Retired teacher Eunice Gonyela’s love for children and sport has turned her into a nationally celebrated icon in the development structures of cricket in South Africa.
Gonyela, of New Brighton, was named the 2017-18 KFC Mini-Cricket Coach and Coordinator of the Year at the recent annual Cricket South Africa Amateur Awards.
The award was in recognition of her admirable contribution during the previous cricket season.
The 66-year-old former Sipho Hashe Combined School teacher has been part of the KFC Mini-Cricket programme for more than three decades.
She currently looks after the Port Elizabeth area, with junior coordinators running their divisions under her leadership.
When she is not coaching Mini-Cricket children, Gonyela is coaching coaches involved in the programme.
One of the graduates of her programme is Siyabulela Nkosana, who was the CSA Women’s Emerging Team coach in 2014-15 and is currently an Eastern Province women’s coach.
“I am short on words to describe how much this award means to me,” Gonyela said.
“I was even shaking at the awards ceremony when my name was called because it was a big surprise to me.”
She has also received numerous awards and certificates in the provinces in recognition of the phenomenal work she has been doing in the development of cricket in schools
Gonyela’s coaching journey started 34 years ago at the then Ezikweni Primary School in Kwazakhele.
The mini-cricket programme was sponsored by Bakers Biscuits at the time.
“At school . . . every teacher is supposed to have a sport code. I chose cricket because I . . . was familiar with the sport because during my school days I played baseball, which is not that different from cricket.
“We attended courses at the Dan Qeqe Stadium and I told myself not to cheat in these courses, because I wanted to help the kids,” she said.
“As teachers and coaches we must give the children a chance to participate in sport. In doing so, they will stay away from drugs and doing bad things.
“My responsibility at school was coaching under-11 and under-13 boys. We played against Model C schools and schools from the northern areas.
“I also represented the township schools in the Eastern Province Youth Cricket Board for many years.”
During the Bakers Biscuits sponsorship, Gonyela obtained many certificates for the good work she was doing in the province, and when KFC took over, the accolades continued.
“When the KFC sponsorship took over, I continued attending coaching courses, festivals, and provincial and national seminars in various provinces.
“I obtained a minicricket coach and umpire certificate from the South African umpires body in 1998.
“In 2007 I received a certificate from the Metro Awards in appreciation of outstanding performance in administration. I also received a long-service award in recognition of outstanding service to the Eastern Cape Province Youth Cricket in 2010.”
At the moment Gonyela is the convener for PE township schools for KFC Mini-Cricket, doing all the administration work.
“We are now busy with our interzonal matches with under-10s and 13s. We are trying to form other coaching clinics whereby we start with the under-8s and 9s so that we have a firm grassroots programme.”
Eastern Province Cricket’s manager of amateur cricket, Tono Mle, praised Gonyela.
“Eunice is one of those people who have rare talent,” Mle said.
“As much she was busy with teaching, she managed to find time to coach the children in mini-cricket, not just at her school but in the entire Kwazakhele area.
“Even now that she has retired from teaching she is still making a contribution to cricket by being involved with the girls’ under-13 cricket matches and tournaments.”