Team-first focus the key to Gauteng u16s challenge at Water Polo IPT
The Central Gauteng A u16 Boys’ team is geared up for a stiff challenge when they take to the pool in their section of the Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament, which is being held in Buffalo City, East London, from 7-11 December.
Their matches will be played at Clarendon High School from Saturday. However, the final of the u16 competition will be held in the Joan Harrison East Pool on Wednesday afternoon, the final day of the IPT.
Central Gauteng A has been drawn in Pool B alongside Western Province B, KwaZulu Natal, and Northerns A.
Siyabonga Guzana’s team has had a good year. They finished third at the Currie Cup in March and have been continuously working on improving since then. They’re not taking any of their opponents lightly.
“We are not going in thinking we are one of the best teams because we came third in the Currie Cup. We are going there with a clean slate, and we will take things one match at a time. The biggest thing for us is to challenge ourselves to go further in each contest,” Guzana said.
One of the things the Gauteng coach has been focusing on has been to alleviate the pressure of expectation from his boys’ minds.
“We come from a big province, and everyone expects us to do well. It is easy for that to weigh down these boys’ minds. I want them to be free of those expectations because that is the only way they can perform at their best,” he explained.
He constantly reminds his side that they should focus only on what they can control, and that is their skills. Guzana tells his charges that if they give 100 percent at training then it will be easy to give 100 percent in matches. You can only get out what you put in.
The coach believes that a team with a good culture has the best chance of doing well, and that has been one of his areas of focus during the side’s preparations. He has emphasised the importance of every team member adding value, both from the bench and in the pool.
“I always use the Springboks as an example. When they appear on TV or in social media clips, none of them is talking about themselves. They are always talking about the team and what someone else did to help the team. The lesson from that is that despite being world champions, none of them thinks they are above the team,” the coach shared.
Each team member is a piece of the puzzle without whom a complete picture would be impossible to create. The coach hopes the message will hit home and his charges will uplift each other in every contest. His message revolves around the fact that if everyone in the team serves the team, the team will serve them. Guzana also believes those values he is imparting will serve his side well as they grow into young adults.
“One of the great things about sports is that they help develop young men into team players. It helps them become confident adults who add value to their circles and communities,” he said.
The Central Gauteng A team will begin their tournament with a game against Western Province B. Guzana’s side will go into it with one thing on their minds: do the right things, execute skills, and the results will take care of themselves.
