WE CREATE IMPACT THROUGH SPORT
Cape Town, RSA
Created to Inspire and Nurture growth
Established in 2008, the Growing Sports Foundation Trust (GSFT) is a non-profit dedicated to fostering the social, psychological, and physical development of disadvantaged adults and scholars through in-school sports programmes in Cape Town and surrounding areas.
We are currently fundraising to restart our in-school programme in 2025, aiming to empower learners and provide employment opportunities to young adults as sports trainers.
Our
Programmes
Our programmes have three key initiatives. The HOPE Programme trains adults to coach and lead scholars aged 5-18. The PRIDE Programme promotes personal growth and sportsmanship for HOPE graduates, preparing them for competitive play. The VICTORY Programme offers advanced training for top athletes, providing scholarships, internships, and professional development opportunities.
Our
People
Our diverse team is dedicated to creating opportunities in Cape Town’s disadvantaged areas.
Our Board sets the strategic direction, our Development Team trains sports trainers and learners, our Ambassadors raise community awareness, and our Volunteers bring fresh perspectives and energy.
Partners & Patrons
Our Patrons and Partners are essential to our impact, providing financial support, equipment, and time. Their contributions enable us to support approximately 3,000 scholars and 60 educators annually with our current school partnerships. This impact can grow as our funding does.
If you are looking to partner with us, help us fundraise or support us in any way, let’s connect!
Programmes
Grassroots
Development
Basic Athletic Development skills
Ball skills and movement
Racquet and ball skills
Working with partners
Individual match play development with competitiveness
If you are interested in sport, are good with people, especially children, and have patience to teach them new skills, please fill out the form here.
We will be recruiting new coaches in August 2025.
Coaching Development:
- Tennis Volunteer Course (16 hours)
- Play Tennis Course (32 hours)
- Level 1 National Tennis Instructor (80 hours)
- Level 2 Advanced Tennis Instructor (80 hours)
- Level 3 Professional Tennis Coach (80 hours)
Do Coaches get paid? Yes, our coaches get paid. Our coaches normally work a 5 day work week if we are working in schools, as well as some weekends when required.
How many coaches are needed? School classes in “disadvantaged schools” are almost 50 children per class. Coaches, especially new coaches, are in-experienced to work with so many children so we work on a ration of 1:10 – 1 coach for every 10 children – which means we employ 5 coaches per hour per working day per school.
Our Hope Programme will resume in 2025.
Our athletic development program allows learners the opportunity to touch, feel and play with sports balls, bean bags, hoola-hoops and equipment that they have never had the opportunity to play with before.
This instills hope to be involved, hope to self-develop and hope to play sports for the first time and forever.
Our Hope Programme will resume in 2025.
This programme strives to develop our core principles of self-believe, self-growth and leadership skills- by offering HOPE.
We also collaborate with other NPO’s in offering opportunity that would never have been possible for these leaners to access.
Our Hope Programme will resume in 2025.
When an NPO first moves into a space to assist with development and growth, it is extremely important to involve the surrounding communities so that the programme can become sustainable.
The entire process of offering HOPE, enabling self-growth and development must become a personal development for Learners, Coaches and their Communities so they can learn to help themselves and their peers eventually.
Our Hope Programme will resume in 2025.
Support financially : Supporting the running of our programs, truly has a great impact on lives. If you are able to support financially please see how you can here.
Sponsor equipment : We are always open to receiving support through equipment.
Please see what we are most needing here.
Volunteer:
If you want to volunteer your services as a Coach, or as a supporter (financial or donations of goods) please approach us here.
If you are a school wishing to benefit from our program, or if your school or company is wanting to sponsor or support another school, please reach out to Michelle Whitehead, our CEO, directly here.
Individual
Empowerment
Once our Learners, and Coaches, have achieved the required goals set for them in Athletic development skills and gained experience – we “uplift” them to our PRIDE programme.
Here they will grow as individuals learning more of our core principles of Integrity, Sportsmanship and personal development and growth.
Our Pride Programme will resume in 2026.
Our coaches who have excelled and achieved in becoming well-rounded Coaches, educators and role models to our learners – will also be “uplifted” to the PRIDE programme.
They are constantly inspired to better themselves by attending courses, reading and watching teaching videos.
Our Pride Programme will resume in 2026.
In our PRIDE programme we try to instil self pride, self motivation and self achievement to learn and master new skills.
Learners can choose which sporting codes they would like to go into: those at present time being: Tennis, Soccer, Netball and cricket.
Here they will start to develop match play and start to compete against other learners, as well as other schools.
To belong to a team with PRIDE is where we instil self pride, court and team etiquette and social manners into our learners.
Our Pride Programme will resume in 2026.
Growth in sports develop and ability is directly linked to growth in the classroom.
