GMA Extra: The Young Hebron Soccer Rockers shine in their new kit

GMA EXTRA 17 OCTOBER 2016 (HEBRON SOCCER ROCKERS 11 MAY 2016)

BACKGROUND: The Hebron Young Rockers Soccer club was born from the efforts and initiative of a group of boys and some parents, who wanted to spend their free time doing what they love - playing soccer. 

They found a practice field, a coach and organised themselves. Ranging from ages 11 - 16, the boys mostly coach themselves and one keeps the attendance register. They have loads of talent, commitment and energy, but these boys needed just about everything else to make their soccer dream a reality. 

One of their dads, William Botsang, promised to help them become a proper club: with kit and equipment. They had two sponsored soccer balls and used the local municipal field - that was to be re-appropriated for housing. William contacted the local municipality to scrape a new pitch and to help with the kit, he contacted Good Morning Angels. The GMA Fund helped out with a donation for soccer kit and other necessities and the new Hebron Young Rockers SC already won their first trophy! 

ORIGINAL REQUEST:

Jacaranda FM's Good Morning Angels Rescued Hebron Young Rockers F.C. 

This is the plight for sports, arts and recreation facilities by young boys aged between 11-17 years from Hebron village in the North West Province near Pretoria’s Rosslyn industries, they call themselves ‘Hebron Young Rockers Soccer Club’. 

Hebron is under Bakwena-Ba-Mogopa Tribal Authority serviced by Madibeng Municpality.  William Botsang, a resident of Hebron Village is trying his best to liaise with local municipality, Provincial Government  or business sector to get involved and 

donate and assist these children, the aim being to divert them from thinking about mischief, drugs and alcohol.

So far the boys have taken the initiative themselves to play soccer and William Botsang has registered them under Madibeng Local Football Association to start their first games in November this years, 2016.

The following is the struggle of William Botsang in his contribution to develop youth of Hebron. 

About a year and a half ago, my ten year old son then, Baleseng, was happily playing soccer with his neighbourhood friends on the Tlhako-Ya-Thamaga Primary School’s neglected soccer field as they always did during the week after school…..they were using a dilapidated, cloth wrapped worn-out flat dirty soccer ball that looked ten years old, a round dusty patched up old soccer ball.

Dennis, a resident who used to drive past them playing, noticed this happy group of young 11-17 year old boys practicing during the week on regular basis every time he passed the soccer field, one day he stopped and had a chat with them and he decided to buy them a soccer ball. 

Seeing the new soccer ball, the boys arranged a soccer match with boys from the other sections of Hebron village, each boy donating R1-00 to bet as a team and sometimes R2-00 each, eventually this became a norm and soon they ended up playing soccer with neighbouring village teams, they would walk for 7-8 kilometers on weekends to go and play against other teams their age around Hebron village.

Dennis decided to transport them to these games and they were so excited.

I remember my son, Baleseng, one Saturday telling me that they were playing a tournament and they won it, months later I asked him ‘how are your soccer games going ?’ and he said: “We are no longer playing” and I enquired why, he said; “we don’t have any training soccer ball and we cannot get to soccer games because we do not have transport to attend far away games, besides we do not have a soccer kit”. I asked him what happened to their ‘sponsor’, he said that they have not seen him for the past five months. 

I was so sad for almost a month, every time I see my son I get stressed. 

Thinking about my son’s disappointment, the thought of him and his friends going to parties and doing mischief, let alone alcohol or starting to smoke stuff haunted me so bad that I even thought of taking my son to my business meetings with me so that he does not get the idea of going to parties and mix with wrong influence….but then that was a silly idea because the child needs to be with his friends and play normal boys’ games and enjoy his youth.

Then I had this brilliant idea, I decided to look for sponsorship for them, I have sent out letters for donation of youth soccer kits to few famous professional soccer teams, I sent to Mamelodi Sundowns F.C., Orlando Pirates F.C., Ajax Cape Town F.C. and Kaizer Chiefs F.C. but  and even today, I have not received any response from any of these teams, eventually I remembered 702 Talk Radio and Star Newspaper’s ‘Lead S.A.’ campaign. 

I sent in my request for sponsorship to 702 Talk Radio and presenter, Mr. John Robbie read my request live during his show and for two months there was no response from anyone. Then I heard Rian on Jacaranda FM’s ‘Morning Angels’ program that assists those communities that need help and I emailed Dianne Broodryk my request for youth soccer kit, I was so over the moon and surprised to be called in for radio interview on the ‘Morning Angels’ show on the 10th of May 2016, after my story, Morning Angels offered R21,000-00 to buy soccer kit for the boys, they were so excited and I was so touched.

Now that we have the soccer kit, there was no suitable soccer facilities for the children to play on, I then tried to find someone who could assist, initially I thought I could pay a private company to scrape the soccer field and even it out for the boys to play but then that would not guarantee quality because when rains come, the field will be eroded and damaged again, besides I realised that I could not afford the cost….then I thought of the Department of Gauteng Public Works.

I spoke to Mr. Modubu from Gauteng Public Works based in Ga-Rankuwa, he was polite and helpful, he said that unfortunately Hebron Village does not fall under their jurisdiction, I should contact Mr. McDonald Mokale, Head of public  schools’ maintenance based in Bojanala, Rustenburg district that also covers Madibeng local Municipality.

I sent my request through to Mr. Mokale who promised to come and do site inspection, indeed he came a month later and he promised to contact the School Principal of Tlhako-Ya-Thamaga Primary School to apply for school’s sports fund to assist in funding the sports ground upgrades and renovations. Nothing has happened since and I expect a long and tedious red-tape, never ending issues and delays, pillar to post and budget excuses with this process because I don’t think the government sees this as a priority. 

My alternative plan was to have direct contact with Municipal Director or political head of municipality or any department of youth development, the main idea is to get the children away from drugs like nnyaope and bad influence.

 Now that the soccer kit has been delivered, the kit will get damaged because of children using it on rough ground terrain and dust because of no suitable facilities. 

On the other hand I had to register the team in the Madibeng Local Football Association because they kept on nagging, obviously excited because of their new soccer kit, I don’t blame them!

They will be starting their first league games in November 2016. As a drive to eradicate nnyaope and delinquency amongst our children, let’s keep them busy with sports by providing them with facilities. We have identified location for sports facilities’ to be constructed for these youths. I am currently waiting for feedback from North West Provincial Government’s department of schools sports, arts and culture to advise way forward. 

Other areas like Soshanguve, a stone throw from Hebron has sports facilities  like Giants Stadium, children are playing tournaments on well equipped sports grounds, Mandela Village in Hammanskraal has enticing facilities for youth and the community, why not Hebron ?