Mr. Zivai Beta is the academy’s fitness coach, popularly known by the boys as “Coach Zee”. Coach Zee is a 36 year old family man blessed with two children namely Rachel and Nasiah in his union with his wife Mrs.and Beta. Growing up in the dusty streets of Unit J, Chitungwiza, he did his primary education at Ndangariro Primary School in Zengeza, and secondary education at Zengeza 4 High School. He went on to learn his tertiary education in Information Communications and Technology (ICT) backed by software and hardware maintenance. After completing his studies in ICT “Coach Zee” went on to further his studies in Fitness Level 1, Strength and Conditioning Level 1, and Bio-kinetics (Injury Management) with Major Sports Science in Africa institute. The CSPRO Academy’s developmental team managed to catch up with “Coach Zee” for an interview, below is the full interview:
TRM: Good morning coach. How are you and your family?
ZB: Well I’m doing just fine; my family is doing great as you can see we are up and running with boys in the field of play (laughs)
TRM: Well we thank God for the blessings, let’s get down to business coach, and so tell us about you?
ZB: I was born in Unit J, near Waterland Chitungwiza some 36 years ago in a family of 3 and I’m the second born and we are all boys now men (laughs). Much credit goes to my mother Irene Beta who’s a teacher by profession, she and my uncles raised me and that’s how I adopted the surname Beta, from my father’s side our last name is called Mudukuti. I did my primary education in Chitungwiza and had to change primary schools due to my mother’s nature of work as she would be transferred from one school to the other. This made me learn in 3 different primary schools namely in Chitungwiza, Karoi and Zvimba although I prefer Ndangariro Primary School in Zengeza, Chitungwiza. When I completed my secondary education at Zengeza 4 High School in Chitungwiza I went to further my studies with a course in ICT and in 2014 that’s when I joined the Major Sports Science in Africa to attain the fitness qualifications. It is from there that I started doing the fitness job doing one on one with various individuals, for example, soccer players like Tatenda Tumba, Ronald Pfumbidzai, and Christopher Samakwire to mention but a few.
TRM: Tell us about your favorite meal?
ZB: I love spaghetti and mince it’s one of my favorite dishes and I don’t mind eating it and “Mai Beta” (Mrs. Beta) knows how to prepare this dish for me.
TRM: Besides playing, watching or teaching the academy boys what other thing are you interested in as an individual?
ZB: I do like to exercise and keeping my body fit and strong because I would love to see the youngsters being fit and strong also in the field of play and I’m mandated to show them by my physical stature. To add on, I’m also interested in ICT to develop software and do all those hardware works because it keeps me busy and I have a passion for this work.
TRM: How and when did the journey of football start?
ZB: As far as I can remember this journey started in Primary school to secondary that is from Grade 6 to Form 4. My childhood coach is Coach Frosty Dzangara who is the founder and owner of Ramah Academy which plays in the same competition (F6 Youth League) as CSPRO Academy in the Chitungwiza. I went on to play in Division 2 by a team coached by Solomon Mudavanhu which was called Modzone FC, while I was playing for Modzone FC former Dynamos coach Elvis “Chuchu” Chiweshe came and convinced me to join the Dynamos reserve team which I did play for 3 years 2004 to 2007. Later on, in 2007, I joined Zinwa FC now Harare City FC from Dynamos on loan. I had to call my time at Zinwa and joined ZRP FC a division 2 outfit in 2009 but was not there for long and later went to join Allie Sundown’s Division 1 club that was based in Mabvuku and that is when I last played professional football. While I was at Allie Sundown’s I thought I needed a course to do as playing football proved to be a short career and that’s how I thought of doing the course in ICT. After completing my ICT course I was approached by a longtime friend called Tendai Chituwa who was in the fitness industry, he pushed me and that’s, how I got to have a course in fitness. When I completed the fitness training course I then started to help and voluntarily train individuals for free because when I was a player I didn’t get the opportunity and that pushed me, till the day I came to be part of this amazing academy.
