Coached by Women, Sipheshile Finds a Game Plan for Life
January 29, 2025
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As a 19-year-old young man from Umlazi, there are two main things that have shaped Sipheshile Vacu over the years – basketball and women role models. Siphe was introduced to basketball in 2016 when he was in Grade 5, inspired by his older sister, Olwethu ‘Nana’ Vacu, who had joined PeacePlayers a few years before. “My older sister joined basketball first so my younger brother (Simamukele Vacu) and I were looking up to her.” What began as admiration became commitment, as Siphe realized, “I think this sport will suit me.”
One of the biggest changes in Siphe’s life came through PeacePlayers’ City-Wide tournaments, when twice a year, hundreds of youth from around the greater Durban area come together for a day of basketball competition and leadership activities. “That’s when PeacePlayers changed my life,” he says. Before that, “I didn’t get a chance to get to know other people, other races.” Through PeacePlayers, he was exposed to new places, people, and perspectives. “I get to know more people, more races, where they are coming from, their culture.” This experience taught him empathy and understanding. “We can judge someone. But you didn’t see where he or she was coming from… So it’s important to know others so that you don’t judge them by their own race or access they have but rather learn how you can build relationships to foster learning.”
A defining part of Siphe’s journey was being coached mostly by women. “Three of my coaches were women,” including his older sister. He explains that their approach went beyond basketball. “Being coached by a woman is different.” While male coaches focused on toughness and skill—“‘If you were a man, you must be strong’”—his women coaches emphasized personal growth and responsibility. “My coach always encouraged me that I must not only play basketball, but also focus on my future – what I want to be, what I want to do.”
This support extended directly into school. “Even in school, they will give me courage and support,” Siphe says. Academic success was non-negotiable. “You can’t play a game, you can’t play the last tournament without your reports that show great progress and that says you’ve passed at school.”
Siphe also saw women’s strength through strategy and leadership. Reflecting on a boys’ team coached by a woman, he recalls, “We beat the team based on our [woman] coach’s strategy.” Now himself coaching a girls team at Berea Primary School, he draws inspiration from his coaches: “I can give them the strategy and all the things they need on the court and outside the court.”
Looking back, Siphe is clear about the role PeacePlayers played in shaping his path. “If I didn’t play basketball, I wouldn’t know where I would be right now.” It gave him direction, helped him avoid negative influences, and showed him possibility. “I wouldn’t see myself being a coach, if PeacePlayers was not here.” Now, he passes that same encouragement forward — helping young players believe not only in the game, but in their futures beyond it.
