Cape Town Basketball coach Relton Booysen has created an app to help his players, the sporting fraternity and the public at large to stay up to date with the latest developments around Covid-19 during the lock-down period.
As reported by Table Talk(https://www.tabletalk.co.za/sport/hustle-continues-despite-lockdown-46428255), the national lock-down and social distancing has not stopped Booysen, 39, from Goodwood, from keeping his players in shape and informed about the Covid-19 pandemic.
With the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to all games being called off, Boyseen, like many sports fans, had to resort to watching reruns of past games from the comfort of his living room.
But he’s no couch potato and not inclined to sit still for long. With a little bit of help from modern technology, he quickly devised a plan to keep club members on their toes during the lock-down period.
More importantly, he also created a platform to keep them informed on details regarding the spread of the coronavirus.
“Covid-19 is real, it’s in South Africa, it’s in Cape Town, and it’s all over the world. Players can’t play, they can’t train. So, what do we do at home?” he was quoted in the report.
With the possibilities presented by modern technology, he developed an app that tracks the latest statistic on the coronavirus. “Because of Covid-19,” he said in the report, “we came up with an app called The Eye (theeyeapp.co.za) where basketball players and anybody in South Africa can track the day-to-day stats of Covid-19 in their provinces.”
As far as making sure his players stay fit and game ready once the season resumes, he presented what he call his 21-day fitness challenge. “We came up with exercises that you can do in a small space. What it involves is doing 21 sit-ups, 21 push-ups and so on. So, they must continue to work hard and stay safe.”
Booysen was drawn to coaching while at Heidveld Basketball Club and at the time the club didn’t have a coach. The intrepid coach has been in love with the sport ever since Michael Jordan dominated the scene in the 90s, having led the Chicago Bulls to 6 NBA Championship titles between 1991 and 1998.
Originally from Tafelsig in Mitchell’s Plain, Booysen grew up in the Eastern Cape and earned a sports bursary to study at Stellenbosch University. Although equally passionate about hockey and cricket, he prefers shooting hoops and has been involved with various basketball clubs and development initiatives to promote the game across the city for a number of years.
A firm believer in the importance of a good education, Booysen, who also spent time at the University of Cape Town and Nelson Mandela University, says he always tries to encourage his players to work hard on and off the court and focus on their books and ball skills.
“I’m passionate about basketball and started SID (Skills and IQ development) Basketball four years ago to make an impact on communities on the Cape Flats. Hard work equals success and sport is a gateway to success in life. It teaches one discipline and team work. Due to sporting opportunities, I got my first degree.”
Story and image Courtesy of Fuad Essack (This article was originally published by the Cape Community Newspapers)
