Davids can make the SA Students women's basketball team believe in their abilities

One of the great success stories of TuksSport is that of the women's basketball team.

A few years ago, the word winning was almost foreign to the team, but that has changed. For the past two years, Tuks' women have been the USSA 3x3 basketball champions. The woman who brought about the change is Thesline Davids. Not that she will ever take credit for it. To her, the game is about the players. They are the ones on the court putting their bodies on the line.

When one listens to Davids talk about basketball, one can't help but get excited about her appointment as coach of the South African women's team that will participate in the World Student Games in Germany next month. Especially considering that she abides by the principle of pushing players to see a better version of themselves at the end.

"Basketball has changed my life in a lot of ways. To coach, just like teachers, it's a calling. Coaching, it's my calling. It enables me to positively impact people's lives and help change them," said Davids.

Davids would often quote the businesswoman Thando Nkonzwana, saying, "My biggest fear has never been to fail. My biggest fear is giving up. Giving up means you've lost all hope, and hope is what keeps us going."

The two Tuks players, Thoriso Kotsane and Caroline Maine, who have been selected to play in Germany, will attest to the fact that Davids has the knack of getting players to believe in their abilities.

Kotsane, a student in political science and international studies at Tuks, is at 1.80 metres, one of the taller players.

She was an enthusiastic netball player at school, but everything changed the day the coach of a basketball team approached her to join his team. According to him, her height would benefit her in basketball.

"I was sceptical at first ,but also curious. Therefore, I decided to take the coach up on his offer. When I first started to understand the basics of the game, I enjoyed it. So, I stopped playing netball. In basketball, you have a lot more freedom to express yourself as a player. You can dribble the ball, bounce the ball and shoot for a goal. Another big clincher for me was the fact that in basketball, you play in shorts. I'm not crazy about wearing skirts.

"My best asset as a player is bringing energy to a team as well as commitment. My mom told me that the work you put in is what ultimately determines the result, along with being humble and disciplined. That has always been my mindset. It doesn't matter what I do, whether I study or play."

What many may not know is that Kotsane would like to wrestle. Her passion for the sport was sparked while she watched professional wrestling on television with her grandfather and grandmother.

"It's the violence that comes with wrestling that excites me. Unfortunately, my mother put a stop to my wrestling dreams."