The Heart of Tug-of-War: how Bellville Leeus club transforms lives
Bellville Leeus Tug-of-War Club is a club that truly showcases how someone might fall in love with this unique sport.
If there is a highlight of attending the club’s practice session, it is not only their dedication to the sport and commitment to one another, in the face of a number of challenges, but especially how it fosters community.
The club has managed to inspire and uplift those who show up in a way that harks back to a time of neighbourliness. They have shown how uplifting one another has a knock-on effect in uplifting their community.
The Bellville Leeus Tug-of-War Club was established in May 2018, and since then, the club has opened their doors for transformation and invited children from Bellville-South to join in.
Bellville Leeus is a transformation club with approximately between 60 to 70 members. Most of their athletes come from single parent homes and sub-economic households, and heavily relies on sponsorships and donations with no assistance from the government.
The club offers tug-of-war as a community sport and serves the kids in their Northern Suburb communities.
Marinda Brandt, 54, has been involved in the group for about 18 months, said that she became involved in the club thanks to her son.
“Our son, John, is on the autism spectrum, and all through his school career, he couldn’t really participate in a team sport. We moved from Bloemfontein to Cape Town around 8 years ago, and John couldn’t finish school (that side), and then he was invited by a friend to come join Tug-of-War, and then his life changed.”
Brand said that the sport has become her son’s world.
She explained that what club founders Thinus and his wife, Desire Els, do is that they reach out to the outcasts or the children that are very much influenced by difficult circumstances - be it domestic violence or facing alcohol abuse in the community.
She added that Thinus will often go above and beyond when necessary, to fetch the children with his own bakkie, bring them to train and practice, and then drop them off again.
“Thinus’ heart is so pure, and he has such an open heart for these children. He gives them a community. He gives them a sense of purpose, and a sense of belonging. So it is much more than Tug-of-War,” Brand said.
“Their vision for these children to be involved, get a community, get them to participate, be proud of who they are, they really invest into the lives of these children.
“Then the other aspect of this club that is really unique is that they don’t have gym facilities like at a school. They make their own equipment to train, and to practice, and looking at how far they’ve come, and what they have accomplished, with the limited resources they have is out of this world.”
One of the club’s coaches is Barbara Coetzee, who has been involved in the sport since 1997. She said that she came into the sport after having an “Olympic” day at the station where she was police officer.
Thereafter, she was invited to participate with a team, and not long after that the bug bit her.
Coetzee then achieved national colours 13 years after she joined the sport, at the age of 50.
“I think I was so overwhelmed that evening when my name was announced. Knowing that I’m one of the best in our country was one of the best parts. It wasn’t so much about going onto the field, but pulling that jersey over my head that day of the World Championships, that moment was the biggest for me.”
She admitted that she was never one who thought about opening doors when she first started all those years ago, but later on she realised that she wanted to do it for the coloured community, after seeing how predominantly white the sport was.
“Where the children come from, they’ve been born there, and for us (as a club) we want them to see something bigger… It’s something for them to look out for, and something to keep them from the streets. We don’t want them to think that is our (only way of) life.”
Elsie Malies, 18, has been at the club for four years and said she wanted to get involved because it was nice.
“Our community where we stay is full of gangsterism, and this sport keeps me away from those negative influences. I enjoy it here, they show me love here. They respect me here.
“My teammates always make me smile, and laugh, and I enjoy going to places with my team mates. Some of my best memories are being with my teammates, grabbing that rope and giving my all so that I can show them what I can do.”
Desire Els said the club has already produced three members who have gone on to have their national colours, one being their daughter, but added that finances is a constant challenge.
“We love the sport, we love the children, and if you see them and how they grow from becoming nothing to something, that is absolutely fantastic.
“All the efforts came out of our own pockets,” she said. ”It started with a few children from the house before we ended up here at the Bellville Sports Ground.
“The biggest challenge for us is finances. Some of these children can afford to pay their own club fees, 90% of the children cannot, so we rely heavily on our sponsors, our donors, and private funding. We have put our fingers all over the show in order to get funds to get these children to the competitions, and our equipment.”
Els said that the children are meant to pull on grass, but the small portion of land made available to them in the sports ground is mostly full of sand.
“There are a lot of challenges that we try to overcome with what little resources we have.”
Brand added that the couple does fundraising and take a lot on themselves.
“What happens is they have a competition on Saturday, a lot of the parents are not bothered about bringing their children so what they do is they have the children stay over on Friday evening. They give them supper, they pack a lunch-box for them, and they make sure that there is something to eat for them the next day.
“They also transport them to the competition, so it is much much bigger than one really realises.”
“Although the finances are in the back of our mind when we deal with the children, it is at the forefront of our needs,” said Els.
“The children help us keep going. Believing that God has put a purpose on our hearts to give these children a need for something better. They can’t do Tug-of-War from where they come from. They don’t know it from the areas where they come from.”
“Since we started, it has come down to the love for the children. If you don’t have the love for the sport, and a love for children, and a love to see them making something of themselves - reaching and achieving their goals - then it is absolutely doomed.”
Those wanting to assist the club can contact Thinus Els at 083 206 9425 or contact the club via e-mail at infobellvilleleeus@gmail.com.