To celebrate all the young women involved in CoolPlay this women's month, we hosted a Netball Tournament last weekend. Girls came from 8 of our partners schools (Kuilsriver Primary, Sarepta Primary, Kleinberg Primary, Pieter Langeveld Primary, Cloetesville Primary,...

On Wednesday 18 September, a gala dinner will be held in the Kelvin Grove Ballroom, raising money to support the CoolPlay. This will be the third event of its kind, with target of one million rand for CoolPlay firmly on the agenda. This event is sponsored by gold...

About CoolPlay CoolPlay is a dynamic, agile and impactful Non-Profit Organization (NPO) dedicated to harnessing the power of sport to uplift and empower children in Cape Town. Through a specialised social and emotional learning curriculum that is weaved into team...

About CoolPlay CoolPlay is a dynamic, agile and impactful Non-Profit Organization (NPO) dedicated to harnessing the power of sport to uplift and empower children in Cape Town. Through a specialised social and emotional learning curriculum that is weaved into team...

This year's CoolPlay Youth Day was held on Saturday 15 June and was a resounding success, building on the momentum of the inaugural event in 2023. Over 315 high school students from across the CoolPlay programme descended upon Heathfield High School for a day of...

On Friday, 26th April, CoolPlay hosted a tournament in Khayelitsha! This exciting event was planned by local Champion, Mzie Kunjuzwa, known for his love of rugby and his dedication to the children in his community. 180 excited children attended a day filled with...

Chair's Report It is with immense respect and pride that I present my first report as Chair of CoolPlay. Stepping into this role has opened my eyes to the transformative power of sport for development, and the dedication of the people who make it happen. 2023 was a...

On Friday 20 October the Khayelitsha Champions hosted the annual local CoolPlay Tournament. Eluxolweni Primary school were hosted by Ikhwezilesizwe Primary school and U11 and U13 teams took to the fields and courts for rugby, netball and soccer matches. The school...

On 18 / 19 September two CoolPlay Champions, Mzie and Justice attended a training workshop made possible by traiging4changeS and Laureus. The two day program included theory and practical sessions which were aimed at enhancing a coaches ability to use sport as a tool...

On 3, 4, 5 April, during the first week of school holidays, CoolPlay hosted a rugby clinic for 100 children at the Cloetesville Sports Complex outside Stellenbosch. CoolPlay squads came from Khayelitsha and three local Cloetesville schools. This was an opportunity...

Trustee Report I’m often asked to give a quick overview of what CoolPlay does, and I usually feel that we need an extra LONG elevator ride to get the message across. This is because there are so many layers to CoolPlay, each as meaningful as the next that all have a...

The financial year end is upon us and CoolPlay needs your help to continue changing lives through the power of sport and play. CoolPlay is a registered Public Benefit Organisation (PBO No 930034864) which has also been approved for purposes of section 18A(1)(a) of the...

26 CoolPlay Champions completed three days of intense learning in the hall of Walmer Estate from 16-18 January ahead of the start of term one.  The committed crew made their way from all areas of the Western Cape. Some returning to sharpen their CoolPlay coaching...

By Carl Davids Khayelitsha is a well-known township based in the Western Cape. It has a population of over 2.4 million people and is ever growing. There are 52 schools in the area with the majority of the schools being under funded and resources are limited. CoolPlay...

- By Grace Mapfumo This team is the same one that I have been with since U9 level and it feels so amazing to have been part of this story with them. What started out as a group of girls from different homes and situations, struggling to control their emotions and...

By Brandon Scanlen The 29th of July 2022 saw a momentous occasion in the relationship between Ukhanyo Primary, CoolPlay and with our partners at MasiSport. For the first time, a CoolPlay Introduction workshop was held especially for the educators. They were familiar...

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (‘NLP’) provides the tools and techniques to help you at home and in the workplace to: Communicate more effectively Act consistently with congruence and integrity Motivate yourself and others See solutions rather than problems Create...

It all started a few weeks ago, when CoolPlay had a very interesting set of netball matches lined up between two intensely competitive schools. The environment had been set for a riveting CoolPlay experience. However, the nature of the competition took over both teams...

