The phrase ‘keeping your eye on the ball’ genuinely applies to my most recent coffee guest; he did, however, have Home Ground advantage.
I found myself seated at a container café at Benoni Northern Sports Grounds for one of the town’s finest toasted cheeses and a very good cappuccino. I had scheduled a quick chat with the brand-new chairperson of Benoni Northerns Sports Club, Mr Ivan Henn.
Once the coffees were ordered and delivered, we dived right in. I had loads of questions, and Mr Henn had loads of answers. It was an enjoyable conversation with plenty of personal insights.
First up, Mr Henn pointed out that he does not come from or belong to a specific sports code; while he was a keen cricketer, he has been heavily involved with baseball and football – thanks to his children. He is originally from the Free State and first came to Benoni in 2011; he passionately confirms, “I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else, this is home.”
Mr Henn joked that his children now consider Benoni Northerns an extension of their backyard, “It’s a feeling I want every Benoni resident to have, that the club is theirs, these grounds must be accessible and inviting to everyone.” That is a sentiment that I am sure we can all get behind. However, it will not be smooth sailing. Mr Henn said, noting the spiralling costs of maintaining and upkeep of the club’s facilities and grounds – “We will pursue commercial ventures, but they will never exclude or be to the detriment of Benoni residents!”
Mr Henn believes he leads a club that is in great shape. Benoni Northens now have over 3000 members and are one of the healthiest and largest clubs in Gauteng. Therefore, the previous committee and the individual sporting codes have been doing a great job. He aims to support each code in getting what it needs to move the sport forward, while maintaining the interests of the club as a whole.
Ivan has a strong background in construction, project management, and the systems needed to build on Benoni Northern’s success. Therefore, the role won’t be daunting to him; it’s one he relishes and looks forward to tackling with gusto. I, for one, wish him and his team all the best and will definitely be returning to the Home Ground Café to cheer on the Red and Yellows!
