Make The Most Of Winter This Year

Why are the fats from oily fish so good for you?

Omega 3 fatty acids are fats that are found in fish, seafood and plant oils. They are polyunsaturated fatty acids. There are many different types of omega 3 fatty acids, but they all perform the same functions in the human body, and have similar benefits.  They are essential fatty acids, meaning they cannot be made by the human body but are vital for normal metabolism. Therefore you need to get them from food sources. An essential fatty acid is one that is needed for normal growth and development in humans.

Common sources of omega 3 fatty acids include fish oils, algae oil, squid oil and some plant oils such as echium oil and flaxseed oil. You can also buy supplements that contain omega 3, if you are unable to get the oils from natural food sources because of dietary restrictions.

Fish sources that have good levels of omega 3 include salmon, mackerel, halibut, sardines, tuna, and herring. It is recommended that a healthy adult should eat these types of fish twice a week.

The acceptable amount to consume is approximately 1-2 grams a day for an adult. This is the amount that you would generally get from one small serving of the previously listed fish.
Omega 3 acids play a crucial role in brain function.

They have also become important because they may reduce the risk of heart disease. However, omega 3 should be taken with caution in those who bruise easily, have bleeding disorders, or who are on blood thinning medications such as warfarin. This is because omega 3, when consumed in excess, can lead to excessive bleeding, as well as an increased risk of strokes.

Did you know?

The benefits of omega 3 fatty acids were discovered in the 1970s by researchers studying Greenland’s Inuit tribe. These people consumed large amounts of fat from fish, but had virtually no heart disease among them.

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Lions captain four ways, Johannesburg

1. ‘It’s great to finally have my fiancee, Tami-Lee, living with me in Joburg.’

2. ‘When I lived in Stellenbosch I used to play in a band.’

3. ‘Tami-Lee is a hairdresser, but I think my long locks and bushy beard are a challenge that is beyond her.’

4. ‘I’m a big man, and I need a big car. The guys at Jeep sorted me out.’

5. ‘I love the outdoors, so when I have some time away from rugby, there’s nothing better than hitting the greens for a round.’

6. ‘I’m not just a drummer. I know my way around a guitar too.’

7. ‘I have a bit of a sweet tooth, so cake is often on the menu, when my diet allows.’

Fast Facts

In high school, Strauss only played one first team game. . He won the 2012 Currie Cup Player of the Tournament award.

There were few more experienced players in the absa premiership this season than the man who almost single-handedly inspired Moroka Swallows to a tilt at the title. By Nick Said

At the age of 34, Siyabonga Nomvethe might be expected to be winding down his career, but instead he appears to be turning into a more effective player. Always blessed with blistering pace and the ability to run at defenders, in the past there has been a lack of end product to his game, promising positions wasted with a rash shot or a wrong pass.

But in the 2011-12 season he appeared far more at ease with his game and put the ‘Hail Mary’ balls to bed. He is a far more effective footballer now, still with the energy and drive to be a danger on the pitch, but without the ‘headless chicken’ act that had made him much derided in the past.It is perhaps ironic that he is finding his best form at the end of a career that has seen him play for both Soweto giants, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, as well as feature in the Italian Serie A, one of the most technical leagues in the world.

He was named PSL Player of the Season in the 1999-00 campaign while still at Chiefs, but it was a case of being named the best of a fairly mediocre group of condidates.He can also call on the experience of 79 caps for South Africa, with a disappointing return of just 16 goals, though to be fair he was often used in wide positions rather than as a central striker.There was fascination over his age this past season, with Swallows coach Gordon Igesund constantly asked whether ‘Bhele’ can keep pace with play in the PSL as the years roll on. But it is a misguided notion.

