​Time management and commitment are essential for students who also excel in their chosen sport.

This was illustrated by Paul Streicher, outside centre of FNB Maties, who had to take an early flight out of Johannesburg on Tuesday to be in time for his graduation ceremony in Stellenbosch at 10:00. He received his accounting degree (BAcc).

Streicher was part of the Maties team that demolished Ikeys 60-13 in a Varsity Cup match that took place in Johannesburg on Monday evening. Due to the match, his team mate Niel Oelofse missed his graduation ceremony on Monday. Oelofse obtained a degree in Theology.

Maties Parasport

Three members of the Maties Parasport Club – Willem Venter (goalball), Anika Pretorius (athletics) and Dyan Buis (athletics) – also graduated this week.

Venter, who is blind, received his MSc degree in computer science; Pretorius, who is visually impaired, received her BSc degree in sports science and Buis, who has cerebral palsy, obtained his Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE).

Venter, who hails from Worcester, is a member of the Boland goalball team and has also sung in the award-winning Stellenbosch University Choir for four years.

He will start work as a junior engineer at a firm in Technopark in May this year.

Pretorius is the SA champion in the 400m and long jump (class T13) and took part in the International Paralympic Committee's (IPC) Athletics World Championship in Doha last year. She is currently doing her honours degree in sports science.

She says that it is not always easy ​to find time for her studies and her sport, but because she enjoys both it is not a problem for her.

Buis won two silver medals at the Athletics World Championship in Doha last year – one in long jump (F38) and one in the 200m (T38).

However, there wasn't much time for celebrations this week because Buis, a teacher at Wes-Eind Primary in Franschhoek, still had to finalise marks and prepare school reports. He is currently enrolled for the honours degree in educational development and democracy and is busy preparing for possible participation in the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro later this year.

All three will be travelling to Bloemfontein for the Nedbank SASAPD (South African Sports Association for the Physically Disabled) National Championships this week.​

Actuary who plays cricket

Dewald Botha, captain of the Steinhoff Maties cricket team, obtained his MSc degree in Actuarial Science.

Last year, while he was still busy with his masters degree, he captained the Boland T20 team that took part in the first African T20 tournament.

He describes himself as a student who plays cricket, rather than a cricket player who wanted to achieve a degree as Plan B. Time management has been his recipe for success.