MHP: Women in Coaching – Suzanne Ferreira : 2015-07-29
At Maties Sport there are a number women in coaching positions. One of the most successful athletics coaches in South Africa is Maties’ Suzanne Ferreira.
Ferreira has accompanied the South African team to various international sports competitions including three Paralympic Games (Athens, Beijing, London). Her athletes include Paralympians Arnu Fourie, Ilse Hayes, Fanie van der Merwe and Charl du Toit to name but a few – all of them world-class performers on the world stage.
What do you enjoy most about coaching?
“Developing a human being. Interacting with the individual, buying into dreams, guiding decision making, developing opportunities, strategy and connecting the dots; problem solving and then most probably the cherry on the cake is observing the athletes unleashing their potential (in various capacities) and just to see them grow. I am also energised by experiencing the passion from various individuals working as a team towards this common goal.”
What are your coaching qualifications?
“Sport Science degree (pre and post graduate) and provincial level-two coaching certificate in track and field.”
Why do you think there are not many women in professional coaching?
“Coaching is not really a paid job in South Africa where you can earn a fixed income that will support you (in some sports there are limited opportunities but they are mostly in male-dominant sports such as rugby, soccer, cricket, golf). If you have a family and you need to provide income, it is not really sustainable. Balancing life becomes difficult, but I assume this applies to both genders.”
Why would you encourage women to get more involved?
“I think female coaches can have a different angle to coaching, a more person-orientated rather than outcome-orientated angle. As females we are ‘allowed’ to be more in touch with our feelings and empathy towards the athlete that can create a different environment. I therefore would definitely encourage females to get involve to bring a different angle to coaching and creating, together with all other entities, a more holistic approach. Everyone in life has something unique they can add, and as a woman I definitely believe we can enhance a coaching environment. If you are passionate about human development in a sporting context you can add to the beauty.”
What are some of your career highlights?
“Sharing the moments with each individual athlete where they were able to shine as individuals. These moments are culminating moments of sweat, tears, determination, decision-making, overcoming adversity and then to bring this together in that moment. These moments vary from small moments where a difficult skill is mastered or a hard decision needs to be made, to a gold medal or just holding someone that is in tears because a dream was shattered. That’s inspiring, it creates empowerment and it is an act of believing. So highlights for me are about ‘soul’ moments and that I carry with me and it inspires me.”
Daar is ‘n paar vroue in afrigtingposisies by Maties. Een van die suksesvolste atletiekafrigters in Suid-Afrika is Maties se Suzanne Ferreira.
Ferreira het die Suid-Afrikaanse span na verskeie internasionale sportkompetisies, waaronder die Paralimpiese Spele in Athene, Beijing en Londen, vergesel. Haar atlete sluit in Paralimpiese atlete Arnu Fourie, Ilse Hayes, Fanie van der Merwe en Charl du Toit, om maar ‘n paar te noem.
Wat geniet jy die meeste van afrigting?
“Om ‘n menslike wese te ontwikkel. Wisselwerking met die individu, om by drome in te koop, om besluitneming te rig, geleenthede te ontwikkel, strategie en om die kolletjies te verbind; dan ook probleemoplossing en waarskynlik die kersie op die koek, om te sien hoe atlete hul potensiaal loslaat (in verskeie kapasiteite) en net om hulle te sien groei. Dit is ook vir my besielend om die passie te ervaar wanneer individuele spelers as ‘n span saamwerk om ‘n gemeenskaplike doel te bereik.”
Wat is jou kwalifikasies vir afrigting?
“’n Graad in Sportwetenskap (voor- en nagraads) en ‘n provinsiale vlak-twee afrigtingsertifikaat in baan en veld.”
Hoekom dink jy is daar nie soveel vroue by professionele afrigting betrokke nie?
“In Suid-Afrika is afrigting nie werklik ‘n betaalde werk waar jy ‘n vaste inkomste kan verdien om jou te onderhou nie. In party sportsoorte is daar beperkte geleenthede, maar dit is hoofsaaklik sportsoorte wat deur mans domineer word soos rugby, sokker, krieket en gholf. As jy ‘n gesin het en jy moet die pot aan die kook hou, is dit nie regtig volhoubaar nie. Dit word moeilik om jou lewe te balanseer, maar ek aanvaar dit geld vir albei geslagte.”
Hoekom sou jy vroue aanmoedig om meer betrokke te raak?
“Ek dink vroulike afrigters kan ‘n ander invalshoek na afrigting bring – ‘n meer persoon-georiënteerde eerder as ‘n uitkoms-georiënteerde benadering. As vroue word ons “toegelaat” om meer in voeling te bly met ons gevoelens en om empatie teenoor die atleet te wys, wat ‘n ander soort omgewing kan skep. Daarom sal ek definitief vroue aanmoedig om betrokke te raak en ‘n ander invalshoek na afrigting te bring – saam met al die ander entiteite dus ‘n meer holistiese benadering. Elkeen het iets uniek wat hulle kan toevoeg, en as ‘n vrou is ek oortuig ons kan die afrigtingomgewing verbeter. As jy passievol is oor die ontwikkeling van die mens in sportkonteks, kan jy bydra tot die skoonheid daarvan.”
Wat is sommige van die hoogtepunte in jou loopbaan?
“Om saam met elke individuele atleet die oomblikke te deel waar hy/sy as individu kon uitblink. Hierdie oomblikke is die oomblikke waarin sweet, trane, vasberadenheid, besluitneming, oorwinning oor terugslae, alles in daardie een moment vasgevang word. Hierdie oomblikke wissel van kort oomblikke waar ‘n vaardigheid bemeester word, ‘n moeilike besluit geneem moet word, tot ‘n goue medalje of om iemand vas te hou wie se drome aan skerwe lê. Dít is inspirerend, dit skep bemagtiging en dit is ‘n daad van geloof. So, hoogtepunte vir my gaan oor “sielsoomblikke” en hulle dra ek saam met my en dít inspireer my.”