There were in fact nine players older than him in the PSL, many regulars for their clubs and many fine performers week in, week out.Two of these are team-mates of Nomvethe, James Mayinga and MacBeth Sibaya. Matthew Booth (Ajax Cape Town), Stanton Fredericks (Bidvest Wits), Joseph Musonda (Lamontville Golden Arrows), Alton Meiring (Jomo Cosmos), Lucky Lekgwathi and Benni McCarthy (both Orlando Pirates), and Sibusiso Zuma (SuperSport United) are all older than Nomvethe.‘I hate talking about Nomvethe’s age because it really doesn’t matter,’ Igesund says. ‘He has been fantastic for us this season, he has won us games with his goals and created chances for his team-mates, so what does it matter if he is 34?

‘If he is 39 and can still play like that, I will pick him. We are too fixated with a player’s age in this country and we forget to look at their ability. That is what counts.’Igesund has nothing but praise for a player who is fast becoming a talisman for the team, a symbol of their attacking style of play.‘He runs at players and beats defenders easily – he goes past players really nicely. And he works very hard for the team; you can see that in matches, he always wants the ball and his movement without it is superb.‘He is also a good finisher, he has learned to be more composed in the box and that shows in his goals tally this season which is up there with the leading strikers.

He is an extremely important player for us and a great character to have in the dressing room too.’One remarkable statistic is that Moroka Swallows have not lost a game in which he has scored, either in this season just gone by [2011-12], or the one before it.In fact, they have only ever lost one game in which he has found the net, a 4-2 loss at SuperSport United in September 2009. It is a remarkable statistic when you consider he had scored some 34 goals for the club at the time of writing.

The KwaMashu-born player has always had an excellent ‘engine’, being able to run for the full 90 minutes and never let his energy level drop. He has the natural fitness of a Makhaya Ntini which, coupled with a humble and quiet lifestyle off the pitch, has given him his longevity. He also has a single-minded desire to succeed.

Swallows were unlikely challengers for the league championship this season, especially after their flirtation with relegation in the last campaign.But Igesund made two key signings ahead of the campaign that have helped the club turn their fortunes around. The first was to bring in midfielder David Mathebula from Kaizer Chiefs, and the second was to extend the contract of Nomvethe for another two years despite heavy interest in his signature from elsewhere in the PSL.

His goals have catapulted the side into title contention, while his number of assists for team-mates makes him arguably one of the most valuable players in the top flight.But it is also his settling influence on the dressing room that has earned him plaudits. He has a calming influence when times get tough, and perhaps most importantly he leads by example on the pitch.This Swallows squad is a mixture of older heads and young rising stars, and Nomvethe, with all his international and European experience, can wield great influence over his team-mates.

Those around him can only marvel at the energy he plays with and the passion that he puts into his game. But those attributes can only take you so far; you need to have skill and the ability to read the player, something that Nomvethe has learned through his 15 years of top-level football.After this season, there has also been a chorus of calls for Nomvethe to be drafted back into the Bafana Bafana set-up by national coach Pitso Mosimane, but it seems for him age clearly is a factor when it comes to selection.

Bafana have battled to find a settled partner for top forward Katlego Mphela, who has had to carry the goal-scoring burden alone, while the likes of Nomvethe and Benni McCarthy continue to perform in the PSL.One of the most vocal has been former national team star Quinton Fortune, who spent almost 10 years at Manchester United.

‘When I was selected to play for Bafana Bafana after graduating from the U23 national side, I was still young but we found older players in the team,’ Fortune says.‘Players like Shoes Moshoeu, Mark Fish, Doctor Khumalo, John Moeti and Andre Arendse welcomed and inspired us.

It was also easy for some of us to settle down in the team, we were so happy to play with some of the guys we grew up idolising. That is where players like Benni and Nomvethe will fit in in the set-up. They have experience, which is something you will never buy in a shop.’It seems that experience is now key for Nomvethe, above his raw talent, and with one more year left on his current deal with Swallows, he will likely be a key figure for them again next season, or for as long as his legs can carry him, which might be a good few years yet.
‘

He has been fantastic for us this season … so what does it matter if he is 34? If he is 39 and can still play like that, I will pick him’ – Gordon Igesund

SportsClub sits down with new Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer ahead of the three-Test series against England this month.By Ryan Vrede

QnA

Has the magnitude of your appointment struck you yet?

