Santos PSL players go back to school!


(see photo gallery below)

23 September 2009

Members of Santos Football Club’s professional squad took time off practise sessions and league commitments to visit Montague Drive Primary School last week.

This initiative is another one of the club’s many innovative programmes to reach out to communities in the Cape Flats.

With the Back to School project, spearheaded by the club’s Eric Dalton, the club aims to encourage learners to look at sport and soccer as a career and sport in general as an alternative to gangsterism and drugs which are plaguing so many communities in the Western Cape.

After a very sincere welcome by the principal Mrs F Sasman, the first player to address the pupils was Orlin Powell who shared with them his thoughts on the scourge of gangsterism in the Greater Mitchells Plain area. Having come from the area, he told them how gangsterism destroyed many families and took young lives before they had even started being a part of the community. He implored the learners and teachers to turn their backs on gangs and gangsters and rather to look at all of his colleagues who chose a sporting career and to use them as role models when setting their goals for their future lives. By striving for a future as a professional sportsperson, they will enjoy the rewards that come with hard work and dedication and will be able to look after their families and be able to afford what most young people aspire towards – a home, a car, and good quality of life.

Next up was Romano Scott, another Mitchell’s Plain resident who delivered a hard-hitting talk to the pupils about drugs and substance abuse. A very enjoyable and interactive session followed when he asked the learners to list the most commonly-used drugs in the community. He was surprised how many of them could name and identify the drugs. He then went through each one and listed the horrific side-effects using them would have on people and the youth in particular. Looking at their faces, it was obvious that this hard-hitting address had an impact on them and we hope that Romano’s talk would give them greater insight into the evils of drug-abuse.

We then heard an address from the team’s gentle giant, the longest serving player and former captain – Musa Otieno – on his early life in Kenya and how he became a professional footballer going on to play for and captain his national team. Wishing to broaden his horizon, he came to South Africa to play for Santos twelve years ago. The early days were tough and he had to rely on Coach Boebie Solomons to transport him to and from training sessions and matches. Today, after many years of hard work and dedication, he is happily settled in Cape Town, has two delightful children and still plays for the Kenyan national team. He is one of the most highly respected soccer players in South Africa. He told how his religion played a very important part in his life and encouraged the learners to use their God-given talent to plan their future lives and follow the dictates of their God. His soft-spoken voice had a marked effect on his audience and he received a huge round of applause.

But it wasn’t all serious.

Boebie Solomons was the last speaker and being a former player was well known to the school. In a very light-hearted manner he introduced the players giving the audience a list of their nicknames as used by the other players. This was fun and he had the kids in stitches.

The day ended with a presentation to the school’s principal of the prestigious flag, which she promised to display with pride in the school entrance. Since the school will be playing in an inter-school league final in the next few weeks, Boebie promised the team that the Santos coaches would assist them with skills and tactics.

In closing, Mrs Sasman thanked the squad for the role that they played in enhancing the children’s lives. She expressed a hope that they would benefit from the talks and be encouraged to be committed and responsible members of their communities.

ERIC DALTON.

PHOTO GALLERY
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