Burger excited to coach Tuks at USSA Netball Tournament

As a netball player, Erin Burger can genuinely claim to have been there and done that and got the T-shirt to prove it.

She was the first to clock 100 caps for the Proteas and ended up playing 125 games for the national team.

The Tuks Alumni participated in four World Cup Tournaments and represented South Africa at three Commonwealth Games.

In 2011, in Singapore, she was the Player of the Tournament at the World Cup.

A life without any involvement in netball is not an option for Burger. To have played and now as a coach is calling to her.

"I was introduced to netball at the age of eight and instantly fell in love with the game. Netball has taught me essential life skills, but also, through national and international exposure and playing for various coaches, I love to share what I have learned throughout the years," is how Burger describes herself on her coaching website.

With Jenny van Dyk's appointment as head coach for the Proteas, Burger has taken over as Tuks's coach.

On paper, the Tuks side that will play the USSA Tournament (1-5 July) in Johannesburg could be formidable.

'TICK ALL THE RIGHT BOXES'

Ten team members who won last year's Varsity Tournament are still playing at Tuks.

To Burger, it is a mere interesting statistic. She believes games are won on the court, not on paper.

When asked how she sees her role as Tuks coach, Burger said she does not believe in complicating things.

"It is easy to say that you want to win. The challenge is how do you go about doing so. To do so means there has to be a plan, and then you must make sure you tick all the right boxes.

"One of the reasons I started to coach was to help players avoid making the same mistakes I had made in my playing days. It is also important for players to still be at their best during pressure situations in a game. This is why it is important to improve the skill levels of players. A skillful player can adapt to whatever happens on the court during matches. It also makes it easier to stick to the game plan."

As a coach, Burger wants her players to think for themselves.

"When I played, some of my coaches encouraged us to think about the game and how we played. I loved it. I want the Tuks players to voice their opinions. It is essential to know how they think about the game. I am not intimidated when a player comes up with a suggestion as to how we should play. I am open to discussing how I want the team to play."

Burger is a self-confessed fitness fanatic who loves a good challenge.

That is why she is training to compete in a Half Ironman Competition (1.9km swim, 90km cycle and 21km run) in November.