Soccer
Young Stars Football Club
Our various soccer teams, ranging from Under 10s to Under 18s, come together as Young Stars FC. We are proudly affiliated with Two Oceans LFA.
Soccer is objectively the most popular sport in the world – perhaps because it is so simple to play. All that is needed is a soccer ball or, failing that, a ball of some fashion: Masiphumelele kids frequently use basketballs and tennis balls to enjoy the beautiful game on the streets.
Soccer, and team sports in general, have a hugely positive impact on a child’s personality. Indeed, team sports teach us how to cooperate with individuals; we learn to work as a unit in order to achieve a desired outcome. No soccer player in the world, not even the kids’ most glorified idols, can beat an entire opposing team on their own. Just as we need friends and family to support us in our personal lives, we need our teammates to support us during a match.
International Cooperations
CTYD depends highly on donations. Our soccer teams often play in mismatched kits as a result, but this does not concern the kids. They are grateful simply for the opportunity to play, and any donated kit is always worn with huge pride and appreciation.
With the help of our longtime friend and supporter, Franz Bruckner, the SG Weilimdorf in Germany has generously equipped us with full kits for some of our teams. Additionally, Jul Lührs and his home team in Germany, TSG Kirchberg, has provided us with a collection of high-quality jerseys. It is supporters such as these which transform CTYD and enable the continued growth of Young Stars FC.
Training and Matches
In sports, progress can only be made by overcoming challenges. In late 2020, a devastating fire spread across Masiphumelele, and many families lost everything they owned. The field that we used for our training sessions and weekend matches has since been adopted by the displaced residents as an interim home base. The name of this field is ‘Makhaya ngokhu’, an isiXhosa term which translates to ‘Homes of now’, so it felt entirely necessary for it to be repurposed to accommodate those who needed it most. Rebuilding the destroyed shacks requires money and materials, both of which are scarce, so these residents’ lives continue to be severely disrupted in the present day.
Every weekend since the fire, Young Stars FC has been visiting neighbouring communities such as Ocean View, Noordhoek, and Fish Hoek to participate in matches. This has been a great opportunity for our kids to meet new, like-minded people, and to practice their skills against new teams. However, transport for an entire team to these areas is expensive and unsustainable.
Our training sessions have been taking place just outside of Masiphumelele on a small pitch shared with other local clubs. Training in winter is impossible due to flooding, and travelling to other neighbourhoods during these months will only incur additional transport expenses. Players, parents, and coaches are all dreaming of proper housing for the displaced residents, and a permanent, exclusive training space for our teams.