TRM: How is it like working with the ghetto youths?
ZB: It all has to do with passion; I’m one person who’s so passionate about these youngsters because I have lived all my life in the ghetto and know how life in the ghetto is. Within the ghetto, you grow up to know that things can be tough, hard, and §difficult. Where we come from and how we are raised is different from one household to the other here in the ghetto some families are financially stable yet others are not. I’m a person who grew up in a very difficult way since I was raised by my uncles from my mother’s side. So, I did not have the privilege to focus only on football at a tender age because I was taught that education was the only way to success. I didn’t have the financial support which came directly from my father and mother and it was even difficult to get football boots and socks to be presentable and ready to play the game with others. That is why I’m eager to help the ghetto youths through CSPRO Academy that this can change and they can link the two, education and football.
TRM: Are you teaching the ghetto youths what is good and bad towards the community and their lives?
ZB: Yes! Most definitely we are teaching the ghetto youths on “hunhu” (Shona word for humane behavior) in which we are teaching them that, charity begins at home. We teach them that, they should have respect for their parents, older siblings, and neighbors. It all starts by greeting elders in the morning and evening hours. If there are household chores that need to be done these boys should do so, like cleaning the house and fetching water. We also advocate that you cannot come for training without first doing what needs to be done at home. We do talk to parents and do door-to-door to make the parents understand the relationship associated with football and schooling activities. Every Friday and Saturday we ask the boys to come with their school notes and exercise books to check their progress as far as school is concerned. Going to school can be helpful because the youths cannot all be professional footballers, but can acquire skills that can be productive in the future. School also gives them the knowledge to read and write for example reading and signing professional contracts. Lastly, we are teaching these boys to do away with alcohol and substance abuse because the ghetto youths are living in the streets where alcohol and substance abuse seems to be a normal thing to do.
TRM: How, why, and what made you interested to join CSPRO Academy?
ZB: I got to learn about CSPRO Academy through my longtime friend Coach Musset Zengeni. He approached me, described, explained, and convinced me about the project at hand. The vision, aims, and goals of the project made me believe that it was a thing that I dearly needed for my career and for the ghetto youths. It made me realize that I could use my expertise to train, and develop ghetto youths while catching them young whereby we talk about conditioning their fitness levels and working on a players’ agility, reaction, and speed. All that made it possible and was happy because if these players make it in life to play professional football I will start seeing the fruits of my work. Those are the reasons which made me say yes and joined the academy at once.
TRM: As a coach tell us where you see CSPRO Academy in the next 5 to 10 years’ time?
ZB: I foresee CSPRO Academy in the next 5 to 10 years being a professional academy with adequate sponsorship to be able to scout and accommodate youths from parts of the country with less exposure such as the rural areas. At the academy, we already have a clear system and philosophy and I believe once the corporate world helps in, then we will be able to work towards our vision with fewer obstacles. What we thrive for is the development of the youngsters who will be able to make the grade in higher leagues within Zimbabwe and internationally as well. We will be happy to see some of our youths representing the nation in youth and senior competitions. We also focus on educating the youths about good behavior, commitment, and discipline, that is providing these youths with some tools they could use in different aspects of their lives in the future.
TRM: What motivation and inspiration can you give to the ghetto youths out there?
ZB: I would want to say to the ghetto youths: focus, have the character, and courage so that you aim higher due to the footballing talent which God gave you. Be respectful to your parents, coaches, and above all the almighty for the blessing of life. The youths should be thankful that this academy is giving them the opportunity to develop their talents and we are different from other academies that make ghetto youths pay to be educated about football. In other words, they should work hard and appreciate the good work which is being done by the founder and President of CSPRO Academy Mr. Costa Nhamoinesu as he is eager to develop the beautiful game in the country. Otherwise, ghetto youths should push themselves for only the sky is the limit.
TRM: Thank you Coach Zee, for your valuable time. I do hope you enjoy the rest of your day
ZB: You are welcome sir, have a good one too.