On Saturday 14 May 2022 eight CoolPlay teams met up at the Century City Fives Futbol courts. Teams came from Stellenbosch (Pieter Langeveld), Masiphumelele (Ukhanyo) and from the newly launched CoolPlay school in District Six (Zonnebloem Girls and Boys and Walmer...

On Friday 29 April 2022, CoolPlay hosted an U13 rugby tournament at the Cloetesville Sports Grounds. Teams attended from Sarepta Primary and Kuilsriver Primary from the Northern Suburbs; Cloetesville Primary, Pieter Lanageveld Primary and Rietenbosch Primary from...

On 13 April 2022, CoolPlay lost a great man. Johan Schlebusch joined Barry O’Mahony in 2010 in the development and running of the Vuka League, a programme to get schools from disadvantaged communities to play regular rugby fixtures. In 2013 the already popular...

CoolPlay Area Manager : South Peninsula – JOB DESCIPTION CoolPlay is looking for an independent and community-driven Area Manager to join our mission to develop resilient, socially and emotionally aware children using the power of sport and play. The position will be...

The Under Armour 2022 campaign reminds us that THE ONLY WAY IS THROUGH, which is an ode to resilience and internal strength. CoolPlay shares this belief and aims to develop these characteristics in all the learners who participate in the programme. This belief lays...

Off his own accord, this young U13 learner from Khayelitsha took to pen and paper to share his thoughts about CoolPlay and his Champion coach, Thembani: "A very bad year once came over me. It was 2017 when my father died in a car accident. It was a bad year for me and...

CoolPlay and the Otto Foundation have collaborated to enhance the holistic development and chance of success of learners in four schools in District 6, Walmer Estate, Cape Town. This is being done through the implementation of the CoolPlay programme (sport-based life...

Apart from providing valuable life skills to children around the Western Cape, CoolPlay also offers a programme called Cool to Lead for grade 6 & 7 leaners. The once off workshop helps leaners to explore the concept of peer group leadership. Peer group leadership...

CoolPlay Operations Manager Luq travelled to Kenton-on-Sea in the Eastern Cape in March 2022 to engage with our partners at the Kariega Foundation who employ community coaches and SEL facilitators to run a Youth Development Programme across three communities that...

Reflecting on a year affected by COVID 19 was not what we expected to be doing again. However, we have continued to adapt to the unexpected and we can confidently say that we learned and grew through the process. CoolPlay has remained resilient in response to the...

CoolPlay Champion Bongile gave us an inside story of his netball team & how they overcame their fears to make CoolPlay proud. "This year has really been a difficult one, it started off with sport being banned due to the Covid-19 regulations. As a coach I was...

Enormous thanks to everyone who attended the Club Travel /  JDI Foundation Golf Day at Westlake Golf Course on Friday 26 November 2021. Despite the news breaking the night before that South Africa was back on the "Red List" in the United Kingdom with devastating...

The internal theme that drives CoolPlay is personal development and growth. Having strong and resilient Champions means that they are equipped to deliver the CoolPlay programme optimally for their squads, and also carve out their own paths for opportunity and growth....

Ryan is a South African born rugby player currently playing for the Springbok Sevens team. He grew up in Stellenbosch and attended Paarl Gimnasium. Over the years he has been a regular supporter of the CoolPlay tournaments and events and brings with him experiences...

The coaching cards and curriculum that guides the CoolPlay way were developed with COOL TO BE ME founder Linda Sutherland, with the goal of delivering Social and Emotional learning on the sports field. THE PURPOSE OF SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL LEARNING IS TO DEVELOP A...

Themba is a high school pupil and CoolPlay participant from Khayelitsha. Khayelitsha is known as a ‘black township’ riddled with negative socio-economic factors such as poverty, violence, drug, alcohol abuse and a high rate of unemployment. Themba lives with his...

After falling in love with sport at a young age, Eastern Cape born Cato Louw jumped at the opportunity to study Sports Science after school, which she attended in East London. She ended up at Stellenbosch University and at ETA College with goals to learn as much as...

1) What are the lessons and values that you learned from participating in sport? As a professional sportsman I fully believe that one needs to be willing to give 100% in hardwork and dedication. Even though it is an amazing accomplishment to perform at the highest...

