Honours Award for Jaco Delport:
St Andrew's College has a rich tradition of sports participation and achievement, as well as a strong belief that boys who excel should be recognized. For the majority of sports offered at College, there are opportunities to learn, improve and ultimately achieve the goals a boy has set for himself. This is mainly due to strong intra and inter schools competitions on an annual basis. For some sports, however, this is not the case, and boys who wish to excel in these chosen sports have to be wholly and fully committed. In tennis, any pupil wishing to perform at the highest level, has to find time outside the normal school sports program to practice and be coached individually, and doing so around an already busy schedule.
Jaco Delport has achieved in tennis what no other College boy has been able to achieve:
Marguerite Poland, in "The Boy in You", writes: "there has never been a Tennis Honours recipient or a College Springbok tennis player and only Oliver Ransome (1914), shortly before his early death in April 1924, came close to such a sporting honour..."
Jaco's major achievements in tennis, in brief, are as follows:
- - First team since Grade 8
- - Open school champion since Grade 9
- - As an u/16 he was runner up in Albany u/18 section in Grade 9 and 10, and became Champion in Grade 11 and 12
- - He represented Eastern Province at the National Inter Provincial tournament in various age groups from Grade 8 to Grade 12
- - In Grade 11 and 12 he was also chosen for the u/19 Eastern Province Schools teamJaco's contribution to College tennis, through his attitude on the court and his ability to involve other major sports participants in tennis has been exemplary, and has helped to keep College tennis strong.
His personal commitment to excellence and training for tennis has shown determination, perseverance and patience beyond what is necessary to achieve at school level.
His ability to compete with his peers at National level, in spite of major obstacles, testifies to his internal motivation to achieve at the highest level.
Jaco Delport has met the requirements as set forth in the guide for St. Andrews College Sport and Cultural Criteria for Dress and Awards, and therefore we congratulate him on being the first boy in the history of St. Andrew's College to achieve honours for Tennis. Well done, Jaco!