I think it has. There was so much going on at the time of my appointment – interviews for TV, radio and newspapers – that I didn’t really have time to think about what had happened to me. But in the quiet days that followed I did get quite emotional about being the Springbok coach. It’s something you work towards and hope for and to realise that dream has given me a huge sense of accomplishment in itself. But I’m not content just to be here. I want to be successful and then leave a legacy of excellence for the next coach.

Have the nerves set in yet?

Absolutely. Initially I was so caught up in trying to get the things in place that I wanted to – assistant coaches, conditioning and medical staff and so on – but then I realised how close the England series is and how little time I have to prepare the team and I did, and still do, get a bit overwhelmed. I want to start well, of course, and the time constraints make that challenging. But I will never offer excuses like that. We have a talented pool of players to pick from and I’m confident they will do the job.

How big a problem is the relatively late appointment of your coaching and medical staff?

I wouldn’t say it will be terminal to our efforts for the England series but I would certainly have liked that issue to have been resolved earlier. Credit to Saru, who tried their best to make sure it happened as soon as possible. But when coaches are tied up in contracts it complicates the issue, so while it was frustrating I understood the complexities.

Did you get who you wanted?

Mostly. It’s no secret that I approached Allister Coetzee to be the backline coach, but he was happy with what he was doing with the Stormers and I respected that. That said, Ricardo Loubscher is a talented coach who I brought through at the Bulls. Like the other coaches, he knows my philosophy but also knows he has the freedom to express himself as a coach within that framework. We’ll also use consultants through my tenure. I’m open to contributions I think will improve the team. I don’t believe I know all there is to know about the game. The issue of you picking senior Bok players who have opted to play abroad has dominated media discussions.

Can you clarify your position on this?

I believe some of those players still have something to offer. I know this seems like a new era for Springbok rugby but we have to be smart going into this season. You don’t win Test matches with a team of youngsters. There has to be a balance and striking that balance is one of my big challenges. The value of an education under senior Springboks for a youngster is immense. So the issue is not whether or not I will pick young players – I will – but it is important that I introduce them into an environment with hardened Test players.

What are your thoughts on picking overseas-based players in general?

I’d like to select the strongest possible squad and if that means calling in a player from England, France or Japan I’d like to be able to do that. We have some gifted players in South Africa and they put themselves in the shop window weekly which is to their benefit. First prize is getting the elite players who are based abroad to come home. But the reality of the professional game is that won’t happen. To discount them would be shooting myself in the foot.

Which young players have impressed you in Super Rugby?

South Africa has an unmatched production line of gifted young players and I could spend all day speaking about those who have caught my eye and indeed the ones who haven’t played Super Rugby yet but will become Springboks. I don’t want to single out players, but I must say that Eben Etzebeth has been outstanding for the Stormers. I like the Cheetahs’ Johan Goosen as well. Those two are special talents. With previous Springbok coaches there has been an intense focus on winning the World Cup, often at the expense of Test matches leading in to the tournament.

What are your thoughts on that mindset?

I can’t comment on the beliefs of other coaches, only to say that I believe every Test is important. Putting yourself among the favourites to win the World Cup will be a by-product of consistent success in the four-year cycle that precedes it. I want to make the Springboks the best team in the world again. That means winning more than we have between World Cups in previous years. Obviously to win the World Cup again would be a massive achievement but it isn’t my all-consuming focus at this point.

This month you face England – your first assignment. What did you make of them in the Six Nations?

They’ve introduced some very good young players but have retained a senior, experienced core that means they have good balance. They have the players to vary their game well which makes them unpredictable and judging by the hype in their media already you sense they are coming here with the real belief that they can take the series.

Who are their players to watch?

