​Sport has always been Zanele Mdodana's first love, so she didn't hesitate to grab the opportunity to become head coach of Maties Netball when it was offered to her. When she is not coaching and nurturing her players, both on and off the netball court, Zanele spends her time perfecting her moves on the ballroom dance floor.

As we kicked off May commemorating Workers' Day, we dedicate this series of articles to our staff and their important contribution to Stellenbosch University (SU). In the interview below Zanele tells us more about her work.

What does your role at SU entail?

 I am the head coach of Maties Netball, responsible for the holistic performance of all the Maties netball teams. The first team participates in the University Sports South Africa and Varsity Netball leagues. I am responsible for the monitoring of players, including their academic performance, emotional well-being, and performance on the court. Most importantly, I help to create an environment where our players flourish while experiencing student life.

What does a typical day at work look like?

From 10:00 to 15:30 I do positional work with my players. The attackers, defenders and shooters come in later for individual positional work, and then there is a team training session from 17:00 until 19:00. I devote one day a week to administrative work.

How did your education or past experiences prepare you for this role?

I have played netball since I was 10 years old, representing every provincial and national age group. I was selected for the Spar Proteas in 2005 and was appointed captain in 2012. I retired in 2015.

I studied a BTech in Sport Management and worked as a sports manager for nine years. So, sport has always been my first love. I coached at schools in Gqeberha, as well as provincial teams in Gqeberha and the Cape Winelands. I grabbed the opportunity to be head coach of Maties Netball in 2017 with both hands and seven years later, it is the most challenging yet fulfilling job.

What do you enjoy most about your role and working at SU?

 I love coaching and empowering my players. This allows me to see them grow to be not only better netball players, but better people as well. It is rewarding to see my players graduate or achieve national representation. I establish strong and lasting bonds with my girls. I live by the motto that a good coach changes the game, but a great coach changes a life.

Tell us something exciting or interesting about yourself that few people would expect?

I am an excellent ballroom dancer and I love dancing.