Bad player, Good Coach.

Rannie Motloutsi (23) from Hammanskraal. He holds a higher certificate in Sport management which he obtained from University of South Africa (UNISA) and recently graduated with Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) as he has obtained his National Diploma in Coaching Science and is currently enrolled for his Advanced Diploma in Kinesiology science at TUT. While most football coaches have been in the field before they got to the sidelines, Motloutsi's story is no different, he was asked what relationship did he have with football before he decided to take the coaching route, his response was, “Cliché as it may sound, I love this game so much, it's what I consider 'life', check the past few months football was on hold the world was nothing without this good game. But anyway, my relationship with football started when I was a young boy playing street soccer, until coach Jane Pole told me to join his team at Rentview FC. I stopped playing soccer for personal reasons but it was not an easy decision to make. After playing soccer, I thought it would be great for me to stay involved in the game and get opportunity to pass what I have learnt to the next generation." "I was a player who always played with a coaching mentality because I used to motivate my teammates during our tough times and giving the team instructions even during the game. I've always been the loud one, I remember sometimes when our team would have early training session and our coach was not available - I would be the one leading the team during the session, and mind you even that time I was not the team captain, the love would just take over and I was fortunate enough to have a team that was so understanding and were willing to be led by me and I'm grateful for that, so my transition from being a player to become a coach was easy." Motloutsi highlighted the difference between the rush of being a player in the field and a coach on the sideline to say, "there's this famous saying that says, 'You can be a good player but a bad coach or be a bad player but a good coach', being on the sideline and in the field is entirely different. As a player, I was taught to focus on my own performance and what I can control, and as a coach I always ensure that our efforts lead to a win, I need to move the focus from myself to the whole team. I need to try to understand what are my players thinking and what are they feeling and really try to anticipate how they will react and respond to my philosophy. I should also keep my confidence and give motivation to the team in the entire process of working towards a win. According to me, it's my responsibility as a coach to help the team understand the way I want them to play and check if they are in line with my coaching philosophy before throwing them into the field only to watch the plot fail." Rannie's favorite formation is 4-3-3, as the formation balances the whole team in all angles, "this formation remains solid when players attack, it gives us more numbers to kill forward and when we defend it also gives us more players to defend with. It gives me light and guidance on how I should approach my opponents and I have good players to play that formation with - my wing backs are roadrunners players, front three are good in creating spaces. Although what frustrates me as a coach is showboating" he said. In December 2019, Rannie's amazing coaching skills landed him an opportunity to head to Spain, he shares details of his trip with us: "that trip was one of the best thing that has happened to me since I got involved in the game. I went to Spain with Titanias Football institution, I learnt quiet a lot from Spanish football. There are some countries that are believed to be gifted in football, and for me honestly I believe Spain is one of those. The Spanish federation nurtures talent at a very early age, they play different football from us, the under 13 team are introduced to tactics, how to approach the game, a session of 25 players use more than 40 balls, then there are some sessions of 25 players we use only 2 balls. It shows that they take football seriously because we managed to play with big teams like Villarreal Academy and Valencia Academy. We lost all 3 games, but I was impressed with how my boys played. It was a learning curve for me and my team, I am very proud and glad that I got to form part of the team that went to Spain to compete against top countries, above everything I'm grateful for that experience.” Motloutsi is with TUT Development team which was recently formed, and he said that he is happy to be part of the team from the People's University - the home of champions. When asked about where he sees himself in the next 3 years he said, “being part of the development is part of the 3 year plan, through the TUT development I know that I am helping to produce younger stars that will play Varsity Football Tournament in the next 3-5 years. My goal as a young coach is to produce young stars that will play professional football in the long run, I want them to play for big teams in the world and represent South Africa (Bafana Bafana)at some point . What I will benefit from the process is gaining more experience and be one of the best coaches my country has to offer, and with the support I get from my family and friends I believe that God will make it possible." His note to self is, “Shoot for the moon, if you miss you will land among the stars 🌟✨" From our team we would like to wish Rannie all the best there is.