Coach Profile: Cameron Mackay
Four young men in Westville’s blue and maroon hockey uniform celebrating victory. That is one of the pictures that greets you as you enter the school’s Sports Office. The walls of the room are lined with photos from different codes, all from moments of triumph.
That hockey picture is five years old. Cameron Mackay’s side, which had started the season spurred on by hope and not belief, had done the near-impossible by defeating an all-conquering Jeppe team 3-2. It was a miraculous season that had 17 wins from 20 outings, no losses, and three draws. The team had no standout striker but scored 57 goals at an average of 2.85 per match and conceded a paltry 13 at 0.65.
“I have a frame of that team photo in my office, then my KZN team that got out the U18B section, and then my schoolboys who were indoor league champs,” said Mackay, who has a knack of getting his teams to perform beyond expectations.
*****************
If it had not been for hockey, Mackay would have probably pursued football for much longer than he did. As a youngster, he was a multi-sport athlete, taking part in cricket, rugby, hockey, and football, but he was particularly drawn to the last two. His love and enjoyment for hockey deepened when he met Alan Paton and Mark Ross at Berea Rovers as a teenager.
“I think, from the early years, Alan Paton really taught me a hell of a lot. I’ve taken a lot from him in my coaching, in terms of the technical aspects of the game and keeping the game simple, as well as creating high standards,” he said.
His game was modelled around what he picked up from a trio of role models growing up. Wade Paton was the first player he emulated as a youngster. Mackay described the younger Paton as the person he felt gave him a stepping-stone to becoming a better player. The other two were Mike Cullen and Tim Drummond. It was Drummond who helped him in the club hockey world when he first started playing at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) at the age of 15, Mackay said.
He flourished under the watchful eye of the elder Paton and Ross. That year, he was picked for Northwood’s u15 team. It wasn’t long before the talented forward caught the attention of the provincial selectors and he was immediately selected for the KZN u16 team, representing it for two years in succession. The step up into the KwaZulu-Natal side led to a call-up to the SA u17 squad.
“I played for the KZN u21 team, as well as the Mynahs, where I was selected for the SA men’s squad, which I unfortunately had to withdraw from because of a knee injury. I played in the Raiders team where I won two IPTs, I think in 2017 and 2018. I was also lucky enough to play in the Maropeng Cavemen for the Premier Hockey League (PHL) for all the editions and we won two gold medals,” Mackay added.
His most memorable match as a player was during the Raiders versus Southerns encounter at the 2018 IPTs held in Pietermaritzburg. Mackay scored the goal that won the Raiders the interprovincial trophy.
The only thing that could compete with his drive to play hockey was his passion for coaching and getting the best out of people. In 2009/2010, while he was still enjoying his playing career, Mackay branched out into coaching.
“I think Wade Paton was the coach I took the most from, because he coached me from 14 to 17 and played the biggest role in showing me the impact a coach makes in one’s life. He showed a great way of getting the best out of anyone without having to be forceful,” Mackay explained.
The tie against Jeppe in 2019 is a favourite for many Westville Boys’ High School staff, students, alumni, and fans. It ranks in Mackay’s top five matches in his coaching career.
However, the most memorable was with the South Africa men’s indoor team at the 2023 World Cup, where he served as an assistant coach. South Africa pulled off a dramatic 6-5 win over Argentina in the quarterfinals and with that victory secured the best finish for a South African team at the Indoor World Cup ever.
Mackay is not yet done. The Westville coach is intent on creating more memories with the school, the KZN Coastal u18 team, whom he will lead at the 2024 SASHOC National Week in Bloemfontein in June, and the South Africa men’s teams.
