Elmarie Van Zyl Karate

Good luck to our students who are going to Tongaat!

The SZA 2026 Annual Awards, for the 2025 achievements, took place on Saturday, 11 April 2025, at The Baron Kyalami*, Gauteng, where we presented the 2025 Dan certificates, SZA colours and league awards.

READ MORE:
https://www.shotokan.org.za/annual-awards/annual-awards-2026/

So proud of Sensei Lisel, Cayllum & Chantal!

Congratulations Chantal!

Congratulations to Sensei Lisel and Tyler!👏👏👏

This is true no matter the sport!😔

Today’s game ended the moment I got in the car.

The match was over, the whistle had gone, but the real pressure started as soon as the door shut.

I knew what was coming.
❌ The questions.
❌ The analysis.
❌ The breakdown of every mistake.
❌ The tone that tells me I’ve disappointed you before you even speak.

I’m still a child trying to process the game I just played, but suddenly I’m defending myself like I’ve done something wrong.

➡ “Why didn’t you pass there?”
➡ “You should’ve pressed quicker.”
➡ “You were too slow today.”
➡ “You’ve got to concentrate more.”

😢 It doesn’t feel like a conversation.
😢 It feels like a review.
😢 A verdict.
😢 A reminder that my performance matters more to you than to me.

🚗 And here’s the truth I can’t say out loud, I dread the car journey more than the game.

The pitch isn’t the problem.
❌ You are.

😌 I want to talk when I’m ready.
😌 I want space to breathe.
😌 I want to just be a child who played a match, not a project being assessed.

❌ I don’t need a post-match debrief.
❌ I don’t need a lecture.
❌ I don’t need to be told what I should’ve done.

I need to feel safe.
I need to feel valued.
I need to feel like football is still mine.

When the car journey becomes heavier than the match, something is broken.

Children don’t fall out of love with football because of one bad game.
They fall out of love with football because the people they care about make every moment feel high-stakes.

The game should end when the whistle goes, not when the car door closes.

If you really want to help me grow, let the journey home be calm.
😌 Let me smile.
😌 Let me recover.
😌 Let me enjoy the sport without fearing your reaction.

Football should feel like freedom, not a drive I’m desperate to avoid.

What a fantastic launch of Discover Sport at SASCOC House today!
Sensei Elmarie and some of our Sweden team members were in attendance!

Congratulations to our members who received their Gauteng Development Colours at the KSA Gauteng Karate Federation awards on 23 Aug 2025!
We are extremely proud of you!👏👏🎉🎉
In picture:
Ketara Pillay
Joshua Mynhardt
Rachael Jacobs
Viksha Mistri
Matthew Wilson
Zahra Klasen
Lisel Steyn
Sensei Elmarie van Zyl
Sensei Mari du Preez