Coach’s individual attention raises players’ skill levels

Aspiring footballers will not be at their full potential when they finally get game time.

Sidelined by the Covid-19 pandemic, South African players have been missing out on the physical, technical and mental conditioning so essential for the game, especially if they aspire to move up the ranks.

But this is where Loyiso Bolsiki comes in with his coaching programme to prepare footballers to be at their best.

Bolsiki, 36, affectionately known as Shakes in the Eastern Cape, who played in SA’s professional leagues for more than a decade, wants to help upcoming footballers to make it to the big-time and to change their lives for the better.

From 2003 to 2015, he represented Bush Bucks in the GladAfrica (National First Division), OR Tambo Cosmos in the ABC Motsepe League,  Chippa United’s reserve team and Peacemakers FC  and Alex FC in Johannesburg.

Bolsiki said football was his passion and he thus had decided after retirement to coach players individually.

He founded a non-profit organisation named Shakes1on1, aimed at improving players’ skills and fitness by training them on a one-on-one basis.

At 31, he decided to go back to school and enrolled at Buffalo City College to study mechanical engineering before football caught up with him again.

“The College team did not have a coach so I took the responsibility of being in charge with the help of other players who were there before me,” he said.

In the 2018/19 season he was officially nominated as the coach of the college’s men’s and women’s teams.

When he is not involved in college commitments he plays for Stars of India, a local club where he acts as coach as well.

The idea to coach players individually came when he realised his own teammates were not getting the attention they needed.

“Players were lacking that technical ability in all areas,” he said. “Players were not getting enough touches of the ball because there are [so] many of them in one session. My aim is to develop players so they can reach their potential.”

He said he trained players from different clubs, according to their individual needs.

“Players need to be open-minded and realise nothing is handed on a silver plate. A player must be willing to dedicate his time to his development.

“As much as everyone else is eager to get back to the field of play and showcase their skills, we will wait and see if they will allow us to use the fields in level two. Our feet are itching to get back on the field of play to kick a ball.”

Sandisiwe Tyakume, whom Bolsiki trains regularly, said: “He is passionate about football and he is doing a great job.

“Training with Shakes actually improved how I see the game. My vision, ball control, accuracy and attitude have changed for the better. As old and experienced as I am when it comes to football, we started from the basics of football.”

Another trainee, Inganathi Lose, said the one-one-one sessions had taught him a lot. “I have grown mentally and technically.”