Damion started his journey as a Champion (coach) in the Northern Suburbs of Cape Town. His strong leadership qualities and commitment to the CoolPlay Way saw him promoted to Area Manager. He is responsible for the professional roll out of the CoolPlay programme in the...

We brought Cool to Be Me to Ocean View last week, it was so much fun! We worked with 145 Grade 7 learners from Kleinberg Primary School! The teachers were involved in the workshop and provided us with valuable feedback: “The life skills taught were presented in a fun,...

In June we welcomed Tori Gardner to the CoolPlay team as CEO. She is a proud mother of two kids, Max (6) and Charlotte (4). She grew up in the small town of White River in the Lowveld and went on to study Sport Science and Marketing at the University of Stellenbosch...

Mr Mayiya an educator from Ukhanyo Primary School situated in the Masiphumelele Township has written a letter of appreciation to CoolPlay. “On behalf of Ukhanyo Primary School staff, learners and parents. We would like to convey our sincere gratitude for the role...

We have kicked off another year of focusing on developing strong, confident and positive leaders in our partner schools. Part of our commitment to developing leaders is the Cool TO BE ME program that we take Grade 7 learners through. This year we started at Kuils...

It’s been a busy start to the year for CoolPlay, as we’ve adapted again to the needs of our participants under the restrictions of Covid 19. We were glad to be able to offer some of our programmes in a different form in the first term, where schools invited us in to...

We would like to say a BIG congratulations to Cheswin on getting an academic scholarship at Paul Roos Gymnasium! He has been with the CoolPlay programme under the positive guidance of Champion Damion for the past 3 years. We have seen him grow into a positive,...

  Bradwin Louis has learned a lot from CoolPlay these past four years: “I have learned to respect others no matter your age, race or gender. Today I’m finished with school and received a few diplomas all because I was taking in everything CoolPlay has taught me...

Champion Lourenzo took the rugby players from Cloetesville Primary School to explore Cape Town from the Big Wheel at the Waterfront. For many of the players, it was their first time outside of their communities and provided them with an eye-opening opportunity,...

This past weekend while the Springboks took on England we hosted a 7s tournament at two of our schools in Stellenbosch. The 7s tournament focused on building stronger relationships between the learners from Cloetesville Primary and Rietenbosch Primary. This was...

One key lesson we focus on at CoolPlay is learning to build relationships with others from different backgrounds. This year we have focused on teaching this important life skill through bringing our kids from different communities together to learn from each and have...

Before joining CoolPlay, Riaan was a trouble maker. He was involved in a number of fights at school and was not performing academically. Since joining the CoolPlay team at Marine Primary School, he has grown into a strong leader and is achieving his goals. Champion...

Last weekend our CoolPlay Champions in the Eastern Cape put together a fun sports day for the rugby and netball teams. The learners played different games that centered around one of CoolPlay’s key focus areas - communication, teamwork, empathy for others and...

We had so much fun taking Cool to Be Me to the Koue Bokkeveld! The learners were eager to learn and took away some meaningful lessons. But don’t take it from us, let’s hear what some of the learners had to say about the day: “I will listen more to children who are...

One of the CoolPlay lessons that the rugby players in Khayelitsha have taken hold of is empathy for others. This was apparent in our latest rugby tournament held with our youngest rugby players all the way up to our high school players. We had teams cheering on other...

A big thank you to O’Brien Recruitment for choosing CoolPlay for their 67 minutes of service to honour Nelson Mandela! Mandela Day started early for O’Brien Recruitment staff to put together 400 sandwiches for our Khayelitsha participants. The boys and girls were...

This week we have held another Cool To Be Me workshop with the Grade 7s at Rietenbosch Primary School. The day started off with the Grade 7s sitting in their different groups and they were not interested in mingling and getting to know each other. This quickly changed...

This year we have launched a new initiative in collaboration with COOL TO BE ME (https://www.cooltobeme.com/), social and emotional learning specialists and curriculum developers, to teach our Grade 7s that it’s Cool to Lead! We kicked off our new initiative at Kuils...

