Coach Yongi

Pronoun: she/they

Home: Khayelitsha Makhaza**

Favorite Sport: Soccer and touch rugby

How do you tailor your coaching methods to accommodate different learning styles and abilities?

I would say that my coaching style is ensure that am open book that like to learn new skills and improve being a coach overall.

What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as a coach, and how have you overcome them?

Being misunderstood. I’ve learned to create boundaries and focus on self-respect. You can't change how people see you, so it's important to accept that and stay true to yourself.

What advice do you give to your students about maintaining their mental health and well-being?

I'd tell them to talk things out with someone they trust because keeping stuff bottled up only makes it worse. And it's okay to feel whatever you're feeling—just let yourself go through it. You gotta feel it to heal it, so don't push your emotions away.

**Khayelitsha is a small and impoverished township in the southern border of Cape Town, South Africa. Many students from these regions lack access to essential mental health support and a positive community that fosters personal development. Like Yongi, our students face similar disadvantages, but Yongi's journey is a testament to the power of resilience. Together, we can thrive as a community and build a brighter future for our students as we Tackle Trauma Together!

We are very excited to announce a new partnership with @exl_service Service South Africa!
60 of their employees will be trained to co-facilitate on three of our NxtGenMen and NxtGenWomxn events in the coming months.

Together, we'll provide over 1000 beneficiaries with mental health and wellbeing support, tools and resources!

#tacklingtraumatogether
#nxtgenmen
#nxtgenwomxn
#mentalhealthawareness
#sohksa

Coach Elvis

Pronouns: He/His

Hometown: Townships of Gugulethu

Favorite Sport: Soccer

Can you tell us about your background and what led you to become a coach at the School of Hard Knocks?

During and After COVID, I was unemployed. I was always composing music at home, and I would make tiny bits of money from selling beats and recording people’s songs, and that was it. Most of the time, I would produce for younger people for free because they never had any means to pay for studio time but had the talent, so I just thought I should be the helping hand on the production side. I started seeking and applying to call centers in 2021. I secured job interviews but couldn’t get past the interview process. Later that year, my uncle returned with a vacancy poster from Safe-Hub, and I applied. I got the job, and then a SoHK vacancy came later that year, along with two other opportunities. SoHK was about helping people, which I always did, but focusing on mental health instead only of skills development.

What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as a coach, and how have you overcome them?

Balancing the tone of the room when delivering or presenting a session is challenging. Being energetic and funny while trying to deliver a serious message is challenging. Now I am aware of it, and it’s still in progress.

How do you prioritize and maintain your mental health while managing the demands of coaching?

“You can’t pour from an empty cup,” so I also fill up my cup by talking to my therapist and figuring things out with her.

Can you share a success story or a memorable moment from your time coaching at the School of Hard Knocks?

Delivering Next Gen Men Program in Gauteng was the best experience yet. This journey challenged me to step up as a leader, and I am proud of everything our team accomplished together!

At the School of Hard Knocks, we are always excited to create opportunities for our participants to learn from diverse experiences and perspectives. Recently, we had the extraordinary privilege of welcoming the French Consul General, Ms. Sophie Bell, to our girls sessions at Good Hope Seminary.

Good Hope Seminary's participants, staff, and faculty were eager to hear from a distinguished diplomat, such as Ms. Bell, whose work spans various cultural and social dimensions. One of the central themes of Ms. Bell's visit was self-acceptance—a topic that resonates deeply with our mission at School of Hard Knocks. Ms. Bell led insightful discussions for our participants to reflect on their own journeys toward self-acceptance and personal growth. She emphasized the importance of embracing one's unique identity and the power of self-love in overcoming life's challenges.

Ms. Bell also shared her own experiences and challenges, offering a relatable and inspiring perspective. She spoke candidly about her path to becoming the French Consul General and the personal hurdles she had to overcome along the way. Her stories of resilience and determination struck a chord with the students, many of whom face their own struggles with self-esteem and acceptance. The students felt seen, heard, and inspired to continue their journeys with renewed confidence and determination.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Ms. Sophie Bell for taking the time to visit Good Hope Seminary and for sharing her invaluable insights with us. Her visit was a testament to the power of positive role models and the importance of community support in fostering self-acceptance.

As we move forward, we are committed to building on the inspiration and lessons from Ms. Bell's visit. We will continue to create opportunities for our participants to learn, grow, and thrive in an environment that celebrates individuality and self-love.

