“No regrets, just learnings” is Nathaly September’s motto for living her best life as the Maties Basketball Women’s Coach, as a wife and as a mother.
“It can be tough juggling home and family life with professional sport but with the right support, it is both possible and rewarding,” says Nathaly, whose husband is also “in the business” as a baseball coach. “You just need to give it your all every day, put in the effort and make it happen.”
A self-confessed tomboy as a child, Nathaly opted for basketball over netball for a few reasons. “The netball skirts were too short for me but I also enjoy the fact that it is not as restrictive as netball: everyone can shoot, and it’s more physical – almost a contact sport. I got six stitches once!”
Indeed, basketball is deeply rooted in many urban cultures which has spawned a whole fashion, music and movie industry. And it is taking off here at Stellenbosch too. “We started in the national C-section in 2021, moved into the B-section in 2022 and arrived in the A-section in 2024. This year our aim was to come in the top 5, and we came third.”
Nathaly began playing at the age of 14 and continued to compete at national level until the age of 24. From there she transitioned into coaching school basketball, then regional and provincial winning teams. While her playing took her to compete in numerous countries, her coaching career has taken her to the United States for some serious “looking and learning”.
All this experience came to Maties with her appointment in 2021 where her tough coaching style is matched with nurturing. “I bring experience as a player, a coach and as a woman. My challenge is to raise all players to a high standard while helping their individual growth, and acknowledging that their academics come first. Fortunately, we have some very clever ladies,” she says.
Nathaly is passionate about shifting young children from a “virtual” life on devices into play. “I coach learners from Grade R to Grade 7 because I believe that not only does physical activity stimulate mental ability, playing sport also prepares you for life through showing you how to overcome personal challenges and through finding your place and value in a team and society.”
Given that the Maties Women’s Basketball chant is “1,2,3 Maties; 4,5,6 Family”, we can be sure that Nathaly has created a safe space for our young women to bloom, and that she will have a profound impact on her young learners.