Volleyball Takes Off in Stellenbosch Schools, South Africa: One Coach at a Time

From March to May 2025, we had the joy of organising GURU volleyball coach courses in two vibrant communities of South Africa: Kayamandi and Cloetesville. This exciting initiative was made possible through a partnership with the Open Play Foundation, an organisation dedicated to creating safe, inclusive and engaging recreational spaces for children across the greater Stellenbosch area.

Cloetesville: Growing the Game Through Local Leadership

The first GURU coaches course kicked off at Pieter Langeveld Primary School in Cloetesville, a diverse and close-knit community just outside Stellenbosch. A driving force behind the program is the school’s passionate principal, Mr. Shafiek Jacobs, who believes strongly in the power of sport to uplift and empower young people. When the Open Play Foundation in 2024 developed the school’s new sports field, he made sure that volleyball lines were included — a small but symbolic step that reflected his commitment to giving students more opportunities to thrive.

Inspired by his vision, twelfe enthusiastic teachers from the school eagerly joined the course. Over the weeks, they not only learned basic volleyball coaching skills but also embraced the role of mentors and motivators for their learners. Their dedication laid the foundation for what is already becoming a vibrant volleyball culture at the school — one that’s growing with every serve, set and smile.

Kayamandi: Where Sport Meets Sustainability

The second GURU coaches course took place at Kayamandi Primary School, perched on a hilltop in the heart of Kayamandi, Stellenbosch. This school is home to one of the Open Play Foundation’s flagship projects: launched in 2023 in collaboration with Greensource. It's more than just a sports field, the court includes an innovative water harvesting and wastewater management system, providing both clean drinking water for the school and irrigation for the vegetable garden. Greensource is not a stranger to LKTBF. In 2022, we successfully partnered with them on a pilot project with schools in the greater Rustenburg area. It was through this trusted relationship that Greensource introduced us to the Open Play Foundation, a connection that has now led to through an exciting new chapter in Stellenbosch.

The course in Kayamandi welcomed five dedicated participants. Four of them are community coaches with existing experiences in sports coaching, rooted in the local community and already active in supporting youth through sport. They were joined by a passionate sports teacher from Ikaya Primary School, where the Open Play foundation also installed a sports field. Throughout the course, they learned fundamental skills of volleyball as well as how to teach and coach these skills. Each session was filled with great energy, enthusiasm and a genuine sense of fun. 

Coached by LKTBF Expert: Fingerprint Neele Rave

The weekly GURU coaches courses were facilitated by Fingerprint Neele Rave, whose guidance was key in empowering local coaches with the skills and confidence needed to teach the kids volleyball. 

“I found every session incredibly enjoyable and deeply inspiring. There was so much energy, curiosity and laughter. I learned a great deal from the participants — their commitment, creativity and openness truly enriched the experience. Although I was delivering the course, I often felt not only like a coach, but also like a student growing and learning together with the group. It was incredibly rewarding to witness how quickly confidence and team spirit grew and how the love for the game brought everyone together. It was a beautiful reminder of why we do this work”, shared Neele.

Powered by Partnership

This initiative was made possible thanks to funds raised during the 24 hours Volleyball Marathon at Webton Hengelo, along with invaluable support from the Open Play Foundation and the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport. Their combined efforts helped bring coaching expertise, resources and opportunities to these vibrant communities.

A Promising Start and Exciting Next Steps

During the courses, the first children at Pieter Langeveld Primary in Cloetesville and at Ikaya Primary in  Kayamandi already started playing volleyball, sparking enthusiasm among many young learners. For many of the children it was their very first time playing volleyball. They discovered the joy of teamwork, learned new skills and had a lot of fun along the way. This is just the start and we can’t wait to see more kids and more schools on the court next time. 

These GURU volleyball coach courses in Kayamandi and Cloetesville are a perfect example of how sport, education and social development initiatives can come together to create positive change. With passionate teachers and coaches, inspiring partners and a strong focus on inclusion, we are proud to make volleyball accessible to all.

We look forward to seeing these communities continue to grow and thrive — both on and off the volleyball court. And as we always say: It takes the whole volleyball community to keep the ball flying.