I coached Ben Youngs when he was a youngster at Leicester and he is a world-class player, as is Dan Cole, who was also coming through at the Tigers at the time. Youngs is strong and quick, has a good pass and excellent tactical awareness with the kicking game to match. Cole is a powerful scrummager and carrier and his work rate around the park is huge. Owen Farrell also has a lot of promise and I’ve always respected Brad Barritt’s game intelligence.

What are the keys to beating England in this series?

You have to match them physically at the scrums and particularly the gainline. When they get momentum they have the capacity to hurt you badly. We’ll have to kick and chase well and put them under pressure in their territory through dominant defensive hits. It will be difficult to get the synergy I want after having the squad for just a week but hopefully the planning camps that happened in April and May would have helped a little. But Springboks players have never needed motivation to beat England and that will count in our favour on the field.

Fast Facts

Date of birth: 6 October 1967

Place of birth: Nelspruit

Education: Hoërskool Bergvlam (Nelspruit), University of Pretoria

Degrees obtained: BA (Psychology, Geography and Human Movement Science), Hons BA (Geography), HEDFamily:

Married to Linda with three children

‘I believe every Test is important. Putting yourself among the favourites to win the World Cup will be a by-product of consistent success in the four-year cycle that precedes it’

COACHING CAREER

1988-1996: Coached a number of high school first teams, U21 sides and Carlton Cup first teams in Pretoria 1997: SWD Eagles assistant coach 1998: SWD Eagles head coach (Vodacom Cup semi-finalists and Currie Cup) 1998: Emerging Springboks head coach 1999: Stormers assistant coach (semi-finalists in Super 12)  1999: SWD Eagles head coach (semi-finalists in Currie Cup) 1999: Springbok assistant coach (third place at World Cup) 2000: Bulls head coach (Super 12) 2001: Blue Bulls head coach (Vodacom Cup champions) 2001: Springbok assistant coach  2002: Bulls head coach (Super 12), Blue Bulls head coach (Currie Cup champions) 2003: Blue Bulls head coach (Currie Cup champions) 2004: Blue Bulls head coach (Currie Cup champions) 2005: Bulls head coach (Super 12 semi-finalists), Blue Bulls head coach (Currie Cup runners-up) 2006: Bulls head coach (Super 14 semi-finalists), Blue Bulls head coach (Currie Cup joint champions)  2007: Bulls head coach (Inagural South African Super 14 champions) 2008-2009: Leicester Tigers head coach 2011: Tuks Varsity Cup team adviser 2011:

Blue Bulls director of rugby 2012: Springbok head coach

The man known to his friends as Shrek is ready for an assualt on the golfing world’s royalty. By Michael Vlismas

Before 2011 teed off, Louis Oosthuizen and his long-time friend Charl Schwartzel had a very serious discussion. Oosthuizen was a Major champion. Schwartzel was then one in the making. Both had decided it was time they based themselves in the United States.‘I guess it will take us a couple of months to decide exactly where we are going to settle,’ Oosthuizen said at the time.

They may have found themselves homes in Palm Beach, Florida, and only a few hundred metres from each other, but the truth is, they have yet to settle. Or rather, their feet have yet to touch the ground as they’ve surged into the upper echelons of world golf.And following his runaway victory in The Open at St Andrews in 2010 and his April play-off defeat to Bubba Watson in The Masters, Oosthuizen is now of particular global interest.

So much so that when the US Open tees off at the Olympic Club in Florida in June, you can bet America will have learned how to pronounce the surname Oosthuizen.But it’s a measure of Oosthuizen’s humility that he should have arrived at the 2010 Open Championship almost a complete unknown. Yes, he’d missed the cut in the previous three Opens he’d played in (this seems a familiar Major trait for Oosthuizen.

He also missed the cut in his first three Masters). But he was still the boy who was snapped up by the Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation for his phenomenal talent.He was also the golfer who had twice broken 60. His lowest round was 57 at the Mossel Bay Golf Club in 2002. ‘I played with two of my friends and won 27 skins that day.

