Heideveld High – home of basketball
30 January 2020
Basketball as a sport at Heideveld High has come a long way since they started out with two teams in 2009.
Denwin Jones, Subject Head for Business Studies at the school and MIC of basketball, said the sport has become so popular that it is the biggest sporting code at the school. The school has six teams and one indoor court and two outdoor courts.
“We love the game here at our school. The kids play before school, during intervals and after school. So many learners are attracted to the sport and that is why people label us the "Home of Basketball". In summer our kids play school games and in winter most of them (if not all) play for their club called Heideveld Basketball Club which is also based at our school.”
Twelve Heideveld High learners represented the Western Cape in the u15 and u18 Girls and Boys National Schools Championships which was held in Pretoria last year. Lethosa Dampies, Chelsea Leeuw and Kelsey Leeuw were included in the Western Cape Under-15 Girls team while Zhaan Katzen, Tylor Brandt, Mujahid Dantu, Kaizack Fisher(Captain) and Daniel Walker were in the Under-15 Boys team. Tayla Brink represented the province in the Girls Under-18 team and Tyrese White (Captain), Bevan Jones and Sidney Sedunsta starred in the Boys Under-18 team. The senior teams won the championships and Tyrese White was voted Most Valuable Player.
Tyrese, who matriculated last year, received a basketball scholarship to study in France. He will be leaving in August 2020.
The coaches were Thesline Davids, Damian Hendricks (a former learner and first team basketball captain of Heideveld High) and Jones.
“We practise twice a week and play our school games on a Wednesday and Thursday in the Cape Town Metro Schools basketball league. Most of our teams have done very well by winning the league and the Top Schools league for a number of years. We go on tours every year and are invited to big tournaments in other provinces, like Gauteng and KZN in which we do very well.”
Jones said they have exciting plans for the future. “We want to target all the primary schools in Heideveld and conduct coaching clinics to develop the learners and equip the teachers and potential coaches with basketball knowledge so that they can grow the game further.”