BY NYASHA DUBE (ND)- The COVID-19 pandemic which has undoubtedly taken a toll on most sporting activities certainly came with life’s greatest lesson for sports men and women, “There’s life after sport”. With the 2020 sporting season indefinitely suspended, and having to adapt to the new normal, life has been a challenge for everyone but mostly for athletes, coaches, officials, technical teams and even supporters, some of whom their livelihoods were dependent on such activities.
This week we engage in a conversation with Platinum Queens coach Simbarashe Mlambo (SM) as he tells us how his team has been coping with the lockdown, how he has managed to keep a group of young girls emotionally sane and physically fit. Platinum Queens is a Zvishavane based netball team which plays in the Rainbow Netball League. Last year they finished second on the log standings and this year they were aiming for championship. It is on of the most energetic teams in the league, consisting of a group of cheerful, vibrant and youthful girls whose commitment to success is out of this world.
The interview in detail:
ND – How are you holding up as a club, how are you dealing with the ups and downs caused by the pandemic and being off the pitch and not doing what the girls love the most.
SM – We are trying as a club to maintain a sense of belonging to the team and working towards achieving our goals. But most importantly the pandemic has helped us realise how much we need to stick together as a family. Being off the pitch is a huge trial for us, not many people can remain composed and focused on the goal but the girls are doing very well. We have kept in contact making sure everyone is okay.
ND – What have you been doing to maintain your players’ physique especially when they have been used to training as a team.
SM – We have been monitoring our girls’ training. They send videos online and our physiotherapist and technical team is monitoring them as well. We also meet here and there to make sure everyone is okay. It’s very difficult to maintain physique and the required level of fitness but the spirit is high. I applaud the girls for that.
ND – The emotional state of mind is one very crucial aspect for a team. How are you keeping your team’s spirit up considering that they are a group of young girls who can easily be affected by anxiety and stress during such tough times.
SM – The girls are mentally strong and they have managed to appreciate how much it means to be a team during this trying time. We have managed to reassure them that they still belong to the beautiful family of FC Platinum. They also live together in club houses, they train together and keep in touch on social media networks. That has kept their emotional state of mind very calm.
ND – Apart from the COVID-19 and lockdown, you have also had to deal with the loss of your most promising player Maxine Muvembi (may her soul continue resting in peace) as a club and you as a coach how have you been dealing with that loss.
SM – Maxine was indeed a very talented and most promising player and it’s very difficult to embrace her loss. It’s been two months since she passed on and it made us realise how much we are a family and how much we need to stick together. Dealing with the loss was a very emotional time for the team and for me as a coach. I knew her since she was in form two and promoting her from the junior side to the seniors was not difficult because everyone could see that she deserved it. And she didn’t even get the chance to shine. We have managed to accept the loss but it will take years to move on. She still lives in us.
ND – What lesson has the 2020 season taught you, in terms of life being uncertain and unpredictable.
SM – Most people in the netball fraternity are so engrossed in the sport that they forget there life after netball. The netball season means a livelihood for the players, being occupied and having fun but most importantly it’s the upkeep of families of the players, coaches, technical team etc. We are all in for the money, but it’s also the travelling, the fun in the bus, the anxiety before the match, the adrenaline rush, it keeps the girls going. We have come to accept that there is life after netball, the uncertainty of life has become a reality.
ND – If everything was to go back to normal right now and games resume, what are they most important things you would want to achieve as a team.
SM – The most important thing for us right now as a team is to go out and enjoy ourselves. The pandemic has affected everyone and as a club we are not immune to it. So for us it’s going to be about having fun and living the best of our lives.