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Celebrating Success: Project Empower optimises UFS student-athletes through the GROW programme

27 November 2023 | Story Cindé Greyling | Photo SUPPLIED

In the latter part of 2023, KovsieSport (KS) Soccer, in collaboration with Student Counselling and Development (SCD) at the University of the Free State (UFS), introduced a transformative self-development initiative for student-athletes. The GROW programme, an acronym for growth, resilience, optimism, and wellness, is a meticulously structured, resilience-based project firmly rooted in Positive Psychology (PP). PP methodologies aim to foster human strengths, psychological capabilities, and overall flourishing.

Cultivating an optimised mind for an optimised body

Dr Munita Dunn-Coetzee, Director of SCD, emphasises the critical link between physical and mental well-being for student-athletes. Pushing their bodies to excel significantly influences their mental health,” she notes. “Creating awareness and a supportive culture within sports teams is important.” The GROW programme, initially piloted by students four years ago on the Bloemfontein and Qwaqwa campuses, demonstrated statistically significant improvements in students’ subjective well-being, resilience, hope, and noteworthy reductions in experiences of depression and stress. Encouraged by these positive outcomes, the programme was subsequently integrated into KovsieSport.

Balancing the equation: The other side of sport

Tobias van den Bergh, Senior Psychologist: SCD, underscores the multifaceted nature of well-being. While physical exercise is a potent natural medicine supporting mental health, he highlights the importance of addressing emotional, spiritual, cognitive, social, and physical aspects of well-being. Van den Bergh cautions against the potential harm associated with exercise when linked to high-pressure performance goals or unhealthy objectives, advocating instead for a holistic approach to well-being.

Bridging the gap: Impact of the GROW programme

The GROW programme successfully bridges the gap between sports and mental health, fostering increased trust among student-athletes. Godfrey Tenoff, Senior Official at KS Football, observes enhanced cohesion among participants, affirming that the programme positively influenced their preparedness for life’s challenges. Makhaola Mohale, one of the attendees, encapsulates the sentiment, stating, “The biggest takeaway was to always have a heart and mind of gratitude.”

Celebrating victories: Stop at the top

On 27 October 2023, the GROW Certificate and Celebration Ceremony acknowledged student-athletes who completed the project, the event served as a reminder that, beyond the pursuit of victories in sports, investing in mental health is a significant triumph. In the words of the author, “Congratulations to all our student-athletes who completed the GROW-programme.”

UFS Student Careline:

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News Archive

Wrongful suffering must be compensated, Prof Johann Neethling argues

2016-04-20

From the left are Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector, Prof Caroline Nicholson, Dean of the Faculty of Law, Prof Neethling, Prof Rita-Marie Jansen, Vice-Dean, and Dr Brand Claassen, Head of the Department of Private Law.
Photos: Stephen Collett

On 11 April, the Faculty of Law held the first of the year’s series of Prestige Lectures presented by Prof Johann Neethling, Senior Professor in the Department of Private Law. The event was attended by senior faculty members, the Dean of Law Prof, Caroline Nicholson, and the Vice-Chancellor and Rector, Prof Jonathan Jansen.

In his opening remarks, Prof Jansen said “Prestige lectures are at the heart of a university’s academic endeavour. It would serve the university community well to present them more often, as they go to the heart of important issues that affect society”

Prof Neethling made a compelling case for compensation for wrongful suffering by a child born with impairments. Since the mid-1960s, the actions of wrongful conception and wrongful birth have been recognised in South African law. Wrongful conception is defined as when a healthy child is born as a result of failed sterilisation or abortion, and wrongful birth is when a doctor fails to inform parents of a disability before the birth of their child.

“The reality is that a child born with impairments may indeed suffer (sometimes extreme) pain, loss of amenities of life, which would justify an award of damages,” he said.

So far, the action for wrongful suffering has been dismissed by the High Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal. However, he highlighted several cases where wrongful conception and wrongful birth was recognised by the courts.

“Why can the same approach (for wrongful conception and wrongful birth) not be followed in wrongful suffering claims by accepting that a disabled child seeks to address the consequences of its birth?” he asked.

Prof Neethling is regarded as one of the greatest minds in Private Law, not only in South Africa but in the African continent.

A festschrift, Essays in Honour of Johann Neethling (2015), with contributions from more than 50 of his peers around the world, was also launched at the lecture.

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