Category Archives: Netball

Solami Buthelizi, up and coming youth netball star is not only a brilliant athlete but a young girl with such wisdom and insight into the wider issues of life. I look forward to following her sporting career in the future. She has this to say as a message of encouragement to the youth of SA:

“Be so great that they can’t ignore you ! If you have a desire to do something, always make sure that you give it the necessary attention – your mind, heart, body and soul so that people cannot do anything except acknowledge your achievement (and they will, even if it’s not to your face). *But don’t do something with the sole purpose of getting acknowledgement, there’s a healthy balance between the two – find it”.

INTERVIEW:

Q: You are passionate and doing so well in your Netball tell me a little bit about how you started in Netball and your journey in the Netball arena up to now?

I played my first netball game in grade 1, I remember doing everything I wasn’t supposed to on the court and just wanting to go home. I was put under a lot of pressure by my family and teachers to play netball because of my height. In grade 3, I had a deeper understanding of the game and enjoyed it far more, that was when I started playing competitively. Now I play netball almost every day of the week at the New Germany Action Sports arena and every weekend at the Midlands action sports arena. I’ve always really loved netball and it’s always been my favourite sport but since last year, I’ve become really familiar with the quote, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard” and I’ve put that into heavy practice. I won’t allow my talent to go down the drain. This year, I plan on taking my level of play to new heights, starting off with the IPTsin 3 weeks so I’m training hard !

Q: Who are you?

I am a very opinionated girl however, I am open minded and I will easily change my perceptions if new information shows itself. I believe that “your attitude determines your latitude” – Kanye West. Mind-set will conquer most of the battles we face along with choosing your battles accordingly. I value my heritage (Zulu) a lot. I’m a sociable person but according to a couple of internet tests, I am “a good balance between introvert and extrovert”. I aim to be a well-rounded and globally informed person and I aim to test my limits and fears in the near future.

Q: What is the highest accolade that you have achieved in Netball and what is your greatest personal accomplishment?

The opportunity to play in the 2016 action Netball IPT.

 Q: At which champs  / meet  have you competed recently? How did you experience that?

I recently played at the Super league (outdoor netball) tournament and at the Midlands tournament (action netball). Every time I go to tournaments like these, I see the same faces. This showed me that the people who train hard and take the time out to pursue their talents are the ones who remain on top of their game. I also learned that it’s very important to aim for your own personal best every game and at every training to achieve optimal results as opposed to competing with someone else to be the best player.

Q: In your opinion, what is the value of Education for our youth?

Education is of great value. It’s highly important to have an opinion about national/global issues and the youth is best fit to deal with them but how can we expect solutions and change if the youth itself cannot formulate opinions due to a lack of education? Also, the flourishing of bad governance is aided by a people who cannot think for themselves. Through education for all, our country will see good governance, a more efficient work force and a huge boost in our economy (which we need more than anything right now) amongst other things.

Q: Would you like to share a little bit more about your faith journey?

I grew up in a very Christian home where we were all encouraged to pray but never forced. During my many experiments and adventures in my childhood, I winded up in scripture union camps and really experienced God’s love for myself outside of home and wanted to know more about him, now God is my everything, I’ve taught myself that all the burdens and worries I have are unnecessary and cause clutter and that I should take them to God in prayer. I am grateful that I know God; he is my most valuable piece of information. My prayer every day is “God Guide My Grind” this prayer is asking that God will open doors for my netball, guard me against injury and give me the strength to train every day.

Q: What do you do to relax?

I sleep. I literally feel like there are not enough hours in a day, especially with the heavy academic year I’m currently in. I often rely on music to relax me too but the less resting I do the better.

 Q: What is your personal favourite motivational quote?

“If I’m not dead, I’m not finished ”

Q: What is your favourite Bible / Scripture quote?

Psalm 86:12

I will give thanks to you O my lord God, with all my heart, and will glorify your name forever.

Q: What is your biggest challenge, and what do you do to manage this challenge?

My biggest challenge is lack of time. There’s so much to be done and such little time. E.g. Time to train, recover, get enough sleep, do school work but I’ve learned to prioritize and take things as they come. I’ve never been a type A personality so I don’t really have stress issues luckily.

 Q: In your opinion, how do you define success in life?

I think ultimate success is only definable when reflecting. If you look back to your declarations for the year and you see that you’ve ticked most of your boxes or have done things that satisfy you, you are a successful individual

Q: What’s your WHY ?  Why do you do what you do? Also,  looking into the future, what type of influence do you see yourself having on SA’s and our continent’s youth?

I do what I do because I have a dream, a passion rather. Every day, in one way or another, I work to eliminate mediocrity from the things I value in my life, Netball being at the top of my list. I’m driven to achieve my personal bests in my game because I am my biggest competition. My dream is to be a great asset to any netball team I play in and in the very near future, WHEN I serve on the South African Netball team, I want to show the ones coming after me that a dream isn’t planted within you randomly but because you have a duty to fulfill it , no matter how many weekends you have to sit out of the social scene.  I want to set the example that no matter what motivates you or pressurize you to succeed; you cannot fall into the trap of comparing yourself to other people because it’s detrimental to yourself in very many ways. I hope I can inspire the youth of our continent to believe in their capabilities to achieve their goals no matter how much they may lack in the resources.

I am most grateful for the role God plays in my life, through the people he put in it, the opportunities that he makes available to me and the promises that he makes for my future.

Thank you so much for taking this interview. We would like to wish you all the best for your journey ahead. We look forward to following you as you go from strength to strength. Blessings!