They weren’t very happy with me. It was a strange day. I made birdies at my first three holes and shot 29 on the front nine. I hit it close on 13 but missed the eagle putt. Then on 14 I hit it in the bush and thought, “OK, that’s it. It’s over”. But I found my ball, made par, and then finished with three birdies and an eagle.’He was the golfer who’d won on the Sunshine Tour and European Tour. Easily the best of these was his phenomenal victory in the 2008 Telkom PGA Championship at Country Club Johannesburg.Oosthuizen successfully defended his title with one of the most emphatic victories ever witnessed in the history of this championship. He won by 14 shots with a score of 28-under-par 260, including rounds of 66, 63, 66 and 65. It was the biggest 72-hole winning margin in the history of the Sunshine Tour.

Oosthuizen also came close to matching the biggest victory in relation to par in the history of the Sunshine Tour, which was Mark McNulty’s 29-under 259 in the Royal Swazi Sun Pro-Am at the Royal Swazi Sun Country Club in 1987.‘I just played so well that week. Those were probably the four best rounds of my career. It was one of those weeks where I could do no wrong.’But it took his staggering seven-shot Open Championship victory at St Andrews to make the world sit up and take note.And when they did, they found out that Oosthuizen was indeed as humble as the earth he ploughed on his farm in Gouritsmond near Mossel Bay, using the John Deere tractor he’d bought with his Open winnings.

The smile that Oosthuizen displayed as he lifted the Claret Jug, and to his credit as he shook the hand of Watson following his defeat in the 2012 Masters, was the same smile he had as a child riding a 50cc red Honda motorbike on his father’s farm. A bike his brother had bought from their grandfather.‘That bike was a legend on the farm,’ said Oosthuizen. ‘I remember how badly I always wanted to ride it. It was old and slow. But I tell you, you could leave it standing for weeks and then get on it and it would start first time.

The petrol cable broke and we couldn’t get a new one for it because the bike was so old. So my brother and I took a rope and we connected it to the accelerator and ran it over the handlebars. Sometimes it would stick and then things would get a bit scary on that bike. But it was great fun.’At St Andrews, and again at Augusta National Golf Club, the golf world marvelled at how composed Oosthuizen was against some of the biggest stars in golf and on its biggest stages.Gary Player certainly saw in Oosthuizen a player bred for exactly such a moment. ‘There are a few ingredients you need to be a Major champion. I don’t know whether they’re God-given gifts, or passed on genetically, but you need a great passion, an enjoyment of suffering, the ability to accept adversity in the right light, not to feel sorry for yourself, not to be negative, and a good nerve. Yes, there is an element of luck. But luck is the residue of design.

And guts can manifest itself in myriad ways.’Oosthuizen again showed this trait at the Masters. He may have been nervous, but he played like a veteran and, in truth, was beaten by an unbelievable shot from Watson on the second play-off hole. It’s not to say Oosthuizen didn’t make his share of mistakes in that play-off. But anyone who thinks he choked under the pressure has no inkling of his true character and potential.‘As a golfer, you’ve got to go to the Masters, even if it’s just to watch. On TV you don’t get an idea of how severe some of the slopes on the greens are.’Oosthuizen remembers his first trip to the Masters.

‘The whole gallery and everything around this tournament was more than I ever expected it to be. As a competitor, it doesn’t matter which country you’re from. Those galleries just love to see good golf. When you get to the first tee and there are 10 000 people on the golf course already, and it’s only 8am, that can be pretty nerve-racking.’Oosthuizen has always drawn immense strength from his Afrikaans upbringing and the strong bonds of a farming family.‘I love being on my farm. The farm is there for me to relax and have fun when I come home.’He even takes a bit of South Africa with him to his European home in Manchester, where he regularly cooks his own potjiekos and makes his own biltong.

