Maties Basketball wants to make history : 2016-05-04
Under new coach Zarko Krkeljas and as a new High Performance sport, the Maties Basketball Club has history on its mind.
The club is made up of three teams: the Men’s A team, which consists of players with established basketball skills; the Men’s B team, which is a developmental and recreational team for students who want to play basketball recreationally or are interested in learning to play; and the Women’s team, which welcomes both established and new players.
“Because it is a popular sport around the world, our basketball club consists of local and international players and is an excellent indicator of diversity in Maties Sport. To raise awareness of basketball locally, we are planning to add developmental programs for local youth as well as a residence league which will bring basketball to our student body and hopefully help raise basketball to new heights,” said Krkeljas.
“As a club, we were continually competing against universities with well-established basketball programs, such as UCT and CPUT. As a newly established club team we were always considered underdogs. Even though our club was able to offer respectable performances in the local league in the past, we were not able to qualify for University Sports South Africa (USSA) competitions, which is one of our primary goals, along with becoming a Varsity Sports team.”
Krkeljas was appointed Maties’ coach in April this year.
“I have been playing basketball my whole life, and have been involved as a coach or a trainer for the past 6-7 years – in the US, South Korea and now South Africa. I started volunteering at Maties last year in June when I first arrived at Stellenbosch University as a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Sport Science. At that time my role was to coach and assist with the men’s teams as there was only one coach. As a result of basketball achieving HP status and our newly set goals of becoming a Varsity Sports team, I was officially appointed as head coach.”
Being part of the HP programme will take the sport and players to a new level, Krkeljas believes.
“As a sport scientist and coach I believe that the HP programme is a well thought out and complete support system for individual athletes and a team as a whole. Individual potential or talent play a significant role in becoming a good athlete, but to create the best student-athlete we need to create a support system starting with coaches, trainers, sport scientists, and educators. Maties Sport has created this system and now that we as a basketball team have access to its services, I strongly believe that it will significantly contribute to my players successfully transitioning from club players to student-athletes.
“Considering the previous game performances, I think that HP support will demonstrate the potential these players have and the potential of the basketball program that we are creating. I am confident this transition will yield significant results in our performance, and contribute to the overall goal of Maties Sport of having one of the top sport programmes in the country.”
All HP sports have been set the overall goal of being a top 3 club in the country.
“In order to achieve this, our immediate goal is to qualify for the USSA tournament. Once there, finishing in the top 8 will make us a Varsity Sports team. This is our overall goal to achieve within the next two years. Although I was appointed midway into the qualifying tournament and after two defeats, we were able to win our next two games with an upset again UWC, which puts us into the semi-finals of the qualifying tournament. Winning our next game would, against all odds, qualify us for the USSA tournament for the first time in Maties’ history.”
This important match takes place on Friday 6 May.
AFRIKAANS
Maties Basketbal wil geskiedenis maak
Met nuwe afrigter Zarko Krkeljas aan die stuur en as ‘n nuwe hoëprestasiesport wil Maties se basketbalklub geskiedenis maak.
Die basketbalklub het drie spanne: die Mans A-span, wat bestaan uit spelers met reeds gevestigde basketbalvaardighede; die Mans B-span, ‘n ontwikkeling- en ontspanningsgedrewe span vir alle studente wat basketbal wil speel of leer speel, al is dit net vir pret; en die Vroue-span wat sowel gevestigde as nuwe spelers verwelkom.
“Basketbal is wêreldwyd ‘n gewilde sport en daarom bestaan die klub uit plaaslike en internasionale spelers. Dit is ook ‘n uitstekende aanduiding van diversiteit in Maties Sport. Om die bewustheid van basketbal plaaslik aan te wakker, beplan ons om ontwikkelingsprogramme vir die plaaslike jeug sowel as ’n koshuisliga op die been te bring. Hopelik help dit basketbal om nuwe hoogtes as deel van Maties Sport te bereik,” het Krkeljas gesê.
“As klub ding ons voortdurend mee teen universiteite met gevestigde basketbalprogramme, soos die Universiteit van Kaapstad en KPUT. As ‘n nuwe klubspan word ons altyd as buiteperde beskou. Hoewel ons klub in die verlede aanvaarbare vertonings in die plaaslike liga gelewer het, het ons nooit daarin geslaag om vir die Universiteitesport Suid-Afrika (USSA)-toernooi te kwalifiseer nie. Dit is een van ons primêre doelwitte.”
Krkeljas is in April vanjaar as Maties se afrigter aangestel. “Ek speel al my lewe lank basketbal en was die afgelope ses tot sewe jaar as afrigter betrokke in die VSA, Suid-Korea en nou Suid-Afrika. By Maties het ek verlede jaar in Junie as ‘n vrywilliger begin toe ek na die Universiteit Stellenbosch gekom het as ’n nadoktorale navorsingsgenoot in die Departement Sportwetenskap. Met basketbal wat HP-status verwerf het, is daar ’n nuwe stel verwagtinge en doelwitte en daarom is ek permanent aangestel.”
Om deel van die HP-program te wees, sal die sport en spelers na ‘n nuwe vlak neem, glo Krkeljas.
“As ’n sportwetenskaplike en afrigter glo ek dat die HP-program ‘n goed deurdagte en volledige ondersteuningstelsel vir individuele atlete en ’n span as ’n geheel bied. Individuele potensiaal of talent speel ’n belangrike rol om ’n goeie atleet te wees, maar om die studentatleet verder te ontwikkel, is dit nodig om ’n ondersteuningstelsel met afrigters, sportwetenskaplikes en opvoeders te skep. Maties Sport het die raamwerk geskep en nou dat ons as ’n basketbalspan toegang tot die dienste het, glo ek dit sal aansienlik tot my spelers se sukses bydra.
“Ek dink dat HP-ondersteuning die spelers en basketbalprogram se potensiaal sal demonstreer. Ek is vol vertroue dat die oorgang beduidende resultate ten opsigte van ons prestasie sal lewer en sal bydra tot die algehele doelwit van Maties Sport om een van die voorste sportprogramme in die land aan te bied.”
Alle HP-sporte se oorhoofse doelwit is om ’n top3-klub in die land te wees.
“Ten einde dit te bereik, is ons onmiddellike doel om te kwalifiseer vir die USSA-toernooi. As ’n span na afloop van die toernooi onder die top8-spanne is, kwalifiseer hy vir Varsity Sport. Dit is die hoofdoel wat ons binne die volgende twee jaar wil bereik. Ofskoon ek eers halfpad in die kwalifiserende toernooi en ná twee nederlae aangestel is, was ons steeds in staat om ons volgende twee wedstryde te wen. As ons die volgende wedstryd wen, sal ons teen alle verwagtinge – vir die eerste keer in die geskiedenis van Maties Basketbal – kwalifiseer vir die USSA-toernooi.”
Hierdie belangrike wedstryd vind Vrydag 6 Mei plaas.