Personally my dream is to see a woman’s final on a separate day to a men’s final, with the stands overflowing. we’re not aiming to be the warm up match, we want to be the main event!

LOP Final is but an example.K,point number 2 is VERY VERY important and hence I feel that the senior team did badly,or let me say,didnt perform at the level that we know they can.As a coach I would try surround myself with very equiped people and in some cases might know more than me in a specific field and then I promise you,in more cases than not you will succed as a team.Boston Celtics has one of the best defensive coaches and he is the reason the Celtics did soo well.

Thats why UJ ladies were able to get over that final hump and thats why I think UP has been able to dominate for all these years.Its the people that are surround the coach….

1. she doesn’t verbally abuse me or my teammates by calling us sluts/whores, insulting our families etc (this is something i have experienced first hand at a very high level and is very ugly in any coach – man or woman) – loyalty and respect for the dignity of your players are very important traits in a coach.
2. she knows what she’s talking about or at the very least makes an effort to surround herself with the best support.
3. She’s been SELECTED (i.e. recognised) and played the game at the very least at an interprovincial level (U18/student/seniors). OR
4. She has a fantastic record as a coach.

I think there are plenty of women like that, I’d like to see them step up. Personally, I’m just about ready to dust off my coaching board again now that there will be a D2 in GP next year.

LOP finals – we were sidelined to play before the Men’s D2 game. That was wack! But then again, it wasn’t nearly as exciting a final as the D2 game. Situation?….

what we need to start looking at is for these women to be involved in grass-roots development. that in turn will inspire the coming generation to believe in their capabilities as women at coaching level. just look around us and you’ll see that we have so many talented women in bball but most if not all don’t want to be coaches. as Kim says, they prefer being secretaries and team managers.

for me, BSA should force all the provincial federations to always appoint women to their coaching staff and ensure that its not always one woman for all the teams. at the same breath, BSA should appoint women coaches at junior teams for them to gain experience. honestly, there are so many women with more experience in bball than me and most of us. what we need to do is give them a chance to coach in a very supportive environment.

What we should not do is set them up for failure like what happened when the senior team went to Zim for the Zone 6 qualifiers.That team was doomed before it even left to Zim.We must create a conducive environment for them to succed.

Anyway maybe the Australians forgot to bring their basketball gear and borrowed some gear from the cycling team, .

I feel that Women ball is swept under the carpet but things change so let’s make it happen. There are a lot of girls that are very good but never get the opportunity to develop properly.

Ciao, V

The writer views men’s basketball as more comfortable compared with women basketball. I tend to disagree with that statement and proclaim that the status is the same.

It is improper to compare basketball with the other sporting codes. Nevertheless it would be great to learn a few things which are done in netball, rugby and soccer. There are some wonderful people at the region where I reside. These people believe in the mighty cause of their sporting code. They are in every place and position themselves in strategic positions which will benefit their sports. The interesting thing is, at least this side, these people work in groups. Thus they are well structured in their region. In addition they have one purpose in mind.

This is contrary to the code of basketball. As has been discussed elsewhere on the website, basketball people tend to have opportunities for individual benefit. One recent example where the writer intervened was when an individual who attended BWB refused to let the other person to attend one coaching clinic in Durban. Acts such as these tend to chase people from the sport they want to contribute in. The people in the province also need to meet often, usually once a month and discuss a way forward for basketball. Indivivualism climb to the fore when there are no bureacracies to guide in a right direction.

However the first commentary on this topic referred to the women who are not willing to participate and ensure the growth of women basketball. This is a general trend across the sporting codes except those dominated by women . The difference is that basketball people are not involved where it matter the most, at the foundation of the sport. No wonder the sport is at a precarious position, with the majority of people doing less to help the sport.