His wife Nel-Marie and their two young children are also a huge pillar of strength for him.And of course, there is his very close friendship with Schwartzel. It began when they first met as juniors at a tournament at Randpark Golf Club in Johannesburg. Schwartzel was 10 and Oosthuizen 12. Schwartzel recalls being paired to play with Oosthuizen and being nervous, as even then Oosthuizen was acknowledged as a highly competent golfer.‘Charl and I have a really deep friendship off the course, but on the course, we have a healthy rivalry. He adjusts quicker to courses, too.’But Schwartzel doesn’t completely agree with his friend.

‘Louis is a homebody, so I think he takes a little longer to adjust. But he is the kind of player who plods along for weeks on tour, working on this and that until he has that one hot week when everything comes together.’And Oosthuizen’s other great strength is an ability to see the rightful place of golf in his life.‘I used to get quite down on myself, and still do sometimes when I make stupid mistakes and know I can do better. But I try to just be relaxed and think rationally about what I did wrong. Golf is definitely not everything to me. I’m really relaxed about it now.

I’ve got my goals and I know exactly what I want to achieve.’Of course, in his own humble way, Oosthuizen doesn’t talk about those goals publicly. But steadily, with each Major milestone and global victory, the world is starting to realise exactly what those goals are. And competitors are taking heed.

When the US Open tees off at the Olympic Club in Florida in June, you can bet America will have learned how to pronounce the surname Oosthuizen ‘Charl and I have a really deep friendship off the course, but on the course, we have a healthy rivalry’

SportsClub talks to iconic South African sportsmenand women and finds out what sport has taught them. This month: Sherylle Calder. By Jon Cardinelli QnA

You played 50 Tests for the South African women’s hockey side. How did that experience prepare you for a career path as an international vision coach?

During the 1980s when South Africa was isolated from international sport because of apartheid, I went overseas to play for a few clubs. I wanted to measure myself against the best athletes, and perhaps that gave me an edge when South Africa was reintroduced to international sport. Money can’t buy that experience of being an international sportsperson. There is nothing you can learn that can make up for it. As a person who coaches international sportspeople now, I have to know what I’m talking about. I don’t think you could take a coach who didn’t have an international sporting background and ask them to do a job like mine. They wouldn’t get the same results.

At what point did you realise that you had a skill that could be passed on to other international athletes?

After a hockey match, players and coaches would always ask, ‘How did you see that? How did you do that? Do you have eyes in the back of your head?’ I thought everyone saw what I saw. I was initially not as conditioned as the other athletes who had been playing international hockey, but I could compete with them, and that made me realise I could see quicker and time better, and all that allows you to be in the right place at the right time. And that made me think a little bit.

How did you translate that realisation into a programme that coaches and athletes could use to improve their skills?

When I heard the Sports Science Institute was opening in 1994, I went to speak to Morné du Plessis and asked him for an office. He said it was fine with him, but that I should also speak to Professor Tim Noakes. I completed my studies and research, ultimately under Professor Noakes. I still remember walking around with a hard hat while the Sports Science building was being completed, choosing my office. And then it all started with a desk and a chair. From then on, people started to hear about what I did through word of mouth.
Who are some of the big names and teams you have worked with?

There have been so many. In the early days, I worked with the All Blacks as well as the Australian cricket side. I was also with the England rugby team that won the 2003 World Cup as well as the Springbok side that won the 2007 World Cup. I’ve also worked with a number of top golfers, including Ernie Els. The Vancouver Canucks (a Canadian ice hockey team), the Dutch Olympic team, the Australian sailing team, the Proteas cricket team … the list goes on.

What would you say have been the highlights of your career as a vision coach?

You get to travel the world and meet some amazing people, and meeting the Queen of England, twice, was a real highlight. I will also never forget the day I met Nelson Mandela. It was a few days after South Africa won the World Cup. Winning both of those tournaments stands out.

You must have a hectic schedule. What do you have lined up for the next few months?

