Thabo grew up in a Christian home with his mother, father, and twin sister. He had a good childhood, different from many of the people in his township. He stayed away from drugs and crime, mostly keeping to himself. When his father passed away, Thabo said he never really felt a gap; he still had love from God.
“The love I got at home has allowed me to give love,” Thabo said.
Thabo grew up in the church; his dad was a pastor. He found soccer through his church, where he played on the local team. He loved soccer, but his career ended after he got injured. That’s when he decided to become a coach for the young boys in his community.
“I couldn’t play what I loved the most,” Thabo said.
Now, as a coach, his main goal is to build better males. He says he’s able to give because he has received, and he knows the love he receives from God humbles him. “Savannah family” is the name he has given to the team; their goal is to make boys who know how to act like a family. When one of the boys lost his mother, the team rallied around him to support him. That’s the kind of culture Thabo strives to build.
Thabo also wants to teach the boys how to stay loyal to themselves, be patient, and know the importance of words. As a coach, he wants to set the example for the young men– they watch what he does, and he feels the implications of that.
The boys in Savannah Park face multiple challenges in their daily lives. Many of them come from single-parent families, and most fathers are absent. Mothers are very young, so children are primarily raised by their grandmothers. There’s a lack of emotional support in the homes, and there’s rarely any academic support. Without support, there’s no personal growth. Kids also deal with peer pressure, which leads to smoking, drugs, and nowhere to go after school.
“No one is teaching them how to move forward,” Thabo said.
He believes that parents never plan anything for their children; they don’t create next steps to move their children forward. What happens after school? What will they do with their life? How will they get a job? Thabo believes these questions are essential to a young child’s success. He also believes that success will only come when all three of them work together: the coach, the player, and the parents.
One of the biggest challenges Thabo faces as a coach is getting his players to come to practice. Sometimes, parents don’t let their boys go to practice as a consequence for misbehavior. And although Thabo understands boys need discipline, he wants parents to realize that soccer is more than a sport. It builds character and instills good habits into the players, and keeping them away will do more harm than good.
“Habits are important for growth,” Thabo said.
Despite the challenges, Thabo is seeing progress in his players. They are growing, learning to use their time wisely, studying for exams, and succeeding in school. Many of them are also beginning to come to church. Eight of Thabo’s players went to the Good Friday service this year.
Practice takes place two hours a day, four times a week. There are 35 boys on the team, split into three groups depending on age. With help from his assistant coach, Sizwe, Thabo teaches the boys how to play soccer and how to be men.
Sizwe started helping Thabo at the beginning of this year. He wanted to do something that would have an impact on the young boys in his community. He recognized the importance of the characteristics Thabo was trying to teach the boys: how to be focused, responsible young men who know what they want.
“We don’t need more boys,” Sizwe said. “We just want to be able to pour 100% into the boys that we do have.”
Both Thabo and Sizwe saw their program change when they partnered with Isiseko Imara. For the first time, they started to view their boys not just as young soccer players, but as young men.
Olwethu, 18, has been playing on the team for three years. He appreciates the structured lifestyle he’s gained since joining the team. He’s learning respect and discipline, and he’s gained a family.
Khanyisani, 14, lives with his older sisters. He joined the team just last year, but even in the short time, he feels like he’s found a family. Outside the team, Khanyisani said that young boys in his township don’t believe in themselves. He is thankful for coaches who motivate him to be better and to do more.
“[Before] I knew only futbol, but now I’m growing as a person,” Khanyisani said.
One of the main things that Thabo has learned since coaching is the psychological aspect of young boys. They don’t know better than what they’ve been told. So Thabo focuses on teaching his players that they can do more and be better than who they are now.
“We want what’s best for them, but they don’t even know what’s best for them,” Thabo said. “We are devoting our lives to creating successful human beings.”