Coach Profile: Siya Sityana (Jeppe High School for Boys)
Jeppe High School for Boys‘ 1st XI coach, Siya Sityana, at only 29 years of age, has a bright future in South African schools’ hockey.
Born in the Eastern Cape, in King Williams Town, Sityana first joined his friends to play hockey in grade 4 and his passion for the game soon revealed itself.
The former Dale College student, who is also a big fan of rugby and cricket, began his coaching career in 2014 as an assistant to Gavin Jelley, a top player in his day, both in indoor and field hockey.
“I started to coach hockey straight after high school at Maritzburg College and I had the privilege of being the u16A assistant coach,” Sityana recalled.
After moving to Gauteng, he was appointed the coach of the Jeppe first team in 2023, taking over from Gilbert De Villiers, who moved to St John’s College.
Sityana claimed the first medal of his promising coaching career with his u16 team at the Top 8 last year. There was also a bronze medal finish at the u16 IPT, and another bronze with Wits.
The u16B team, which he coached, was named the Team of the Year at the annual Jeppe Hockey Awards.
This season, Sityana helped Jeppe reclaim the Aitken Cup, with a 2-0 win over Parktown Boys’ High School in the final.
Jeppe, as the most successful school in the history of the competition, had won it seven times consecutively until 2023, when they were beaten in a penalty shootout by St Stithians. Helping his charges capture the title, after an inconsistent early part of the season, was particularly meaningful, Sityana said.
“There is no doubt the highlight of my career is the Aitken Cup, after the toughest year of being a coach, where nothing seemed to go my way,” he explained.
“I had to shift my focus, do what I know the best, and start to believe in my processes, even though it was the toughest of times.”
As a young coach who took over from an astute mentor, Sityana said he remains focussed on building trust, chemistry, and cohesion with his players.
“I am trying to get the boys to trust me and the information I give them. We have different approaches to the game and life, as there are many ways to do things.
“There is a lot of learning along the way, and I am fortunate to have several people that I am getting knowledge from, the likes of Damian Kimfley, Devon van der Merwe, Bryan Hillock, and Owen Mvimbi.
“There are many others helping me to learn about these kids and learn more about myself as a coach,” he added.
Despite an inconsistent season, Jeppe had Boipelo Koloti, Ben Benjamin, Ethan Kapanda, Joshua Renders, and Juan Martin selected for the Southern Gauteng u18A side, which contested the SASHOC National Week in Bloemfontein, with Sityana serving as Team Manager.
After the inter-provincial tournament, Kapanda was named the Defender of the Tournament while Martin was named in the SA Schools team.
That duo shone when they wrapped up their Gauteng assignments with a 3-0 win over Northcliff, with Kapanda striking twice and Martin once. That was followed by a 2-1 win over a revitalised Parktown Boys’ High, whom they had beaten in the final of the Aitken Cup. In their last outing of the season, they went down 2-3 to a strong Durban High School (DHS) outfit in Durban.
Sityana said it’s a dream come true to mold young sportsmen, knowing that one is producing future stars, and it is fulfilling to see them approach the game with confidence, tapping into their skills and talent, which make them unique as players.
“I am living my dream and coaching a senior team at one of the biggest boys’ schools in the country. It’s a blessing.
“This is what we dreamt of when we were younger and I will continue to try my best to get myself and the boys to the next level,” he concluded.
His close friend and fellow member of the Jeppe staff, Buhle Ngcwelane weighed in: “Siya is a very positive and supportive coach with the ability to uplift people around him and on the field. He is always optimistic, with a diehard attitude.”
