New chapter for former principal
A centre where young athletes are empowered to excel in both sport and academics – that is the aim of Cricket Namibia’s brand new Sports and Leadership Centre (NSLC).There is no one more suited to take the reins of this initiative than former principal and sports enthusiast, Hawie Engels.
“For me, this is a new chapter. I was principal at Windhoek High School (WHS) for 12 years and was involved with the school for another two years with mentoring, training and courses. When Cricket Namibia came my way, it was a great challenge for me.
“I am very fond of sport. I believe sport is part of children's development. The other part, along with sport, is education and I believe it is also an important part of the education of our children,” Engels said.
The centre will open next Monday with learners who have registered for distance learning and will start doing so under supervision. However, the official opening of the centre is scheduled for April.
“The NSLC will focus on learners from grades 8 to 12 who are learning online. A holistic approach will combine teaching with intensive sports training and leadership development,” Cricket Namibia said on its website.
Learners will receive sport-specific training, supervised structured academic sessions, gym sessions and leadership development, complemented by team participation at schools or clubs.
“The daily schedule will balance these elements to ensure that each athlete receives the well-rounded support they need to succeed.”
Taking the helm
The management of the centre has been left in the capable hands of Engels, who is a well-known figure in education circles, an expert in personal development and a former athlete himself.
Engels served as principal of Windhoek High School from 2011 to 2022 before retiring. He represented Namibia at junior and senior level in both rugby and athletics.
His career has also included commercial training, team building, mentorship programmes and motivational speaking.
“Engels’ extensive experience will help shape the NSLC’s unique offerings and high-performance culture,” Cricket Namibia said.
Engels said there are so many Namibian athletes who represent the country at international level in various sport codes and that this centre will give them flexibility to fully engage in sport and academics.
“It is a privilege to be involved with our young sports stars with Cricket Namibia. I look forward to the rest of the year,” Engels told Network Media Hub (NMH).
Learners and parents can choose from several online education service providers that offer the CAPS, Cambridge and IEB curricula. These include Teneo School, Cambrilearn and Brainline.
Interested parents can contact [email protected] for more information. – [email protected]