On April 24th we hosted a comedy evening fundraiser at Rondebosch Boys’ High School. It was such a fun evening full of laughter and telling the audience more about the impact that we are having in our areas! We would like to say a big thank you to the amazing...

The EduCool Sports Day is something that we look forward to every year and this year was no different! It is an excellent opportunity for kids from different communities to come together through the power of sport. This year it was held on the 1st of May. CoolPlay...

This month Sinothando from Bulumko High School in Khayelitsha wrote CoolPlay a thank you note: “Dear CoolPlay, I write this letter to thank you for the wonderful things you’ve done for us as Bulumko learners. It pains me so much that that most black public schools are...

Before starting at CoolPlay Jacques struggled with controlling his anger. He was quick to violently react to others, often lashing out and fighting with classmates and friends. He struggled in making and keeping friends because of his short temper. Through the...

On a beautiful and sunny Youth Day, CoolPlay partner Education Connection hosted 15 squads of netball and rugby youth at the Glaskasteel Sports ground. CoolPlay travelled with KuilsRiver PS Netball and Rugby, Ukhanyo PS Netball and Rugby, and Heathfield PS Netball....

We have run out of words to describe Grace and what she has achieved through CoolPlay in the last year - but we think it's worth putting on paper after her deserved recognition at the Western Cape After School Sports Awards in August. - She continuously (year on year)...

Tapiwa is 13 years old and attends Kuils River Primary. He was born in Zimbabwe where he lived with his grandmother and father. When his grandmother passed away he moved to South-Africa and started attending school at Durbanville Primary. "At first I didn't feel...

DID YOU KNOW in South Africa, of the Olympic athletes receiving support in 2015, only nine out of the 30 athletes (30%) were women. Though raw facts are hard to find, according to the Dept of Sport and Recreation strategic plan for 2020, current participation levels...

Sinesihle plays netball at Masiyele High School in Khayelitsha. She says “since Coach [Nokulunga] become part of my school or my life, she is my inspiration that no matter how hard the situation is I'm gonna push through. I have learned from her that the word "QUIT"...

Claudia Mans is a 17 years old at Sarepta High School. Here is her story: I would like to share with you about how CoolPlay and netball changed my life. I started with Netball last year, and at first I was a bit hopeless - sometimes sport codes at the school just stop...

Gans, our first official rugby Ambassador, joined the South Africa Sevens' Academy at the end of 2016, and played for the team at the 2016 Dubai Sevens. In February 2017, he was named as an official reserve for the national sevens team for the 2017 USA Sevens...

This month we would like to highlight Nokulunga as our Champion of the Month. Since joining CoolPlay this year she has worked tirelessly to come up with creative ideas to support her two netball squads. These ideas have included getting the girls to do vision boards...

A fantastic morning of CoolPlay games and drills with a twist was held on the 24th of March at Sarepta Primary School. It was a special day for many of the girls as their mothers also participated in the coaching drills, fun and games. The mothers got to experience...

Luqmaan Ismail, Mr Booysen, Mr Naidoo, Mrs JamJam & Johan Schlebusch What difference has CoolPlay made to your school? CoolPlay came to our school when we were experiencing serious problems with gang fighting. We made a decision to employee coaches for netball,...

CoolPlay were invited to the Hong Kong Sevens as part of a organisational exchange by the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. 12 lucky boys were selected from the nearly 700 we work with on a weekly basis for the trip of a lifetime. Here is how it went for them! Monday...

Bullied and on the sidelines, Bradwin Louis felt alone. His classmates were merciless, making fun of his ears and the birthmark on his face. His self-confidence was shattered. But all that changed when he joined CoolPlay at his school. Through a series of team...

The 3 of February 2018 was a very memorable day for 100 Coolplay girls and boys. The Laureus Sport for Good Foundation together with the Zando Cape Town 10s hosted a proactive and inspiring coaching clinic for Coolplay children at Hamiltons Rugby Club. The Coolplay...

Compassion is the name of the game as CoolPlay Champion Grace Mapfumo is featured on Beautiful News as she uses netball to create a buffer between violence and hope for children in Ocean View through CoolPlay. #MyBeautifulSA Laureus South Africa

We are so proud of what Grace is doing in OceanView and she very much deserves special recognition. Read all about her impact with CoolPlay here.

