Bitou establishes interim sports council

PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - An interim sports council was established recently to boost sports development in Bitou.

On 28 May, sports hub representatives from all Bitou communities came together with Eden Sports Council for a workshop on developing a constitution and the establishing of a sports council.

A constitution to suit the Plettenberg Bay area and its challenges was then drawn up and an interim sports council was established.

This structure will finalise the constitution and organise for the election of the sports council. The interim council consists of chair Thomas Snell, vice-chair Bandile Ntukantu, secretary Phindiwe Seyisi, treasurer Kevin Jansen and additional members Brian Damons, Thandanani Mdatyulwa, Derick Philander and Lena Prins.

At the end of the session Bitou Mayor Dave Swart encouraged old and young to get involved in sport. He emphasised the need to build sport structures to facilitate the meaningful development of sport in Plettenberg Bay.

"The Bitou Sports Council was formed to be the mouthpiece for sports development in the municipal area," Swart said.

"This is an area that has been identified as requiring special attention and I wish the Bitou Sports Council success in their task. As we know, sport, like almost every other aspect of our lives, had been severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent restrictions brought about to prevent the spread of the virus.

"As much as this was necessary, we can now thankfully close that chapter and move forward with a concerted effort of sport development to get our youth actively involved."

Benefits of sport

He said the benefits of participating in sport are multifaceted. "Today I would like to focus on the role that sport plays in the holistic development of our youth.

"Educationists and child development experts lay as much emphasis on participation in extracurricular activities and the participation in sports, as on academics. In fact, it has been proven that sport improves concentration and focus, and therefore leads to better academic outcomes."

He said children who played sport are more likely to succeed in tasks off the playing field. "It plays a major role in the development of social skills as well as life skills. There is a definite correlation between sport participation and leadership and problem-solving skills."

He further said children who participate in sport are more inclined to adopt a team mindset in the workplace and social situations.

"Being a valued team member leads to an enhanced feeling of connectedness, a feeling of belonging and camaraderie.

"They learn to be empathetic to fellow teammates and experience the value of community involvement. It cements the importance of cooperation, dedication, accepting discipline, and playing by the rules.

"It teaches children to take direction from authority figures, coaches and referees. They learn respect for officials - to accept decisions and deal with issues in a controlled and professional manner."

He said sport also fosters an understanding of the spirit of the game, the importance of upholding codes of conduct, and insight into cause and effect when being penalised for bad behaviour.

"It teaches them to overcome fear, identify their strengths and weaknesses in a safe environment, embrace failure, move ahead with more vigour, and persevere."

"To the parents, coaches, referees, and other officials: encourage our children to make use of the opportunities afforded. Listen to their needs and their ideas, encourage, inspire, and give hope."

Swart said the younger the age at which children become actively involved, the bigger the chances are that they will remain active and engaged adults.

Bitou Mayor Dave Swart talking to the Bitou community about the newly established interim sports council during the inaugural Bitou Municipal Games.