This year marks the 10th anniversary of Jenny van Dyk coaching the Tuks Netball team.

Coach van Dyk celebrated this milestone in grand style – by coaching the Tuks women’s team to a 48-30 victory over Kovsies (Free State University) in the recent University Sports South Africa tournament played in Bloemfontein. The team hails their coach as the main reason for their success.

“Jenny is a firm believer that every player matters,” says Tuks player Juzelri Garbers. “All of us, substitutes included, were involved from the start in the team strategy. This enabled Jenny to make on-court changes during a game, and it would have no impact on the team’s performance. We kept playing with the same intensity – which gave us a definite advantage, as some of our vital players could be rested, to ensure they are at their best when it really mattered. I don’t think the other teams had the same luxury.”

As for Coach van Dyk herself, she constantly reminds her team, “Each of our victories serves as extra motivation to keep on winning. It is a case of success begets success.”

Van Dyk started playing for Tuks Netball in 2008, while attending Hoërskool Oos-Moot. She subsequently studied at Tuks after receiving a netball bursary in 2001, and started coaching the Tuks Under-19 team, before becoming head coach.