"Eish, I hate rain. Are you around later? My back is so sore but I just need to jog over to the expo to fetch a race number for the other guys."
Where have all the player-managers gone, long time passing, where have all the player-managers gone, long, long time ago?
Multi-tasking pro athletes seem to be a dying breed. If one thinks back, several sports had managers who still competed: Vialli, Dalglish in football and Douglas Ryder in professional cycling come to mind as but two examples. Yet the days of those fit and driven enough play and manage seem to be passed in this age of specialization. Different climes for different times I guess.
One exception to this observation was in the Mother City this weekend. That's right, Hendrik Ramaala competed in the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon a few days ago. Arriving at the host hotel on mid-Saturday morning, Hendrik was accompanied by two of his proteges as they went about their business of finding out where they were staying, collecting race numbers, not mention loading up their bags with complementary fruit. All relaxed and laid-back and smiling, haphazard even, and without the slightest hint of nervousness or agitation often prevalent in the sporting elite.
Hendrik Ramaala has - and continues to - wear many hats. World-class athlete, Olympian, NYC Marathon winner, lawyer, president of ASA, manager and now coach to several top athletes out of the grassy environs Zoo Lake Park in Jozi. And while his athletes extol his virtues as a coach and mentor, he still competes.
Twenty-fifth place in Cape Town might not turn heads but that doesn't seem to matter to Hendrik. And why should it? He hasn't got anything to prove but clearly still has the desire to run, all the while guiding the next generation to lofty heights. Once a runner always a runner I guess and a benevolent one at that.
Keep up the good work Hendrik!