Although the people at grass roots level should take the responsibility of the sports, those at the top echelons do not contribute their part. The people in strategic positions look up at the happenings of the organisation and their perceptions indicate that basketball is like a headless chicken. Mind you these people are not ascribed to the theoretical views of the sport neither do they believe the philosophies surrounding the game. They are not inclined to protect the sport in any way. Thus it is critical for the federation to get their structure in order. Such action will result in the positive image for the sport commercially and in government.

This does not mean that we should look up to the federation. Whilst we motivate them to get their house in order we need to increase our efforts for the spade work.

Fortunately four women will be involved with the local structure in our region. We just need to help them fulfill their duties in an excellent manner.

The conditions of men and women basketball can never be separated. For us it is a marriage under the chemistry behind the super glue. We need to stick together and organise basketball in a way that it will benefit the general population.

However men basketball will continue to be a step ahead of the women, unless women get involved. As far as I know the professional body was only for men. The unsuccessful proposals for the national league were only for men. One tournament for women in November is organised by a man.

Nevertheless if men’s attempts to improve basketball advance at a slow pace, what shall the women do?

Perahps Margaret Thatcher’s words might apply. They are ” If you want something said, as a man…if you want something done, ask a woman.

Women basketball is currently being dominated by men because most women do not want to do the hard work, at the grassroots level. As I have said this sickness in not only applicable to women to bball generally. We all run to look at Province and National but fail to ask, how many women are involved at the district level? There no way as a Province or National body we can entrust women to coach at these level when they are not proven at the grassroots level, this lesson was well learnt GBA last year during the Engen U18 champs, when in inexperienced coach was selected to coach the GP team, to disastrous results.

To demostrate my point, when EBA elected its executive last year, there was only one women in that meeting, although the invite was circulated as widely as possible. Even the one women refused to be elected into the committe mainly because she is involved in other sporting codes and was attended the meeting as a sport organiser in Tokoza. This trend of non participation by women has continued throughout the EBA League and meetings with some prominent vocal women invited, but not attending. Also, how many women are coaching or have volunteered to coach teams at school or district club level? This cannot be blamed on anyone, cause the guys who coach these teams do so cause women are not seeking to get involved at this level.

This non-participation is not only evident administratively, but also on the playing side. At the beginning and throughout the EBA league, we invited girls teams to games, in most instances three girls was the average attendance. Even the ‘teams’ that attended were organised and coached by men.

Personally, I refuse to believe that there are no women who have played bball previously and can contribute to the growth of bball. As I stated, there are such women that we have identified and have invited to participate, but to no avail.

Therefore, like in male bball, women are sitting in some corners, constantly complaining about the state of women basketball but do nothing to address the situation. As far as I am concerned, women can either wait for a messiac administration that will truly understand and commit itself to women issues OR they can realise that the destiny of women basketball is women’s hands. Personally, I say the second option is the best one, as I believe there is enough women basketball brain power in SA, especially in Gauteng, to ensure that women’s baskektball agenda is prioritised.

Earlier this year a Gauteng women basketball meeting was convened, I was very excited as to me this signalled that women were at long last taking the initiative. I was and still am disappointed that nothing came out of that meeting, even today I am still waiting to see the minutes of that meeting as I was hoping to contribute to the way forward. As always I am confident that GBA will be the proverbial scapegoat for the failure of this initiative to succeed and no one will question why the women failed to take GBA into task for its perceived fault. Also, no one will question who many of the women who attended that meeting are involved at district level?

THEREFORE, IT IS NOT WHAT BASKETBALL CAN DO FOR WOMEN, BUT WHAT WOMEN BASKETBALLERS CAN DO FOR WOMEN BASKETBALL.

In terms of the one woman in BSA that you are referring to, if that woman Gezephi Mbata, then I am terribly disappointed. As most would confirm, she was the chair and organiser of USSASA basketball nationally. Therefore, she has been instrumental in ensuring that schools basketball continues to produce the kind of talent that most of the current players have come from, especially in Gauteng. In fact personal opinion is, besides Sbongile, no women in can claim to have better knowledge of basketball administration than Sis Gezi.