DEDICATION
4.6 Boys’ individual sport
115 not going to be there when you are jumping, it is not going to make you jump higher than what you are. I do not look up to anyone because I am not trying to follow in anyone’s footsteps. To3
Tojan travels to Durban every weekend with her mother for training. Her life as well as her mother’s life is consumed with high jump training. Her mother is the most supportive person in her life:
I have no life, just high jump all the time, just train. My mom gives up a lot to take me62 up and down from Durban to training sessions, so she has no life. She does not have to do it but she does it. To4
4.5.5 Synopsis: Girls’ individual sport
The learners here had general personality and characteristics - what sets them apart is the individualism of their sport. They have to train on their own and at most times feel very isolated and alone.
116 I think I am a leader, I know I am a leader, I am influential; I can be hard on guys sometimes. I like people to remember me. Just know who I was. Si1
He has an extremely close family comprising of his father, mother and little brother. He comes from a middle-income family with both his parents having diplomas; his mother is a teller in a bank and his father runs a shuttle service. He lives in Intuzuma, but since Grade 8, after securing a sport scholarship at his school is boarding at the school:
I was born in Intuzuma, which is in Kwa-Mashu.63 It is a township that is quite developed and has proper houses. It is a bit of a rough neighbourhood. My friends there are very social. I can go to the next door neighbours by just jumping over the fence and ask for anything. It is not like the suburbs where there are gates everywhere. I get a lot of support from my friends and living in the township has benefited me so much. I do not think that I would be so sociable if I did not come from the township. Si2
His parents wanted the best education for him and he started school at a private pre- primary school in Glenashley and continued with his primary and secondary education at a former white school. He has been fortunate when compared to other people in the township:
My parents were financially well off and able to pay for proper education, so coming here to the former white school, like Glenashley, I was able to pursue my sporting career. Having done well in sport has secured me a scholarship at school64 and I am now able to board at the school as well. Si3
Siani is a multi-talented athlete who excels both in rugby and athletics. He throws the discus and the shot put and is very confident in his sporting ability. However, he leans more towards rugby and is part of the Sharks Academy:
I am just a sportsman. I can jump further than anyone, throw further than anyone. I have a natural talent. Many South African boys say they want to play for the Springboks but my dream is to play for the Sharks. I feel there is no better team to play for than the Sharks. Si4
Rugby is the sport preferred by Siani as he enjoys been part of a team:
63 Intuzuma is part of KwaMashu, a black township located about 12 kilometers from Durban.
64Social spaces of sporting excellence - Siani has travelled most of his schooling life from home to former white school. He has now received a sporting scholarship which entitled him to free tuition and boarding.
117 I like the physicality of rugby as there is no better feeling than to grab shoulder to shoulder. The team bond is great while athletics is an individual sport, where if you lose you lose by yourself. If you did not throw enough that is all on you.
In rugby we have 15 boys playing and they are all playing for one thing and that is the school badge. I think I chose rugby over athletics. It is the team bond. It is always nice. Si5
Siani comes from the township but does not feel disadvantaged in any way. He has felt the burden of travelling for many years from the township to the suburbs in which he has schooled:
I am only affected in terms of distance. I had to travel 35 minutes every day. My day starts at 05h30 in the morning and I only get home at 18:45. Si6
4.6.2 Daryl – swimming
“With swimming so white-based, it is so weird to see an Indian guy or black guy or coloured guy swimming.”
Daryl is a 17-year-old Indian boy who is the only affirmative action appointee from all the learners in this study. Daryl has this to say about himself:
I tend to get too competitive at times. I am friendly but it is hard for me to get to know someone overnight. I need to really trust the person. I have a lot of friends, but there are only a few people I trust. Da1
Both his parents have diplomas and his father runs a breakdown company where his mother is the secretary. They live in Shallcross,65 which is a mid-level socio-economic area. His parents have played an integral part in his swimming career. It was his mother that started him off in swimming, and his father has been the person who has supported him:
My mother just wanted me to learn how to swim. Parents put a lot of pressure but my dad did not force me when I stopped swimming just after I started my Grade 12. I could see he was a bit disappointed that I stopped because of my Grade 12, but it was something I wanted to do and he respected that. Da2
65 Shallcross is a town 29 kilometres west of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and is part of the eThekwini Metropolitan Area. It is inhabited mainly by people of Indian descent.
118 He has an elder brother who is also a swimmer and has been Daryl’s role model for swimming. He always found himself competing against his brother’s times, and this has driven him to excel in swimming.
I used to always compete with him and get better than him and achieve his times. Da3
Daryl’s parents have only sent him to former white schools. His brother was already on a sports scholarship at Glengarry Boys High, and when Daryl started showing potential in swimming he was offered a sporting scholarship there as well:
I went to Glengarry Boys High. I was not meant to go there but I got a full scholarship.66 I get to race against the club swimmers at school and take part in the swimming gala. Da4
Although PE is compulsory at this school, it has not contributed to his swimming achievements. The school has a preferred sport with rugby, the sport at the school:
PE not really, we did not do much swimming but when we were in the pool we play water rugby. Our school is really into rugby. Whenever there is a chance, we play rugby and touch rugby. Da5
Many swimmers go overseas for professional coaching and to gain experience. Daryl feels that this is essential to have the best coach possible if you want to realise your goals:
With swimming it is quite good compared to overseas countries, but you got to get your experience, like what Ryk and Roland did going overseas. I think it was good but some people think they betrayed SA. I was training with Kevin and then I needed more experience, better people to compete against, and I moved and I do not think there is anything wrong with that. It is just preparing yourself and achieving your goals. End of the day you are representing SA and not like going over to America and staying there and swimming for them. Da6
It is difficult to balance sport with school work, and Daryl had to make a crucial decision during his matriculation year. However, he regretted cutting back on his swimming:
66 Social spaces of sporting excellence - Daryl was fortunate to be awarded a sporting scholarship to study at a former white school. He has to travel long distances from home to the school to attend school.
119 I think it was one of the worse decisions I made, I just made SA [team] and I stopped. I guess it was getting in the way of my studies. I felt I was focused when I was in swimming and then I felt that I was not that focused anymore.
Something was missing in my life.Da7
Daryl looks up to the senior swimmer in the KZN team, but a South African swimmer is his main sporting hero:
It is Wesley Gilchrest; he was a youngster that also trained hectic. I always looked up to him; he was an all-rounder, an elder in the KZN team. Yes, he was three years older than me, but my main hero will be Ryk Neethling. Da8
As a swimmer Daryl has had his fair share of ups and downs, especially with regard to transformation and the fact that swimming has been predominately a white sport. He has been a target of racial discrimination:
Especially with swimming so white-based and it is so weird to see an Indian guy or black guy or coloured guy swimming but you will always get people, like I tell someone that I am an SA swimmer, they look at you weird, it does put you off but it also motivated you in a way. When I went for SA games, one of the rugby players told my friend in Afrikaans that I probably made it in swimming because of quota. He thought I did not understand him, but I did and I chose to ignore him. Da9
4.6.3 Synopsis: Boys’ individual sports
The stories of the boys who played individual sports show these learners to have leadership qualities. They are very much on their own when it comes to training and competition. The individualist nature of their sport drives these learners to be the best.
The quota system being in their favour, and affords them the opportunity to compete and opens these learners up to criticism, even though they have proved themselves and made it into the South African team.