Our Origins
To gain a better understanding of who we are and what we stand for, here is the story of Mthandazo Ndabeni, better known as Coach Thomas and the founder of CTYD:
Part One
“I loved playing football as a kid. As a teenager, however, I made some bad choices, the crux of which was drug and alcohol use. Eventually, I neglected football, dropped out of school, stopped going to church, and altogether found myself in a very dark place. I felt emotionally and spiritually trapped, and I desperately needed a way out.Then, in December 2001, fulfilling my mother’s hope for me, I went back to church. She and my church community continued to support me during this delicate stage, and, with their help, I finally found the strength to stop using drugs.
“My outlook continued to improve as I reinstated the life that my former self had thrown away. Indeed, in 2002, I went back to school, joining the Grade 12 class at Masiphumelele High School. Surrounded by friends of a similar age, and hearing them talk about their hobbies and favourite sports teams, I greatly began to miss playing football. Several months after this realisation, my close friend, Mavala, introduced me to his neighbour, Mr. Mashayela, who nonchalantly mentioned that he had a soccer ball and some spare jerseys that weren’t getting any use. So, with the jerseys and soccer ball on loan, Mavala and I started a local football club. We called ourselves Juventas in honour of our favourite international team, and worked tirelessly over the next few weeks to recruit friends from school, the tavern, and our street. To our huge delight, our local community was highly receptive to our efforts, and we had no difficulty in recruiting enough members. Each player was focused and enthusiastic in our weekly practices, and our team was match-ready in what felt like no time at all.
“However, though I had renounced drugs some time before, alcohol use continued to be a problem for myself and others. Most of our team failed to show up to our schedules matches – we were either too hungover from the previous night, or out drinking during the day. This was incredibly frustrating to the players who didn’t drink, and eventually they all left the club. By August 2003, I was completely alone nothing but a soccer ball – everyone else had decided to quit, understandably. I felt as though I had unravelled all the progress I had made, retreating again into the dark headspace that I had tried to escape. Even so, I wasn’t ready to give up. I had to find a way to rebuild the club.”
Part Two
“I asked my younger brother, Abo, to rally up as many friends as he could to come and play soccer. Fortunately, the tactic was successful, and Abo came to me with an entire team’s worth of players in tow. Each of them was eleven/ twelve years old, much younger than our previous team, but this gave me a new idea and opportunity: I was going to be their coach. With this role came a new vantage point: I was able to witness the and foster the boys’ impressive level of commitment to the game, and it was also a joy to see each player take my advice and use it to improve not only their skill, but also their passion for soccer.
“With so many new players and so much use, the soccer ball from Mr. Mashayela eventually became unusable, and there was no replacement within reach. But, to my surprise, the whole team showed up to the next practice session, each of them wearing a mischievous smile. Ceremoniously, one of the boys came forward, revealing from behind his back a solution to the problem: a full-size, well-used basketball. It was one of the best sessions we’d had in a long time.
“Mavala continued to support me with organising our first Under 13’s match against another local team. This was intended to allow the boys to experience a more competitive atmosphere, and to point to the things we needed to work on. In other words, it set up as a one-off event, but the boys enjoyed the game so much that they proposed the idea of playing matches regularly. I, on the other hand, wasn’t convinced by the idea. I wanted to be honest and realistic, so I explained to the boys that we were not ready; this was an unfeasible next step with a lack of money and proper kit. This, of course, failed to quench the boys’ enthusiasm. Despite my discouragement, they insisted that they’d happily play barefoot and in mismatched clothing, just as long as they could play. So, reluctantly, Mavala and I organised another game, and we were astounded by the boys 1-1 draw with a brilliant rival club.
“The boys were right: they were ready.”
Part Three
“We continued playing until 2004, but I was still drinking. One day, I was at some tavern in Luntu Street in Masiphumelele, and a guy came up to me and said, ‘Dude, there’s a group of kids asking to see you.’ When I looked through the window, it was my boys looking for their coach. It was a match day and I hadn’t shown up, so I lied to them and said the game was cancelled. The look on their faces was heartbreaking. I knew I had to change.
“The kids went back home with their heads down, and kept on drinking at the tavern. This time, however, I didn’t enjoy myself at all. I couldn’t believe what I had done. I felt terrible for telling them this cold lie, quenching the fire of their enthusiasm.
“Much later, in 2005, my mother said the church members had asked build a shack next to our house for weekly church services. We agreed to this, so they promptly started the building work. The following weekend, I was in Luntu, drinking as usual, when it suddenly got cold. I said to Mavala that I would go and get myself a jacket from home. When I arrived at my street, I heard the sound of gospel music and clapping at my house in the shack. I was astounded. While I was out drinking, I had completely lost track of the time and the day. It turns out it was a Sunday, so I quickly turned on my heel without my jacket. I did not want the church members to see me drunk.
“That was the day I quit drinking.”
Part Four
“The boys and I continued playing soccer, and eventually these young kids grew into young adults. Our club has been renamed to Young Stars Football Club, and we are playing in every league from Under 10’s through to the grown-up leagues!
“Then, in early 2018, I took to expanding our club into new domains. I was working for Gap Year South Africa, a volunteer program based in Fish Hoek, where I met a group of boys who were learning to surf through GYSA‘s ‘Ubuntu Surfing Program’. Jessica Gould, the director of GYSA, couldn’t continue teaching, and it dawned on me that I had to make sure these boys could continue learning.
“I mentioned my wish to continue the surfing program to one of GYSA‘s volunteers, Grant Larson, who hailed all the way from Montana. Grant immediately pledged his support. He started a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for wetsuits, surfboards, and transport money, and this helped build the foundation for what was to come.
“In October 2018, the boys and I started surfing as the Kasi Surf Club. This, alongside Young Stars FC, became what we originally called Masiphumelele Youth Development. It felt as though the pieces were beginning to form a puzzle.
“Currently, within the renamed Coach Thomas Youth Development organisation, we have many young, enthusiastic, and motivated surfers. Each and every one of them, week in, week out, diligently applies themself in learning to tame the power of the ocean by riding South African waves.”
Part Five
“This year, we are working hard to rectify the gender imbalance across our programs. Girls need access to the education provided by sports and outdoor activities just as much as boys do, and we aim to accommodate children of all gender identities.
“Our swimming and hiking programs were developed with this goal in mind, and they have served as a significant step in catering to different groups of children and diversifying participation. However, we don’t aim to achieve gender equality only in our participation statistics, but in our kids’ minds as well.
“At present, to further our efforts towards this aim, we are planning to set up even more CTYD programs. This list of future programs includes music, dancing, recycling, and running. As such, we hope to give each and every child in Masiphumelele the opportunity to learn a new skill, meet new people, and have a healthy outlet for their energy.”
