One step at a time

If you want to know where the heartbeat of cricket lies at Saints, look no further than Tshegofatso Monyela. “Stevie, ” as she is known by her teammates, has done it all at Saints in a glorious decade. This matriculant and first-team captain is the first girls cricketer that the school has produced.

As a pioneer, she has lived through the highs of lifting countless trophies and has also experienced the lows of failure in a high-performance environment. Her success story is embedded in a phrase: “One step at a time.” She learned this life lesson during a tough period, but she persevered to lead Saints to Schools SA20 success this past year.

Through consistent top performances, she could not be ignored, and being present has opened doors for Tshego - who has big dreams of making cricket her profession. Two unions, Easterns and Limpopo, have already contacted her with contract offers for next year. Opportunities will always knock at her door. Tshegofatso is a true cricketing pioneer at Saints as the first girls cricketer in the school’s history. Her cricketing journey started when she was in Grade 2 in teacher Tina Smit’s class.

“I used to be a very busy kid in class. I always finished my work early. Colouring books and puzzles could not keep me entertained. ”

One day, Teacher Tina sent Tshego out to play sport with the boys during a sports period because of her energy.

“Coach Keo Sebetlele asked me if I could bowl with a mini-cricket ball. He then taught me the basics and saw my potential. My first match was with the boys at under-8 level. ”

Tshego was initially nervous about being the only girl in the team, but taking her first wicket gave her confidence.

“I saw potential in myself. I played at home, during break time - everywhere I could, I played. Cricket is a lifestyle, ” she adds.

Tshego began taking cricket seriously when she was called up to the senior Dragons Women’s squad at u/13 level in Grade 7. This was the moment that lit an even greater fire in her soul. Practising and playing alongside top women’s cricketers at North-West Dragons opened her eyes to the possibilities of cricket as a profession.

At that stage, the Dragons had Protea stars like Anneke Bosch and Tazmin Brits in their ranks - players that Tshego could rub shoulders with. “Coach Ché went with me to meet the Dragons players for the first time. I had my school uniform on. I remember all those players looked so cool in their kit. Tazmin came up to me and told me that she had heard good things about me - that also boosted my confidence, ” says Tshego.

Tshego’s journey was not always smooth sailing - far from it. At times, the wind was knocked from her sails. Not getting called up to the Dragons, a loss of form - all pointed to one question: Could she make it?

“My problem was that I tried to figure out everything at the same time. My concentration shifted from my mental side to trying to impress people in a high performance environment. I was just messed up mentally. It’s so frustrating to do something but not get the results you know you’re capable of. ”

Coach Ché saw that Tshego was not at the level she needed to be and gave her wise words that she still treasures to this day. It was the catalyst for a turnaround that transformed failure into massive success.

“Coach Ché told me to take it one step at a time. To focus on a 1% improvement each day. It makes a huge difference, ” she adds, smiling.

This newfound confidence helped her lead her team to second place at the national Schools SA20 tournament. Under her leadership, the younger players thrived in new conditions, with television cameras and extra publicity taking the whole experience to another level.

“I told myself to lead from the front. I must be the example to the other girls. My main goal was for the younger girls like Rea and Chief to get recognised. It is important for me to nurture them and give them the opportunity to reach goals at school level that I could not, ” explains Tshego.

Next on the horizon for Tshego is cricket in Division 2, and although she wanted to reach Division 1 after school, she still feels that she can make an impact with increased game time.

“I am generally proud of reaching the second division, although I wanted to reach the first division. The second division will not stop me from fully displaying my potential. My goal is to dominate and make a name for myself. From there, I can get called up to bigger unions. ”

Those who have seen Tshego on a cricket field would know that her support system is never far behind. The loudest cheers can be heard from her proud mother, Bafedile, who is a teacher at Little Saints Nursery School. Most often, she will bring friends and colleagues to amplify the support for Tshego and her Saints team.

“My mom is my number one supporter. Her relationship with God is solid. Everything in her life revolves around God. She has given me such an awesome example. She inspires me because she understands that anything is possible with God.”

In the past, Tshego would have tried to impress others, but she has learned that the key to success is putting God first. Full stop.

“I can do anything I put my mind to. It looks impossible, but it can be done with God leading the way. Have trust in your skills and abilities. I don’t mind standing out. As I grew older I realised that I’m built to stand out and that’s exactly what I plan to do as I chase my professional dream in Division 2 and beyond. "