The last thing Hout Bay United Football Club expected when visiting the newly opened Thrive Fitness Centre was that they would walk out with a new conditioning coach and professional exercise regime. But that is exactly what happened.
The team, alongside their head coach Xolela Lndude, was making use of the 4×4 concept that is offered by Thrive, which consists of four zones. Each zone has four exercises, targeted to your upper body, lower body, core and cardio.
They originally came through to take advantage of the free first session offered by Thrive, which has a pay per use business model. Yet, while guiding the boys during their workout on Thursday March 28, Ian Pienaar, manager of Thrive Fitness Gym, heard about the team’s need for a conditioning coach and decided to volunteer for that responsibility for the difficult season ahead.
“Football is a strenuous sport and a lot of conditioning is needed to in order to enhance muscle endurance and strength building. Without a conditioning coach the team cannot play to their full potential, which is why this opportunity was so important to me,” said Mr Pienaar.
“Not only do I want to see the team succeed but I also want Thrive Fitness to make a difference in our community and what a better way of doing that than allowing our football team to use our gym to train.”
One of the first focuses will help each player to build their strength and stamina through a series of group sessions at the outdoor section of the gym called “The Turf”.
Mr Pienaar and Mr Lndude have also decided to take their efforts to the Imizamo Yethu settlement, where they will be teaching kids about the importance of exercise and healthy bodies.
“This is something I have been wanting to do for a long time now and being able to give back to the community, with the help of Xolela, is such a privilege for me,” Mr Pienaar told Sentinel News.
“We are so happy that Thrive Fitness has come on board to give our team an opportunity to play to their best ability. I have no doubt that their sessions at Thrive as well as Ian’s skilled help will give the team all the conditioning they need to perform and win,” said a thankful Mr Lndude.
HBUFC is a non-profit community football club that offers the highest quality professional coaching, free of charge. They expose players to a structured, disciplined and focused environment that provides life skills and guidance.
