As a professional sports coach, social media has become a great way to gather new coaching information, learn new coaching drills, and connect with coaches in the sporting world.
While scrolling through Instagram, I came across Sebenza Maphumulo, an Athletic performance coach based in Durban, South Africa.
Sebenza is a determined individual who was part of the Sharks Rugby Academy and Played Varsity Shield before moving to France and England. He graduated with a BA Honors in Sports Science from the University of the Western Cape.
With vast experience coaching youth athletes, Sebenza was the Strength Conditioning Coach at the Western Province Rugby Academy and worked with the Sharks u16 team in 2022 and 2023 at the Grant Khomo Rugby Week.
Sebenza is currently the Strength and Conditioning coach at Westville Boys High School. Overseeing Strength and Conditioning for all sports at the school, he predominantly spends most of his time working with the school's Rugby First Team.
His coaching philosophy focuses on creating a high-performance environment where hard work and resilience are the norm. He also believes in having a care factor when working with youth athletes and building a solid relationship.
With youth sports becoming so competitive, young athletes are not mature enough to understand the pressure of becoming a top athlete, and he believes it's essential to monitor them daily on and off the field.
Sebenza's program is focused and structured so that his athletes can develop and gain knowledge on training for a specific sport. He conducts a battery of tests, which helps him to track their progress.
Athletes develop at different stages and rates, and the biggest challenge for all coaches and Sebenza is working with athletes of different strengths and those who may not have the same ability.
Keeping them motivated and not losing them is critical, and building a solid personal relationship with them individually is important.
With opportunities in sports constantly growing, Sebzena advises upcoming Athletic Performance Coaches to educate and upskill themselves about new training methods, apply the latest scientific knowledge, and keep training simple with a world-class mindset.
Follow Sebenza on Instagram @coachbenzie_sport_scientist to follow his coaching at Westville Boys High.
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