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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

Provisional registration period extended to 30 April 2012
2012-03-25

25 March 2012

After a week of intense negotiations between the senior leadership of the University of the Free State (UFS) and the Student Representative Council (SRC) of the Bloemfontein and Qwaqwa Campuses, the SRC has managed to persuade the senior leadership to extend the provisional registration period to Monday 30 April 2012.

This means that, until 30 April 2012, no students will be deregistered for not being able to pay their provisional registration fee. The initial deadline for students to register provisionally was 6 April 2012.

The SRC requested the extension of provisional registration and the senior leadership of the UFS agreed thereto for the following reasons:

  • To allow students more time to raise the money;
  • To allow the provincial and national government, as well as NSFAS more time to respond to students’ financial needs; and
  • To allow the SRC and the university more time to consult with students with strong academic records about financial aid options outside the university.

“The SRC is glad to note that the university management values our efforts in representing our students and we've been able to leverage that advantage to negotiate an extension of the deregistration date with management. We're happy that in this case management has responded to the appeal of students through the SRC and we're exceptionally proud of our ability to push student interests to unprecedented heights,” says Mr Richard Chemaly, SRC President of the Bloemfontein Campus.

According to Mr Chemaly, the SRC is confident in their negotiation abilities. “While others might strike and protest, it is in the best interests of our students to talk to the senior leadership about important issues that are in the interests of students,” he says.

“Since our request to extend the provisional registration period was approved by the university management, the SRC has been working tirelessly to ensure that no deserving student gets deregistered. This includes setting up external funds, approaching the Premier’s office for assistance and setting up the most extensive bursary database any SRC has ever had,” Mr Chemaly says.

If there are any parents or students in need of help for provisional registration, please contact Mr Chemaly at  chemalyra@ufs.ac.za.
 

Media Release
25 March 2012
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication
Tel: +27(0)51 401 2584
Cell: +27(0)83 645 2454
E-mail: news@ufs.ac.za

 

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