The upgrade of the Maties netball outdoor and indoor courts is to the benefit of netball, basketball, and the image Maties Sport as a whole.
Six netball outdoor courts, two multi-purpose outdoor courts along with the Coetzenburg Centre and indoor tennis facility have been or are being upgraded.
“We have been hosting the Protea Netball team in collaboration with SA Netball in our indoor tennis facility that has been converted to an international standard netball court. We are the official partner as a facility to assist in the preparation of our national netball team for all their training camps since 2022 and leading up to the World Cup,” says Sean Surmon, new Director at Maties Sport.
The SA squad has been hosted for their training camps at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport.
The outside courts are being resurfaced, this project is almost finished. The Coetzenburg Centre project, phase one, expanded the playing floor space to incorporate basketball as well as netball. In addition, the two courts will be moved in such a way to add more space in between them, and the lighting has been upgraded to international standards. A new access has been added to facilitate the installation of wooden netball flooring so that Maties Sport can host the Telkom National League as well as any national and international tournaments. All change rooms have been renovated and it will be of world standard, besides the fact that it is 100% compliant and wheelchair accessible.
It is a big year for netball and in particular South African netball. The World Cup is being hosted in Africa for the first time and South Africa (Cape Town) is the host.
“The upgrade is important to make sure the standard of netball and basketball is maintained,” says Charlé Swart, Maties Sport’s netball sport manager.
This is also being done right now, because Maties Netball will play host to the USSA Netball tournament, which will take place from 3-7 July.
“Maties Netball is proud of maintaining a high standard for the product we deliver to our students and the Cape Winelands region. Maties Netball currently has more than 500 campus members.”
According to Swart, the tournament and the extra focus on the sport that comes with it, gives Maties Netball an ideal opportunity. Maties Netball has been expanding their service offering beyond club and campus leagues by offering various coaching clinics for external players and coaches within the Western Cape netball community.
“We aim to create a platform where more individuals from the wider community can participate in netball.”
However, it is not only netball that will benefit from the new courts. The two multi-purpose courts and Coetzenburg Centre will also be used by Maties Basketball.
“The recent upgrade of our outdoor basketball courts is a significant development for our basketball programme. The improvements to the courts will provide our students with better access to more high-quality playing surfaces, which will allow them to improve their skills and develop their playing abilities,” says Zukhanye Magwa, sport manager for basketball.
“Furthermore, the upgraded courts will help to expand our basketball footprint within the community. With more and better basketball courts available, we will be able to attract more students who are interested in playing basketball. This will not only benefit our basketball programme, but it will also help to foster a greater sense of community and engagement among our students.
“The availability of upgraded courts will also provide our students with more opportunities to practice and hone their skills, which will lead to better performance on the court. This, in turn, will help to elevate the profile of our basketball programme and attract more attention from supporters and potential recruits.”
Overall, it is the image of Maties Sport that benefits from the work. This contributes to the high standards that Maties Sport sets when it comes to its facilities. It benefits the overall image of Maties Sport, the University and Stellenbosch as a town that is seen worldwide as a training destination of choice for teams and individuals for the international season.
“The upgraded courts give Maties Sport the opportunity to offer world class facilities to our immediate communities, the rest of the Western Cape, South Africa and the rest of the world,” concludes Surmon.