We have seen the overall improvement in basic skills of sitting, listening and using structured language in our Learners who are achieving self-discipline through their sport growth.
Our Pride Programme will resume in 2026.
PRIDE in oneself leads to PRIDE in community.
Basic skills of walking taller, collecting litter, being neater in appearance and being proud of their surroundings is a good start to a better life.
Helping Parents and Coaches to become proud of their Learners are other skills we strive to develop. This is a true reflection of growth from role models surrounding the youth – and use be encouraged at all times.
Our Pride Programme will resume in 2026.
Our collaborators and partners in this area are individuals, companies or groups of people who want to be role-models and make a difference to our country.
Very small input from role models creates HUGE impacts if delivered correctly.
Our Pride Programme will resume in 2026.
Support financially : Supporting the running of our programs, truly has a great impact on lives. If you are able to support financially please see how you can here.
Sponsor equipment : We are always open to receiving support through equipment.
Please see what we are most needing here.
Volunteer:
If you want to volunteer your services as a Coach, or as a supporter (financial or donations of goods) please approach us here.
Professional
Opportunity
Our Victory program it’s for those players who are achieving and winning regularly.
More advanced skills of discipline, dedication, commitment with hard work that builds their self esteem and self character are expected.
Our Victory players become idols and ambassadors for the smaller children coming into the Hope programme.
Our Victory Programme will resume in 2027.
This level of coaching is for advanced coaches with vast experience.
We work in Collaboration with Professional coaches here, who are able to be role models and instil advanced characteristics of self-development both on and off the sports fields.
Our Victory Programme will resume in 2027.
Our Victory program it’s for those players who are achieving and winning regularly.
Once the more advanced skills of discipline, dedication, commitment with hard work are achieved, there is opportunity for overseas scholarships.
Our Victory players are expected to become idols and ambassadors for the smaller children coming into the Hope programme, and assist with fund raising and volunteering their time for youth development in the Hope and Pride programmes.
Our Victory Programme will resume in 2027.
Alongside our sports skills development we are offering cultural and intellectual opportunities as well.
These currently include Chess, Debating, Garden clubs, Easy Act through Rotary clubs.
Internships with Corporate companies (over 15 years old), Bursary opportunities and Sports College opportunities.
Our Victory Programme will resume in 2027.
With success in Sports or Academic excellence, comes recognition and opportunities with networking and intern opportunities.
We have structured internships set up for those interested to develop and mentor trade artisans, office workers and other skilled opportunities.
Our Victory Programme will resume in 2027.
Growing Sports Foundation Advanced Coaches
Mountain Manor Guest House and Executive Suites
Toro Truck
Rotary International District 9325
Become a mentor
Offer Internship opportunities at your company
Offer Bursaries for further studies
Our Team
Michelle
Whitehead
Founder & CEO
“Having played tennis my whole life and being one of the youngest registered tennis coaches in South Africa at the age of 17, I started playing tournaments and learning disciplines which formed a basis for my success in the business world paved the pathway for me starting a “give back” in 2008.
From 2008 until 2018 we exposed over 3000 children in disadvantaged schools in Cape Town CBD to sport, exercise, movement and particularly tennis. It is one of the most rewarding programs I have ever done.
Cedrick
de Bruin
BOARD MEMBER
“I’m a personal fitness Trainer. I train and condition people in health & fitness and what drives me, is my love to inspire people to achieve their goals and gain confidence. I’ve been the Powerlifting champion for Western Province & South Africa and I have joined the Growing Sports Foundation to give back.
My expertise plays an integral part of the foundation’s set up and I working closely with Michelle to develop programs that inspire both adults and children.”
Jessica
Simpson
BOARD MEMBER
Jessica, former professional athlete, had the opportunity to play tennis on an international stage. Due to a career ending injury, Jessica, entrepreneur, has a passion for developing and scaling non-profits and their impact.
Jessica joined the Growing Sports Foundation Trust in 2012 as an ambassador and inspiration for younger players. Jessica has now rejoined the core operational team and board, developing its reach and helping Michelle in strategising the growth of the foundation.
Testimonials
"I wish to take this game of Tennis, which is my passion, and revive it back to an alive, energetic, amazing social and competitive game that it once used to be in South Africa.
As a collaborative effort, we are going to be doing this at a grass Roots level – at schools – where there are almost no facilities and certainly few coaches to teach this fun game."
Michelle Whitehead (Founder)
"We are eternally grateful to Michelle and her assistants for offering this service to our school and we sincerely hope that it will continue for many more years. I am positive that with her help we will be able to train our educators so that they can continue with the programme. Michelle has become a part of Walmer EPS and we would be honoured to have this relationship continue in the future."
Walmer Estate Primary
Partners
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Contact us
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