Player Profile: Bianca de Guisti (HMS Bloemhof)
Forwards and strikers, particularly, often receive the most attention and recognition when teams perform well and start winning hockey matches. On the flipside, it’s goalkeepers that often go unnoticed.
They rarely receive recognition, but they are expected to deliver for their teams when it is most needed.
Criticism for strikers, most of the time, is toned down. However, being the last line of defence comes with its pressures. A mistake can result in a goal for the opposition. Errors are magnified. Goalkeepers find themselves having to put in mistake-free performances to contribute to their team’s successes.
One player who has consistently managed to meet those expectations is Hoër Meisieskool Bloemhof’s vice-captain and goalkeeper, Bianca de Guisti. For the past three years, she has been a force for her school between the goalposts.
Since making her debut in 2021 against DF Malan in a match where she touched the ball once, the 18-year-old has gone from strength to strength and has regularly pulled off crucial saves for the Stellenbosch school.
She’s been in the 1st XI so long; it feels as if she is part of the furniture. This coming weekend Bloemhof will rely on their prolific shot-stopper to bring her A-game to the Fairtree Super 12 Tournament in Bloemfontein.
Ahead of the prestigious event, which features the elite of South Africa’s hockey-playing schools, De Guisti chatted with SuperSport Schools Plus hockey journalist Avuyile Sawula about her love for the game, representing Boland u18A, her achievements on the turf, and her future endeavours.
It all began at De Hoop
When her family made a bold decision to pack up and leave Johannesburg to move to Cape Town, little did they know how much of a positive impact that move would have on their child.
She arrived in the Western Cape in grade one and attended Laerskool De Hoop Primary, in Somerset West. The school boasted a strong sporting programme.
At De Hoop, De Guisti picked up a hockey stick for the first time. Then, in grade five, she began her career as a goalkeeper.
“In grade five, there wasn’t anyone who signed up for goalkeeping, and I thought I should try something new and different.” she told SuperSport Schools Plus.
“In my earlier years at the school, I started as a striker, but it became too boring for me. I needed more adrenaline, and I fell in love with goalkeeping around 2017.”
She finished primary school in 2019 and the following year she stepped into the corridors of Bloemhof where she hoped to elevate her game at one of the country’s top hockey-playing schools.
At only 14 years of age, De Guisti’s talent was recognised when she was thrown into the deep end and asked to play for the u16A side.
She represented the team in grades eight and nine. Then, in 2021, she made her first team debut. As the saying goes, the rest is history.
From Regionals to SA Selection
During her early high school years, De Guisti never set foot on the AstroTurf for the fun of it.
She was intentional about hockey and had set herself serious goals. One of those was to represent the Boland u18A side at the SASHOC National Week.
Before achieving that milestone, she had to pay her dues in regional tournaments. This year, though, her dream became a reality when she was named in the Boland squad to do battle in Bloemfontein.
It was a long-awaited selection for De Guisti, who had always punched above her weight but was overlooked several times. Her hard work had finally paid off.
She said she was in disbelief when she received the news. “I was very shocked. I thought it was a fake letter,” she laughed.
“I remember getting home after training at school and I took a shower. After that, I looked at my phone and I saw the list, and I couldn’t believe it.
“I just couldn’t put into words how I went from regionals to u18A. It was an amazing feeling to see that I had accomplished my goal, and all my hard work was paying off.”
During the tournament in Bloemfontein, Boland was unable to replicate their 2023 form, which took them to a runner-up finish, and they had to settle for fifth spot.
De Guisti was, however, rewarded for her impressive performances during the week, earning selection for the SA u18B team.
She credited SA women’s player, Mishka Ellis, and the Booyens sisters, Isabella and Cassidy, for helping her to improve her game by leaps and bounds over the past year. “They have played a massive role in helping me,” De Guisti revealed.
“I started training with Mishka last year, and the Booyens sisters trained me in one-on-ones to ensure that I’m ready for shootouts.
“Since I’ve started with them and Mishka, it’s been so much fun. They’ve helped me a lot.”
“They’ve pushed me to reach my full potential”
Apart from putting in the extra hours with goalkeeping coaches, further credit for De Guisti’s success must be given to her coaches at Bloemhof.
When she started playing for the u16A side, she was coached by Illse Davids.
Davids, who has been the Head of Hockey at the school since 2018, is also a former professional player. She represented South Africa at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and earned 176 caps during her international career.
Another coach who has played a massive role in De Guisti’s career at the school is the current first team coach, Jenny King.
King is a former SA women’s national coach, who attended two Olympic Games, two World Cups and two Commonwealth Games. Locally, she has also coached Maties.
De Gusti spoke enthusiastically about the contributions of Davids and King. “In u16s, I was coached by Illse Davids, and she changed the way I saw the game,” she explained. “She started me off very young and introduced me to the high intensity of high school hockey, and I enjoyed it a lot.
“I was young, making some mistakes, but she was positive and built me up as a player.
“The following year, I was coached by Jenny King. She pulled us up for the u17 Top Schools, and I played the tournament with her.
“Since then, she’s supported me, backed me all the time, made sure I played to my absolute best, and I honestly thank both of them for everything.”
Achievements and supportive structure
In the past year, De Guisti has continued to tick off the goals she set herself on her vision board.
In August of last year, she reached a century of caps for her school. This year, at the St Mary’s Waverley Hockey Tournament, she was named the Goalkeeper of the Tournament after a series of outstanding performances.
As she has racked up the accolades, her family has been her most ardent supporter, cheering her on at games, attending tournaments, and being there to watch her fulfil her dreams.
“I’m so happy to have them behind me. They’ve been amazing,” De Guisti said. “There have been so many times they’ve been with me at training, at night, through the rain, going on tours, driving my kit around, and my sister and mom staying at home, watching [the games] on TV nervously. It’s been a journey.
“My dad is just something else, and I appreciate him. It’s so nice to have a strong support system behind me. I wouldn’t have made it without them,” she concluded.
De Guisti’s plan for 2025 is to attend one of the stronger hockey-playing universities and to continue playing while pursuing either international business studies or wine making. However, that will have to wait for a while. She remains focussed on ending her hockey career at Bloemhof on a high.
For the Fairtree Super 12, her side has been drawn in Pool A alongside their Western Cape rivals, Paarl Gimnasium, Oranje, Gauteng’s Garsfontein and Waterkloof, and St Mary’s DSG (Kloof).
The tournament runs from 8-10 August at C&N Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje in Bloemfontein.
Bloemhof’s campaign begins in the tournament’s first game at 07:30 on Thursday against Paarl Gim.
Catch all the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools.
Bloemhof 1st XI for the Super 12
Bianca De Guisti, Liela Van Zyl, Mari Steyn, Elré Oosthuizen, Lise De Villiers, Monet van der Merwe, Logan Marthinus, Sabine Reuter, Simone van der Merwe, Emmerie Walters, Nina Stanich, Isabella Visser, Daniela Viljoen, Therina de Bruin, Janke Voges.
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