In late September Coolplay hosted a netball and rugby tournament around Masiphumelele with 170 kids involved from Marine Primary, Kleinberg Primary Netball U/10,11 and 13, and a combined rugby side from Kleinberg and Marine U/11 and 13 vs Ukhanyo Primary. Organiser,...

CoolPlay Champions Luqmaan Ismail, Frank Charlie and Grace Mapfumo were guests of #LaureusSouthAfrica and @FightwithInsight's Luke Lamprecht, a Child Development and Protection Consultant. Luke lead a workshop on practical principles of Child & Youth Care. As...

Lukho is 12 years old and plays for the U13 squad at Heathfield Primary. Her position is GS (goal shooter or GA (goal attack). She started off the season being one of the girls who was always enthusiastic about netball practice and being on the court. There has always...

The #LaureusSummitSA came to an end last week with Coolplay staff Denis Handley and Luqmaan Ismail taking an active involvement. The objectives behind these Summits are to bring together the network of Laureus programmes and provide a platform for networking,...

"The reason why I started with CoolPlay is that I could see the other boys in the squad enjoying themselves. I never knew I could play rugby but now that I am playing I am really enjoying it. What I enjoy most are the Coolplay drills, especially the No Rules game,...

On Thursday the 20th of July 2017, CoolPlay hosted a team building workshop with the Western Province (WP) Junior Athletics team at the University of the Western Cape's Sports Stadium. At the workshop there were 30 WP Junior athletes and 10 of their facilitators. The...

"My name is Brandwin Louis, I am 16 years old and I attend Sarepta High School. Coolplay started at my school in March last year. Before CoolPlay came to the school I felt all alone and I felt like an outcast. I was a boy who never wanted to mingle with others,...

Dwayne Abrahams is a CoolPlay'er at Sarepta High. In May this year, 14 months after CoolPlay started at the school, his mother hurriedly came to see Coach Luqmaan. "Because of Coolplay and the life skills they teach I have seen him change a lot.' She said 'I can now...

Sarepta High School didn't have a rugby team just over a year ago. Fast forward a year, to Bellville this week, where CoolPlay's Sarepta High U16's were being lifted in the lineout by their heroes, the DHL Stormers. Thanks to Laureus and The Dan Nicholl Show, our...

"It was like a different person, he'd completely changed" says Coach Frank. When Frank first saw Kwalunga Ntsokota, he was walking into his first training session with Masiphumelele U16 with his shorts around his ankles, "He was a thug, he walked that way, but he was...

Of all the pictures taken on Thursday afternoon, this one stands out for me. We learn so much from playing sport, and at CoolPlay we try to teach values through sport - but one of the beset things is having the chance to meet someone from the other side of the world,...

CoolPlay delivered a rugby and netball clinic at the Cape Town Tens on Saturday 4th February to over 100 kids. Was epic to see our Champions mixing with some former Springbok players, and confidently talking about teaching life skills the CoolPlay way. We aren't just...

Thanks to our partnership with Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, yesterday CoolPlay had the great honour of hosting Jean De Villiers, Brian O'Driscoll, Sean Fitzpatrick and Morne De Plessis at one of our most successful project sites - Bonnytoun Child and Youth Care...

Teaching young people how to use sport for the good of their communities is one of the most important things Laureus does around the world. And one of the most exciting ways this is now being achieved is through the Laureus YES programme. The name stands for Youth...

We had an amazing time at the CoolPlay Mini Rugby Festival late in August. Great rugby skills and discipline from these young boys, and much thanks to UCT for the use of the pitches, Education-Connection for bringing teams in from Bredasdorp, and Pick n Pay for...

On the 14th of May 2016 Sarepta High School rugby team edged out a 12-10 win over Delft Technical College. It was not a result for the history books, but a monumental moment given its circum- stances. Due to budget constraints and over-burdened sta , Sarepta High have...

Through their 'Turn for Good' Campaign, the V+A Waterfront's Cape Wheel generated R500,000 for CoolPlay partner Laureus Sport for Good. To celebrate this fantastic donation, The Cape Wheel hosted pupils from two of CoolPlay's schools, Sarepta High and Masibambane...