To coach someone from the age of six and guide him to top of the world on his selected path, may be common only to a handful of people on this planet. Having done that and to see the same man fall from grace and then organizing his most loved pupil's funeral, was a tragedy indeed.
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| Johan Volsteedt, the headmaster of Grey College |
There is a man who faced such a fate and he is none other than Johan Volsteedt, the headmaster of Grey College, Bloemfontein, South Africa. Mr. Volsteedt was the coach, principal and mentor of fallen South African hero, but now the legendary Hansie Cronje.
To cope with pressure of that magnitude, one needs to have a rock solid heart and ice cool mentality. Volsteedt seems to have got both plus an ever rejuvenating brain too. That's how he has developed Grey College as one of the most sought after colleges in South Africa.
"At the start of every year, I tell myself that 'I shouldn't be here if I don’t come up with new ideas for the New Year'; that's the way I keep myself motivated" said the now headmaster.
Serving Grey College always was in his blood. His father too was a headmaster at Grey College and Johan was a kid when he saw the century old main building of the college, now a national monument in South Africa.
He joined the college staff in early seventies as a teacher and spent almost his entire life at the premier educational institution. He still has that burning desire to do more, after being promoted as the headmaster of Grey College for more than two decades.
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| Tomb of former South African Captain Hansie Cronje |
Wessel Johannes "Hansie" Cronje is not the only cricketer from Grey College to wear the national cap for South Africa. Since 1891, the Grey College has produced a number of cricketers and rugby players for South African national teams, in addition to many more Olympic athletes and hockey players.
The first if its kind was K. K. Fitchard who played cricket for South Africa 1891 and the list is far too long. There were five old Greys among the Springboks during last year's Rugby World cup in New Zealand and five more with the victorious Springboks in 2007.
Founded in 1855, by an explorer, soldier and administrator, Sir George Grey, the school is the third oldest in South Africa. There are number of historic buildings in the school and five of them had been declared as national monuments.
A full scale of sports facilities had developed a college culture that each and every one coming through the gates of Grey College, wants to excel in some kind of a sport. The college's rich history and traditions motivates its pupils to go further down the road and even to represent national teams of South Africa.
 A recently upgraded swimming pool of Olympic standards with 2000 seating capacity, a magnificent rugby field and a cricket ground, 20 all-weather tennis courts, 4 hockey fields plus an Astro turf, six cricket fields, four soccer fields, 18 cricket practice nets, 4 squash courts and a state of the art gymnasium, will provide every possible opportunity for the students to become world beaters on their day.
The college hall is studded with various rugby and cricket jerseys worn by former national caps in the caliber of Hansie Cronje and Kepler Wessels (Test Cricketers), Morne du Plessis (Former Springbok skipper), Ollie le Roux (Former Springbok) and Ryk Neethling (Olympic Gold Medalist swimmer).
Among the many of Grey alumni, Hansie has a very… very special place in the college premises. His ashes had been placed in a memorial wall near college Tuck Shop. The monument is quite an attraction for the tourists who still believe that Hansie had little to do in those so called corruptions in cricket or match fixing for that matter.
"I am not an alcoholic and I have never been addicted to nicotine, but I understand there are times when you give in to the temptation. At various times guilt made me realize what I was doing was wrong. I did not realize ……I was hooked" Cronje told King Commission on 22nd June 2000.
One can make mistakes but the important thing is to realize that he or she has made a blunder. The next important thing is the pardon and that is what Cronje received from his alma mater, years before the rainbow nation realizes that their captain deserves his place in the history. By the time his nation pardoned him, Cronje is dead and gone.
The best note coming from one of his close companion in the team, Herschelle Gibbs.
"If there's one name mine will always be linked with, it is Wessel Jahannes Cronje. And yes, the match-fixing scandal may have cuffed us together, but Hansie was a man I always admire"
"I am often asked whether I ever forgive Hansie for the whole drama. Of course I did. I mean, I was an adult too and I take responsibility for my decisions. What there was to forgive, I forgave him long ago" Gibbs says in his book titled 'TO THE POINT'.
On 5th Wednesday, June 2002, Hansie Cronje's coffin with a painted portrait of the former college cricket and rugby captain, was placed at the college hall. A bouquet of roses, his favorite flower, was also there in front of thousands of people who attended to the service. Many shops in Bloemfontein were closed out of last respect.
It was an emotional morning as teachers, friends and pupils gathered at Grey College. Hansie's first coach and then the Headmaster, Johan Volsteedt, said that Hansie's talent were evident from his school days. He was the best all round pupil apart from being a wonderful coordinator for the students and teachers.
"At school, Hansie once told me, 'if I ever play at Lord's, I am going to invite you.’ When South Africa toured England for the first time in 30 years after readmission he in fact invited me to see the Test Match. It was a great feeling" said Johan Volsteedt, the headmaster.
His eyes blinked as he recalled the happier times with his most loved pupil, on whom he had a helping hand since the child was just six years old. The occasion produced even better results.
Kepler Wessels, another old Grey, who was coached by Volsteedt from the age of six, scored 105 at Lords and South Africans went on to beat England by massive 356 runs in four days.
When asked why Wessels decided to play test cricket for Australia early in his career, Volsteedt simply said that he sensed that he would not get the opportunity to play test cricket in isolation during the apartheid regime. Soon after South Africa was re-admitted to the cricket world, Wessels returned to his native land and led South Africa to many wins before Cronje took over the reins.
Like their unique way of hand-shaking, Grey boys did not lose faith on their hero. Even at the times when the ‘corrupt’ allegations were in full flow, they sang a song, "Hansie is our hero ....we will not be moved".
The Grey pupils felt the song was a fitting way to say good bye Hansie, in their final meeting forever, despite the hero (in pieces) lying inside a sealed coffin.
The sport will have its ups and downs while each time frame gets its own problems. Despite Hansie's name will always come out when-ever corruption is mentioned, yet he will also undoubtedly be remembered as one of the greats of the game. |
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