Sometimes I’m juggling as many as 24 different athletes and teams at once. It can get a bit crazy and the travel can be demanding if you consider the visa hassles and jet lag, but it’s what I love. I will be at the British Open this July. As far as rugby goes, I’m involved with Japanese domestic champions Suntory Sungoliath, and the Brumbies in Australia. I will also be working closely with the Dutch hockey side at the Olympics in London. Then there are a large number of other individuals who I am working with too.
What were the differences between the two World Cup campaigns? Did it feel any different when you won the tournament with the country of your birth?

Winning with England was unique, as I got a lot of credit and acknowledgment. They hadn’t won a World Cup in any sporting code since the football team did it in 1966, so the country was understandably ecstatic. But coming back in the next World Cup and winning it with South Africa was super special. I was sitting on the edge of my seat in that 2007 final, hoping the Boks would hang on. It was a great feeling when they did.

What has sport taught you about life?

You never stop learning. I love my job and it’s very rewarding; I love being able to help someone improve their skills. But my job is changing all the time and adjustments need to be made. It’s also important to remember that it’s not just about the vision work, but about relationships as well. You have to decide how to approach the athlete and develop a drill that’s going to work for that individual.

How do you handle them in tournament play, how do you handle them in training?

It’s a job that requires a lot of skills, no two days are the same. You have to keep evolving, otherwise you stagnate.

You haven’t limited yourself to working just with elite athletes. How can working with your EyeGym programme help sportsmen and women at a lower level?

Everyone needs it, no matter what you do. I really believe it’s trainable, it’s not something you’re born with. I worked with a fourth team cricketer at Cape Town school SACS recently, and since he started the programme he’s been taking catches he’s never taken before. I have also been doing a lot of courses with school kids as the programme not only helps their sport, it also helps their concentration levels and thus their academics as well. While I was in the UK in 2008 I did some extensive research and discovered that there’s been a decline in the visual skills of kids over there. It’s since been proved that my programme can help.

Why do you think vision is such an important part of sport?

If you are not training your eyes and your brain and your motor response, you are not training to be the best. I really believe that through this programme I can make every player or athlete in the world better than they already are. I don’t want to come across as arrogant, but the results speak for themselves.

Teams Calder has worked withSouth African national: Cricket, rugby, sevens, hockey, netball, baseball, taekwondo, shooting, soccer, volleyball, canoeing, surfing, women’s golf, 2000 Nocsa Olympic squad and Davis Cup tennis teams.

Provincial and regional: Stormers, Bulls and Lions Super Rugby, Ajax Cape Town football club, Cape Cobras cricket, Ikeys Varsity Cup and KwaZulu-Natal women’s golf teams.International: Australia, Pakistan, Kenya, Holland, Canada, Namibia and England national cricket, England and All Blacks rugby, Spanish men’s hockey, Belgium men’s hockey, England men’s hockey and Vancouver Canucks ice hockey teams.

‘You never stop learning. I love my job and it’s very rewarding, I love being able to help someone improve their skills’

What is EyeGym?

EyeGym is a programme devised by Dr Sherylle Calder. It is about understanding the link between what the eyes see and sending the right message to the brain, and that requires expert coaching. It uses an online software visual training programme.

The benefits of EyeGym include better concentration, quicker response, better timing, improved decision-making and improved co-ordination.

Score from the penalty spot with Eleazar RodgersBafana Bafana and Santos striker

‘It is a big mental game, trying to outsmart the goalkeeper and knowing that the pressure is on you and not him’‘I also try and think about the keeper and what I know about him. Some keepers always dive left or right, and with some it is a lottery.’‘I start by trying to clear my mind and take a few deep breaths, get the heart rate somewhere close to normal and just relax.

You have to be calm. Get too excited and you will be hesitant in striking the ball, or go for too much power and lose control.’‘I prefer to keep my penalties low, rather than a for the top corner.

