Morné Odendaal records major milestones
Morné Odendaal recorded two major milestones on 29 March.
Firstly, he led Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje to an unprecedented eighth St Mary’s Waverley Hockey Festival title. No other school has won as many, and Odendaal has been at the helm in seven of those instances.
Secondly, he became the first coach to reach 400 wins with the institution. It took him only 422 games to get there.
With those 400 wins and 95 percent win-rate, he joins an elite list of South Africa’s most successful hockey coaches, which includes Mike Bechet, Tony Godding, and Brian Hibbert, who had exceptional runs with Maritzburg College, Selborne College, and Grey High, respectively.
“To have 400 wins is special, but what means more to me are the lifelong connections I create with my players and the immense pride I feel in every single one of them,” Odendaal told SuperSport Schools Plus.
His journey to 400 began with a 4-1 win over Hudson Park at the Fichardtpark Sports Day in 2013. That was the first victory in an exceptional season in which Oranje claimed 36 wins in 36 matches.
“Before arriving at Oranje, I watched a schoolgirl hockey match between two of the top teams in the country. My immediate thought was simple: this can be better.
“From that moment, the vision was clear: I wanted to raise the standard of girls’ hockey. Not just in performance, but in experience – hockey that demands attention, hockey played at a true high-performance level,” Odendaal revealed.
Among many memorable matches, one contest will always stand out for Odendaal. In 2013, Oranje faced Somerset College, a powerhouse in the Stellenbosch region. They were the team to beat, as Odendaal recalled. The match was an attritional tactical battle that tested and pushed both teams to their limits.
“That moment defined the standard, our intent, competitiveness, and the willingness to be tested. We wanted the game. They wanted it, too. It was a proper contest. We won it 3–1,” he recalled.
That was the beginning of a run that saw Odendaal guide Oranje to six Fairtree Super 12 titles, eight All Girls’ Festival trophies, and seven St Mary’s Waverley Festival winners’ medals. Oranje also won the Free State Cup eight times and added the Bloemfontein League title eight times, too.
Between 2013 and 2022, the Bloemfontein girls recorded one of the longest unbeaten runs in schoolgirl hockey, going 127 matches and over a thousand days without losing a game.
Odendaal’s impact has extended beyond schools’ hockey. To date, 27 of his players have represented South Africa at u18, u21, and senior women’s levels. That list of players includes brilliant strikers like Antonet Louw and Minke van Heerden.
He has also overseen the development of influential midfielders, players who set the tempo of matches and open up opposing defences with speed and intent, including Simoné Gouws, Lizanne Jacobs, Sonika van Heerden, Marli van Deventer, Mia Barnard, and Saré Laubscher. Then there are the defensive generals, like Jana Greef and Jacolene McLaren.
“I’ve coached some exceptional players over the years. If I had to narrow it down, the two best I’ve coached are Mikkela le Roux and Ané Janse van Vuuren,” Odendaal shared.
While the wins on the turf mean a lot to Odendaal, the coach revealed that what means more to him is the impact his coaching has had on his players’ lives off the field.
“Every single player I’ve coached has gone on to higher education,” he said. “Most have degrees, others diplomas, and they’re all doing well after school. For me, that’s what matters.
“The skills they learn through hockey, discipline, resilience, accountability, working as part of a team, those are the things that carry into real life.”
Ané Janse van Vuuren, a current member of the South Africa national team and Oranje’s captain in 2021 and 2022, said Odendaal’s biggest strength is his ability to connect with players on a human level and his understanding of how to get the best out of each individual.
“One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from Morné is mental toughness,” she said.
“Since Grade 5, he’s taught me how to stay composed under pressure, push through challenges, and develop BMT. That mindset has helped me both on and off the field.”
Marlene du Plessis, the current captain, echoed Janse van Vuuren’s sentiments. The Oranje learner said Odendaal makes it easy for players to excel because he doesn’t use a one-size-fits-all approach with his players.
“What I’ve learned most from Coach Morné is to really believe in yourself in whatever you do and to set big goals, even the ones that seem impossible at first. He has also taught me that you need to work extremely hard and stay disciplined.
“One of the biggest things he has taught me is how powerful a strong mind is. He has helped us to realise that your mindset can carry you through pressure, setbacks, and difficult moments in both sport and life.
“He has also taught me a lot about emotional intelligence, especially how to lead and work with different personalities by understanding people’s emotions, and that is something I know I will keep using and growing for the rest of my life,” Du Plessis shared.
Recording 400 wins with a single school is an astonishing milestone, and it’s one that stopped Odendaal in his tracks and forced him to look back on the path he has walked with Oranje. However, as exciting, rewarding, and successful as that journey has been, the coach doesn’t want to spend too much time reminiscing. He is already looking forward to his charges winning the next 400.
