Stop pressuring children, ex-netball star says 

Former Young Ones and national team star Mildred Olivier is one of a few former stars with regrets. She says she should not have retired from active netball at the age of 41.

Born at Rehoboth, the former star first caught coaches’ attention when she played for her home club Hotspurs’ first team at the age of 13.

She would go on to become one of the most versatile sport stars in Namibia, as she would also star on the basketball court for the Divas, and on the softball field for Ramblers.

She was also known on the athletics field in Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha) in South Africa.

“For me it was a case of being a jack of all trades and master of all. I was a serial victrix ludorum winner right from Sub A (Grade 1) to Standard 10 (Grade 12), as well as into my first two years at the University of Port Elizabeth, where I went to study for my teachers’ diploma,” Olivier says.

The matriculant from Dr Lemmer was also very involved in athletics at the Khomasdal Onderwys Kollege, where she did the first year of her primary school teachers’ diploma before she went to Port Elizabeth.

Olivier started to make an impact on the Namibian netball scene shortly after joining Young Ones, the only club she ever played for until her retirement from the sport at age 41.

Before she turned out for the post-independence national team, the star defender also turned out for the pre-independence South West Africa team.

“I was winning accolades with Young Ones week in and week out. I first enjoyed playing as a defender but as the years passed by I got hooked on shooting. In fact, I didn’t mind where the coach would play me in the team as long as I contributed positively.

“We had a very formidable team at Young Ones and I enjoyed my netball there. It felt like family more so because I played with my sister, Elma Brockerhoff, who was playing centre, and we had a telepathic understanding on the court. She made sure I was well supplied.”

SISTER POWER

Olivier says although it is generally construed that two sisters don’t go along, it was the complete opposite with her and Elma (Brockerhoff), who would always make sure she made the best out of every opportunity she received to shoot for goal.

The national team selectors were impressed by Olivier’s exploits on the netball court, and in 1991 she was selected on the national team after Namibia, together with five other nations, was invited to the Milo World Series in New Zealand as a non-participatory guest.

“We must have impressed the organisers of the tournament in New Zealand, because in 1993 we were once again invited, but to compete this time, in the prestigious and more competitive World Netball Championships that was hosted by Australia.

“We had a very strong team that was very well balanced with youth and experience,” she says.

The tournament was a great eye-opener to the realities of world netball to the entire Namibian contingent, which had to be content with being handed heavy defeats, most notably by host New Zealand, who scored 94 points, but they at least managed 16 of their own.

There was also another crushing 72-38 defeat by the Milo Invitation team, which was in fact in their first test of the tournament.

The Desert Jewels put up a good fight against Cook Islands in the third test, but a lack of experience saw them eventually going down narrowly 63-59.

Namibia did not return empty-handed from the tournament, but managed two victories from their five international friendlies.

The talented all-rounder was also in the thick of things when the national netball team scored a resounding 47- 25 victory over their Malyasian counterparts in an exciting friendly international in front of a large crowd at the Unam Netball Courts in Pioneerspark in 1993.

Mildred would, however, not go to another Netball World Cup with Namibia as she chose to attend an athletics coaching course in Germany at the same time as the 95 event.

“It was not going to be a second world cup for me when the Namibian team went to play in England in 1995. I was offered a scholarship to pursue an Athletics Coaching Diploma at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany.

ATHLETICS OPENING DOORS

“The course, which was offered by the German Athletics Association, was sanctioned by the world controlling body. Although I enjoyed playing netball with all my heart, it was mostly athletics that opened a lot of doors for me internationally,” Olivier says.

The gigantic defender also had the opportunity to represent Namibia during the regional Confederation of Southern Africa Netball Associations, while she is also the only Namibian to date to be named Cosana Player of the Event in 1992.

Apart from achieving league success with her beloved Young Ones, Olivier also won the Pepsi Netball Club Championships after downing the mighty Black Africa 25-21 in a fiercely contested final at Otjiwarongo in 1997.

Olivier, who was known and respected for her calm approach on the pitch, formed a deadly partnership with Juanita van Wyk in the Young Ones goal-attacking department.

Away from the netball court, Olivier also represented Namibia at the Africa Zone Six Championships in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, in 1992.

RETIRED TEACHER

The retired teacher says she regrets having retired from active netball at the age of 41.

“I am now enjoying a quiet life at home after retirement. I started my teaching career at my hometown, Rehoboth. My first teaching position was at Rehoboth High School, before I moved on to M&K Gertze Secondary School after two years,” she says.

“I also had a short stint at a school at Okahandja before I moved to Windhoek. I started teaching at A Shipena Secondary School before I settled down at Eros Girls, where I taught until retirement for 19 years.

“From there it was just part-time jobs at private schools.”

Olivier advises parents not to force their children into a specific code, but to rather allow them to enjoy the code of their choice.