This obviously gives the keeper more of a chance because you are placing it within his reach if he dives the right way, but going high is risky business.The margins for error are so small if you are aiming for the top corner then you can very easily miss by going too high.’‘By the time I have placed the ball on the penalty spot, I know where I am aiming for; I have picked my side.

Whether I am going left or right I always try to hit the side-netting and focus only on trying to hit that spot. I know that if the keeper guesses right then he might reach it, but this is a method that has worked for me a lot. I try to concentrate on getting a good connection on the ball, not kicking it too hard because then you lose that control.’‘I know I will get good pace on the ball if I just get the right connection.

It’s like a good golf shot. Don’t try and blast the ball – precision is the key.’‘I was never a willing penalty-taker earlier in my career because there can be quite a bit of fear for a young guy. But as I have got older and more experienced, I have much more confidence in my own ability.

Being a regular penalty-taker can boost your goal tally and I am now the first in the side to put my hand up. It’s a big mental game, trying to outsmart the goalkeeper and knowing that the pressure is on you and not him. He has nothing to lose – if he saves it he is a hero; if not, nobody is going to blame him.’

Training Tips

‘The only way you can get used to taking penalties is by stepping up in a game. However, you can still practise your spot kicks during training.’‘Make sure you spend time with your team’s keepers hitting penalties. Even though you can’t recreate the on-field pressure, you can get used to what it feels like standing in front of goal.’‘It can be a nerve-racking experience, so the more you practise, the more you will relax.’

With Jon Cardinelli, Highbury Safika Media’s Senior Sports Writer

This month:  Beating the Poms, Duke vs Kookaburra and WP’s best option

With only a week to prepare, do you think the Springboks have a chance in the Tests against England this month? Duncan Smith, Vereeniging

While new Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer has spoken about making changes in the long term, he has also said that the team will stick to its existing structures for the Tests against England. That game plan should be good enough to secure a series victory against the Poms, but Meyer will need to add something more before the Rugby Championship in August.

We’re blessed with flyhalf talent in SA at the moment. Who would you pick as your Bok flyhalf? Victor Marsh, Vryburg

I know Meyer has singled out Morné Steyn as his man for the England series, and Johan Goosen as one for the future. I still believe the Sharks’ Pat Lambie has the greatest range of skills as well as the temperament to become South Africa’s most complete flyhalf.

Why has everyone been talking about the different cricket ball used in England? Does it really make that big an impact? Thabo Ntintili, Zwide

The Duke ball used in England tends to swing more than the Kookaburra ball used in most of the Test-playing world. Batsmen and bowlers not familiar with the Duke need time to adjust. This is why the Proteas’ warm-up matches before the England Test series will be important.

Should the WPRFU move to Cape Town Stadium, or is Newlands good enough? Matt Lemoen, Rylands

You really can’t compare the two grounds – the Cape Town Stadium has superior facilities and is far more accessible than the historic yet rickety old structure in the Mother City’s secluded southern suburbs. The time has come to move on.

With Spain seen as favourites for the title, who would be your pick as the dark horse for Euro 2012? Phabi Ralimo, Mafikeng

The young guns of Germany surprised a lot of people at the 2010 World Cup when they made the semi-finals. They will have to make it through the Euro 2012 ‘Pool of Death’, which includes Holland, Portugal and Denmark, but if they can manage that they may surprise a few teams in the knockout stages.

Kevin Anderson [above] has turned down the chance to play for SA in the Davis Cup and London 2012. What do you think of the snub? Robert Booysen, Paarl

I interviewed Anderson recently and he explained that it wasn’t a case of turning his back on his country, as some reports have suggested. Wanting to improve his ATP ranking, Anderson decided to only play in certain tournaments over the next few years, that eventually precluded him from competitions such as the Davis Cup and then the Olympics. In the long term, he may yet bring South Africa glory.

Got a sport question?

Exclusively for SportsClub readers. E-mail Jon at sportsclub@hsm.co.za. The winning question will receive a copy of Springbok flyhalf Butch James’ autobiography Butch.