Stay tuned for more exciting events and initiatives at Good Hope Seminary, and follow us on Instagram @goodhopeseminary for the latest updates and highlights!

#GoodHopeSeminary #FrenchConsulGeneral #SophieBell #SelfAcceptance #PersonalGrowth #Inspiration #CommunityEngagement #RoleModel

Coach Ameerah

Coach Ameerah

Pronouns: she/her

Hometown: Bridgetown

Favorite Sport: Rugby (Soccer a close second)

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Ameerah’s journey to becoming a coach at the School of Hard Knocks is one of resilience and transformation. Through her experiences with trauma and determination to help others, Ameerah has inspired young individuals facing their own challenges. Read on to learn more about her background, the hurdles she’s overcome, and the invaluable advice she shares with her students.

Can you tell us about your background and what led you to become a coach at the School of Hard Knocks?

I’m a person who went through a traumatic experience and did not know how to express what had happened to me or how to speak about it. Keeping it in is what destroyed my mental and spiritual well-being, and it almost ended my physical being. At that point, I knew I wanted to make a change in someone’s life, especially from a younger age, so that they can grow up and learn how to cope with challenges and what they need to do to take care of their well-being. I wanted to be there so they can have someone they feel comfortable around to vent to.

What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as a coach, and how have you overcome them?

Because of my past experiences, I grew to be a shy and isolated person because of my low self-confidence and self-esteem. I never trusted myself enough to put myself out there. Because I doubted myself, I began to see that people also doubted my abilities. I knew that being at the School of Hard Knocks was the environment I wanted to work in because the people in charge care about how you’re doing and coping. I knew I had to make the change and that change starts within me I began to tell myself that I need to step up if I want to help the kids. I needed to trust my abilities, and my determination to be a support structure for the kids is what drove me to overcome my shyness.

How do you prioritize and maintain your own mental health while managing the demands of coaching?

I’ve learned from coaching that you cannot pour from an empty cup. You cannot give your best self to the participants if you are not feeling the best. I prioritise my mental health by taking time out to do self-care routines such as spending time with loved ones, taking time to myself, and reflecting on how far I’ve come and the progress I’ve made, I do the things that I love such as rugby and reconnecting with nature, I also take note of the emotions I’m feeling because I know that if I can’t pinpoint my emotions, I’ll not be able to work through what I’m feeling.

What advice do you give to your students about maintaining their mental health and well-being?

I always reiterate that they cannot be their best selves if they do not take care of themselves. They have to use positive coping mechanisms, such as journaling, creativity, de-stress mechanisms, getting enough exercise, relaxation, and wellness programs.

Want to learn more about our coaches and experiences at School of Hard Knocks? Follow us on Instagram @sokh_sa for all of our coach spotlights, mental health support, and programs!

SoHK is proud to announce it’s combined efforts with The Irish Rugby Team in making a change in the youth of Alexandra. The stars of Ireland have taken a pause from their preparation for the first test against South Africa to team up with SoHK in developing the youth of the Alex Wolves & Queens High rugby clubs through the ‘School of Hard Knocks’ programme that is supported by the Irish Embassy in Pretoria.

Alexandra, Johannesburg

The town of Alexandra, in Johannesburg, is stricken with poverty. Most of its population is underprivileged and live on a day-to-day basis. It is also near to training grounds at which the The Irish Rugby Team are preparing for their first test against South Africa.

The Team-Up

SoHK and The Irish Rugby Team hosted a once-off session where the two U19 teams were brought together to the training grounds of the Irish Rugby team where they enjoyed their time with some fun and games before receiving some tough training from the Irish players. After powering through this task the young players were given the space to find out more about the Irish players and their lives.

One of the youngsters from the township asked, “What do you do when you are feeling down?” Which was a perfect segway to discuss a bit about mental health, without stigma. Many of the players could talk about to how mental health affects them as rugby players and their goals in life. The youngsters could see, that mental health is something that is important and could be spoken about.

Feedback

“The kids can’t stop talking about the event.”

“They aren’t just excited about the Irish that they met but they were also excited about the School of Hard Knocks and what we brought to them as they’ve never had the platform to kind of to speak about this.”

“We and the coaches of the teams feel like the mental health session was really something that they needed but also the whole experience was a great experience for the teams.”