSport United players to Plett for a match in April when they took on Plett FC at Kwanokuthula Stadium, much to the enjoyment of local football fans and enthusiasts.
Plett FC's Shrosbree says for the past six weeks they have held coaching clinics with 15 coaches but will look at expanding to 30 by the end of August and hopes to go to 100 by the end of the year.
He says the NPO has been working with 4000 kids at primary schools in basic ball skills, and team building exercises. "The key goal of Plett FC is to create a safe haven for kids, to create and develop skill," he added.
‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
