Bluff coach eager to pass athletic baton

WHAT started out as motivation to lose weight as a child became a love affair for athletics and sports.

Having supportive coaches encouraged Julian Japhta’s confidence to make strides on the track. Today, he is a qualified Level 1 Athletics South Africa (ASA) coach who is eager and dedicated to passing on the baton to budding young athletes.

He also has a South African Football Association (SAFA) Level D football licence. At the same time, he finds time to study Sports Management. He believes that athletics is the foundation of all sports as it builds one’s endurance on the field.

“I was overweight as a child and the coach at my primary school wanted me to take up running. There was no expectation of me making the school team but I surprised him and came first on that day. Since then, I’ve gone through the progression of primary and high school athletics. My coaches in high school were also my club coaches,” he said.

The athletics bug soon kicked in and by the age of 15 he could clock an impressive 11.1 seconds in the 100m dash. While still just as impressive, he could cross the 200m finish line in 23 seconds but he regards this feat as “not that fantastic”.

At that point, he was excelling on the field and took part in various school competitions including competing at the Jean Humbert Cup Tournament that was held years back.

“We were in competition with Waterkloof High School and unfortunately they beat us, so they went to France. The exciting thing was that that was a prestigious school and we came from one that wasn’t and they beat us by the slimmest of margins, this was in the early 90s when things were what they were.

“I also participated in the Engen Grand Prix Series where they had events before the main ones. They would have little clinics with junior athletes where I met Frankie Frederick’s and other famous athletes. At 17 years old I went to the Western Province’s senior men’s club competition where I made it into the finals.

“That was the night that renowned sprinter, Marcus la Grange, broke the 200m South African record, I was a distant eighth. After high school, I kept at athletics for a while, then the rugby fever bit. I got into sevens rugby and played district tournaments. Somehow I tapered off the interest in sports,” he said.

Born and bred in the Western Cape, the now Bluff resident and proud dad nurtures his daughter’s sports appetite, whom he says has a natural inclination for sports.

“I got my daughter’s school’s permission for her to run under their name at the time they agreed and ASA also allowed it. She was in the U7 category as she was turning six years old that year.

“She ran a few races and came first, second and third. When she got to the provincial championships at Kings Park, she ended off eighth and that was purely without any training.

“I then got my coaching licence with ASA and thereafter, I got involved in coaching. I was mostly coaching my children and whoever else wanted to come along.”

Julian has volunteered his services to local schools but has been disappointed at their lack of interest.

“Without saying anything negative, they have got their own obstacles. They are teachers and are going through a lot. Sometimes to approach them to start a sports programme when they have limited resources and time is not always practical. I hope that with time they are able to figure things out for the sake of children.”

He has since partnered with the Bluff Athletics Club and together with the club’s treasurer, Lindsay Kapp, have started a programme for juniors.

Budding junior athletes are encouraged to take part in speed and agility testing tomorrow morning at the Fynnlands Combined Sports Club on 55 Smith Drive on the Bluff.

The age category of six to 10 years will start at 9am and age category 11 to 18 is at 9.45am. For more information call Lindsay Kapp on 083-625-3386 or e-mail info@bluffac.co.za or call Julian on 061-436-68273.