Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Categories
UFS News Media Release Research
Years
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Months
January February March April May June July August September October November December
Previous Archive
10 March 2022 | Story Jóhann Thormählen | Photo Supplied
Long jump
The University of the Free State (UFS) is leading the charge when it comes to the training of athletics coaches in South Africa. The first certified online course presented by the UFS is one for long jump coaches.
The University of the Free State (UFS) is renowned for producing top athletes, but now also provides training to athletics coaches from all over the country and beyond.

In a first for South Africa, coaches can now learn from the best, stay up to date with the latest research, and get certified from the comfort of their homes or offices.

This is the result of pioneering work done when COVID-19 forced the sporting community to adapt to new challenges.

KovsieSport, the Department of Exercise and Sport Sciences at the UFS, and Athletics South Africa (ASA) have collaborated to make high-level training available for coaches through online courses.

The Higher Education Quality Committee of the Council on Higher Education endorsed the very first short learning programme presented by the UFS.

Latest coaching research

The first online course started on 17 January 2022 with an ASA Level 1 qualification course for long jump, which attracted participants from across South Africa and even Namibia.

“The academic legitimacy of the course content is ensured, and we provide an opportunity to keep abreast with the latest research with regard to sport science and the biomechanical, as well as updated articles,” says Emmarie Prinsloo, UFS Athletics Head Coach and project manager.

She says COVID-19 made everyone look at traditional coaching differently.

“In this way (online studies) the course is accessible to any participant in South Africa and even further.”

Course content

The courses consist of three online sessions over six weeks. During the contact sessions, practical videos are analysed, with continued assessment and an exam part of the course.

According to Prinsloo, a lot of effort went into the content, as manuals were updated by experts and high-level coaches. These manuals were moderated by Prof Derik Coetzee, Head of the UFS Department of Exercise and Sport Sciences.

In this way (online studies) the course is accessible to any participant in South Africa and even further. – Emmarie Prinsloo
Prinsloo, a renowned jumping coach and Head of the KovsieSport Jumping Academy, is the facilitator of the long jump and triple jump courses and co-writer of the pilot project.

Richard Stander, former Chief Executive Officer of ASA, will be part of the facilitation of some courses.

The long jump course is the first of many. Certified courses in sprints, triple jump, high jump, pole vault, middle distances and steeplechase, javelin throw, discus throw, hammer throw, shot put, hurdles, relays, and race walking will follow.
Prinsloo says Level 2 coaching courses will be presented from 2023.

• Get more info and contact information on the KovsieSport website.

 

News Archive

Living proof of transformation
2012-07-20

 Prof. Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela (middle) facilitated a dialogue with Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and Prof. Mark Solms on the Transformation in the Solms-Delta Wine Estate.
Photo: Johan Roux
18 July 2012

“We have the capacity to make a success of South Africa. We have incredible people who refuse to leave the country and want to make a difference.” This is according to Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu who was speaking at the University of the Free State (UFS) today.

Dr Tutu took part in a dialogue with Prof. Mark Solms, owner of the Solms-Delta wine estate in Franschhoek.Prof. Solms is also an A-rated scholar and the Head of the Department of Psychology at the University of Cape Town.The theme of the dialogue was “Living Reconciliation: Winds of Change in Franschhoek and Transformation at Solms-Delta Wine Estate”.

Prof. Solms led an initiative to transform the lives of farm workers on the estate through the Wijn-de Caab Trust. This initiative was extended to empower the wider community of farm dwellers when Prof. Solms co-founded the Delta Trust and the Franschhoek Valley Transformation Charter.

The dialogue was the second in the Dialogue between Science and Society series and was facilitated by Prof. Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, Senior research professor on Trauma, Forgiveness and Reconciliation at the UFS. The Dialogue series aims to inspire new ways of thinking about responsible citizenship. It also highlights the unique and important ways of engaging with the critical issues of social equality, social justice, social transformation and reconciliation in South Africa.This morning Dr Tutu said the work done in the Franschhoek community is proof that people cannot prosper alone if others are also not prospering. “We belong together. Why did it take us so long to realise it? South Africans have the capacity to make South Africa a better place. It is unacceptable that people go hungry and go to school under trees. It is unacceptable that they still have no books in the third term, and that the pass rate is 30%.

“Is this why we struggled, why people died? We want to go to our graves smiling… we will not be allowed peace and stability if we do not attend to the problems.”

Prof. Solms said the miracle of the political transformation did not trickle down to the people. A lot has been done, but much more needs to be done. “It can only be done by us. It is not the government’s responsibility. The way we live as a result of apartheid is that we are a deeply divided society. We must recognise this and do something to change it.”

He encouraged people to think “small”. An individual cannot change the whole country, but the changes in his community are there to see.

Dr Tutu also congratulated the UFS on becoming a truly South African university, recognising the transformation of the past few years.

The dialogue was presented at the Global Leadership Summit that 250 students and academic leaders from 21 international universities are participating in. The summit runs until Friday 20 July 2012.
 

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept