The legend that is Carin Strauss
Carin Strauss is known for being the Spar Proteas Netball coach of many moons ago, but her love for netball started when she played with her older sister and her friends. At Hoërskool Sand Du Plessis, she was inspired by coaches who loved the game and ignited the flame within her. Strauss says she was exposed to netball her whole life.
For 31 years, she has been a coach, and it all started when she was expecting her first child. Although she couldn’t play anymore, she couldn’t think to turn away from the game, so she took on the next best thing, coaching.
She has a holistic approach to motivating players at Hoërskool Garsfontein as a coach. She motivates them according to their personalities, but for the team as a whole, they set goals that they can achieve together. She stated that motivation can’t come from the coach alone; it has to be a partnership between coach and players.
Strauss is more than just a sideline coach, she wants her players to think independently. However, according to her, once the adrenaline kicks, her competitive nature takes over, and she talks too much when the games start. But everyone has a responsibility on the team.
Strauss’s game plan approach is to first focus on her own team’s structure and to establish her team’s goals and setup. The opponents’ weaknesses and strengths are of secondary priority.
The way she chooses her team always starts with the experience of the players. There are a lot of factors that go into the decision-making process. At the end, Strauss and her team want to give all the players exposure to the games and not make anyone feel like they have been switched out because they weren’t good enough.
Strauss is all about teamwork, she also has a co-coach that she bounces ideas from. She looks to pick someone who balances her out, someone she can wholeheartedly trust. Strauss says the competition and risks are just too high and overwhelming to go at it alone. Coaching is a two-person job.
Strauss says she loves the competitive nature of the game. She also loves inspiring the girls of her team and seeing them reach the next level, whether it is in the game or personally. Strauss is involved in Tshwane netball, where she helps with developing new coaches and reinvigorating the love for the game within players. Netball is another platform for someone to shine and feel special.
Strauss has a message for the young girls. “Netball is on the map now.” She urges players not to stop playing after school, as there can be a future in netball. Not everyone peaks in high school. Don’t give up too quickly, and even if you play in a B-team, play because you love the sport.
