Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
05 September 2022 | Story Jóhann Thormählen | Photo Supplied
Edith Maritz with Arlonso Diedricks
Edith Maritz, physiotherapist, and the Kovsie Health team ensure that the Kovsie soccer players are looked after off the field. Here is Maritz (left) and midfielder Arlonso Diedricks.

The services and expertise provided by Kovsie Health are vitally important to the success of Kovsie Soccer and have helped to professionalise the football environment at the University of the Free State (UFS).

This is according to Godfrey Tenoff, who believes that looking after the UFS’ high-performance players off the pitch is imperative to ensuring “a top-quality product on the field”.

The Head of Soccer at KovsieSport says his players need to know they are in good hands and will be taken care of from a medical perspective. And these services are easily accessible and expedient on campus.

The UFS men’s soccer team recently reached a Varsity Football semi-final for the second consecutive year. In 2021, the side reached a first final in the history of the tournament.

Healthy relationship

Tenoff says UFS Soccer and Kovsie Health have a great working relationship.

“Dr Gerhard Jansen and his team, consisting of Paula Anley and Edith Maritz, have managed to help us professionalise our football environment.”

According to him, injury management is of the utmost importance in a contact sport like soccer.

The Kovsie Health team works alongside the likes of soccer athletic trainer, Ntele Mashiloane (MJ), and Yanelisa Nyalambisa, conditioning coach and UFS lecturer, to put preventative measures in place for injuries, better rehabilitation, and to monitor injuries.

Kovsie Health provides a range of services to the UFS soccer programme. This includes medical screenings (necessary for overall player management, participation, and return to play), injury diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation.

Prevention and injury risks

Maritz, physiotherapist at Kovsie Health, says groin and hamstring injuries are among the most common in soccer – due to the specific requirements, such as changing direction, kicking, running, and acceleration.
It is very important to manage the workload of the players well and to sort out any previous injuries or niggles, because your biggest risk for an injury is a previous injury. – Edith Maritz

According to Jansen, medical practitioner at Kovsie Health, lower limb injuries such as knee and ankle injuries also occur.

Maritz stresses the importance of good collaboration and communication with Mashiloane to manage players returning from injury.

Her advice is that the prevention of injuries is the best route to follow.

“It is very important to manage the workload of the players well and to sort out any previous injuries or niggles, because your biggest risk for an injury is a previous injury.”

Jansen agrees and warns that rest alone is not sufficient to treat injuries. He says a proper diagnosis and treatment is necessary.

“Each type of injury and athlete is unique and must be treated accordingly.” 

“If the player does not receive treatment, the risk of a re-injury or another injury (which may be worse) is significantly greater than those who do receive treatment.”

News Archive

UFS101 prepares new students for life
2012-03-07

7 March 2012

A new core curriculum module, UFS101, was launched in the Callie Human Centre at our Bloemfontein Campus on Monday 27 February 2012.

“We want to give you an education and not just a degree,” Prof. Jonathan Jansen, UFS Vice-Chancellor and Rector, said to the students in his opening address at the launch.

UFS101 is aimed at creating the next generation of citizens and young academics to stand out amongst other graduates in South Africa.

Implicit in the design of UFS101 is the development of engaged scholarship amongst UFS graduates. The curriculum also provides support for under-prepared students, while giving stronger students access to additional stimulation.

The module consists of seven units. Each unit comprises two lectures with either a learning experience or tutorial for each unit. In select cases both are used. Two units are presented in the first semester and five units in the second semester.

UFS101 also exposes students to provocative questions aimed at disrupting existing knowledge and ways of thinking by engaging them in some of the “big issues” across different disciplines, namely:

  • How do we deal with our violent past?
  • What does it mean to be fair?
  • What did God really say?
  • How small is small?
  • Why is the financial crisis described as ‘global’?
  • How do we become South Africans?

UFS 101 is a prerequisite for the completion of a qualification and students will earn an additional 16 credits over and above the minimum number of credits required for the completion of their qualification.

 

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