Being driven by passion and not having to drag herself to work, as Boitumelo Lekalakala puts it, is something she doesn’t take for granted. Lekalakala is the administrator of TuksFootball club at the University of Pretoria (UP) – a role she says allows her to combine her two favourite things: academia and sport.

“What I enjoy most about my work is changing young people’s lives and being able to be a living testimony to them,” she says. “I love working with young people, both university students and high school learners. I love the fact that when I wake up, I’m working towards a mission that can change someone’s life… I don’t drag myself to work but I go with enthusiasm.”

Lekalakala’s journey at UP began when she enrolled for a B.Sport Science degree and subsequently completed an honours degree in Sport and Recreation Management.

“I started working at the football office in my first year as a volunteer, and when I completed my qualifications in 2014, I was offered a job at TuksFootball as the club administrator,” she recalls. “My role involves being the mediator between the club and other departments within the University and other organisations outside UP.”

Lekalakala aptly describes herself as the engine of the club.

“The club has junior and academy programmes for both male and females; we also have senior teams for both genders, as well as internal leagues. Those programmes play different leagues, festivals and tournaments. My role is to ensure that the teams have transport to and from the games. I book medical services, facilities and make the necessary arrangements to ensure that the fields are marked and have goalposts when we’re hosting other teams.

“I also book accommodation, breakfast, and pre- and post-match meals. When booking flights, I try to negotiate fees with the stakeholders when we play outside the province. When we have events, I must be at the events and ensure that stakeholders are well informed about the event and know what is expected from them. I need to make sure that medical services, security, facilities, cleaning services, etc. are aware of the event and must be there until the event is done. I need to make sure that the finances and administrative work of the club are up to date.”

Her attention to detail and dedication earned her the 2023 Hollywoodbets Super League Administrator of the Season Award, which she describes as one of the highlights of her career.

“I was honoured with the award during my first season in the league, which showed me that when you are passionate about something you will eventually get recognition,” Lekalakala says. “This award showed me that you just need to do what you love and work wholeheartedly without expecting applause or a reward.”

She adds that other career highlights include being part of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation – which uses sport to support young people from under-served communities – and graduating as a protégé in 2015, where she got to network with other protégés in Africa. In the same year, she attended the Women Sport Leadership Academy (WSLA) Conference in London.

“I got to network with other women from different countries, which was a huge highlight for me. This conference helped me come up with career strategies and a personal development plan. This is where I officially became a WSLA graduate. Then in 2018, I was selected to be a facilitator at the Women Sport Leadership Academy in Botswana. That was also a highlight.”

Lekalakala’s dedication was also apparent during her early years as a university student, which she describes as “a bit tough”.

“I didn’t have it easy,” she recalls. “I didn’t get residential accommodation, so I had to travel from home in Soshanguve by train every day. I had to make sure that I caught the 5am train, even when I had a 10am class; the earlier you got to the train station, the better, as later trains got stuck on the way. I once missed my exam because of that.”

Lekalakala has some advice to share: “Choose a field that makes you happy; that’s what will keep you going. There’s no point chasing money while you’re not happy with what you’re doing. In the long run, it might cause stress or even depression. Follow your heart and the money will follow. It’s possible to follow your childhood dreams if you take the first step and seek advice and assistance.”

Her future goal is to keep working in the field that she loves and create a legacy that will help those who are less fortunate to thrive.

“My dream is to build a soccer academy for young girls who are abused, who do not have support from home and want to achieve their dreams. I want to help them achieve their dreams and make them realise that they can do it.”