Bobbs says goodbye after five glorious seasons
The past five seasons Quanita Bobbs has played herself into the memoires of the Steinhoff Maties Hockey Club.
Bobbs, co-captain of the Steinhoff Maties Women this past season, has played her last game for the Maroon Machine this past weekend when the team won its sixth consecutive Western Province Grand Challenge title. It was Bobbs’ fifth.
She has also won a medal in each of her five USSA tournaments and was named Maties Sportswomen of the Year in 2014. This past season Bobbs started to score some serious goals with a hat-trick more than once. “I wish I knew how many goals and matches I have for Maties. I do know, however that this season I have scored more goals than all the other seasons put together. It has been a good goal-scoring season for me!”
It’s obvious that her time at Maties has been special. She could barely control the tears after her final match. “I will remember the laughs and tears with my teammates, I will remember the exciting brand of hockey played at Maties, I will remember all the great victories over the years and lastly I will remember the beautiful sunsets we were blessed to see at training every night.”
In her five years at Maties Bobbs learnt that nothing comes easy. “If you want to be the best; you will only achieve this through hard work, commitment and discipline. I have learnt over the years that there is no such thing as the perfect game, and that is okay. I have also learnt so many key technical and tactical things about hockey given to me by the hockey coaches, Jenny King and Revs (Paul Revington) that I will carry on doing in the next hockey environment I find myself in.”
Bobbs doesn’t hesitate to encourage youngsters to come to the Stellenbosch University. “Maties is a platform for young hockey players to grow and improve in every aspect of their game. It is the best club in South Africa, the facilities, the people, the high standard expected week in and week out, will only be in the best interest for everyone that becomes a member of the club. It really is an institution of excellence and once you catch the Matie pride in your heart, you will realise there is no better place to be.”
Winning the treble of titles – League, USSA and Varsity Hockey – in 2014 is one of the best memories Bobbs will take with her. “Staying in the hockey house for two years with some of my teammates was the best years at Maties. Another good memory is the Maties hockey camps and USSA camps we have every year, it definitely brings the club closer together and establishes the feel of a hockey family. I will forever remember the great hockey played with the Maroons, to play with such dedicated and amazing young talent is something I will forever cherish and miss.”
Bobbs will play club hockey in England the coming season after also considering her options in Germany’s Bundesliga and the Hoofdklasse in Holland.
A final word? “I would like to say thank you to my teammates, you have really become my sisters over the years and I will miss training with you everyday. Thank you to the staff (Jenny, Karin and Revs) for pushing me beyond my limits as a player and for always believing in my ability and me. At Maties we have a winning culture, for those who are staying behind live this culture everyday in training, during tournaments and in the league and inform the new comers about it. Keep the Maties flag flying high!”
AFRIKAANS
Bobbs sê totsiens ná vyf wonderlike seisoene
Die afgelope vyf seisoene het Quanita Bobbs haarself in die memoires van die Steinhoff Maties Hokkieklub gespeel.
Bobbs, mede-kaptein van die Steinhoff Maties Vroue die afgelope seisoen, het haar laaste wedstryd vir die Maroen Masjien die afgelope naweek gespeel toe die span sy sesde agtereenvolgende Westelike Provinsie liga-titel gewen het. Dit was Bobbs se vyfde.
Sy het ook ‘n medalje in elk van haar vyf USSA toernooie gewen en is as Maties Sportvrou van die Jaar in 2014 aangewys. Die afgelope seisoen het Bobbs ook in ‘n doelevraat verander. Sy het op meer as een geleentheid ‘n driekuns behaal. “Ek wens ek het geweet hoeveel doele en wedstryde ek vir Maties het. Ek weet egter dat die seisoen het ek meer doele as in al die ander seisoene saam aangeteken!”
Dit is voor die handliggend dat haar tyd by Maties baie spesiaal was. Sy kon skaars die trane keer na haar laaste wedstryd. “Ek sal die lag en trane saam met my spanmaats onthou, ek sal die opwindende hokkie wat ons by Maties gespeel het onthou, al die groot seges deur die jare, maar ook die sonsondergange wat ons geseënd was om te sien by aand-oefening.”
In haar vyf jaar by Maties het Bobbs geleer dat niks maklik kom nie. “As jy die beste wil wees; sal jy dit slegs bereik deur harde werk, toewyding en dissipline. Ek het oor die jare geleer dat daar nie iets soos die perfekte spel is nie en dit is okay. Ek het ook soveel belangrike tegniese en taktiese vaardighede aangeleer danksy afrigters Jenny King en Paul Revington. Ek sal voortgaan om dit te gebruik waar ek myself ook al in die hokkiewêreld bevind.”
Bobbs huiwer nie om jongmense aan te moedig om na die Universiteit Stellenbosch te kom nie. “Maties is ‘n platform vir jong hokkiespelers om te groei en te verbeter in elke aspek van hul spel. Dit is die beste klub in Suid-Afrika; die geriewe, die mense, die hoë standaard wat elke week verwag word, is slegs in die beste belang vir almal wat ‘n lid van die klub word. Dit is regtig ‘n instelling van uitnemendheid en sodra jy die Matie trots in jou hart het, sal jy besef daar is geen beter plek om te wees nie.”
Die driekuns aan titels – Liga, USSA en Varsity Hokkie – in 2014 is een van die beste herinneringe wat Bobbs het. “Om vir twee jaar in die hokkiehuis saam met van my spanmaats te kon bly, was ook ‘n hoogtepunt. Dan is daar nog die Maties Hokkie-kampe en elke USSA voorbereidingskamp wat die gevoel van familie gebring het. Ek sal altyd die groot wedstryde in die Maroen onthou. Om saam met so ‘n toegewyde en talentvolle groep spelers te kon speel, sal ek altyd koester en onthou.”
Bobbs gaan nou klubhokkke in Engeland speel.
‘n Finale woord? “Ek wil graag dankie sê aan my spanmaats, julle het regtig my susters geword oor die jare en ek sal julle en ons oefensessies saam mis. Baie dankie aan die personeel (Jenny, Karin en Revs) vir die aanhoudende aanmoediging om myself verder te druk en my grense as speler en persoon die heeltyd aan te pas. By Maties het ons ‘n wenkultuur, vir diegene wat agter bly pas die kultuur in die alledaagse dinge, oefensessies, toernooie en in die liga toe. Wapper die Maties-vlag met trots!
