SOSIALE MEDIA: PLAAS DIT DRUK OP UNIVERSITEITSPORT? 

Miné Fourie

@mine.fouriee

 

Sosiale media speel deesdae nie net ’n groot rol in die ontwikkeling en selfbeeld van jongmense nie, maar het ook ’n groot invloed op universiteitssport. Dit word gebruik om sportspanne te bemark en bekend te stel, maar dit stel spelers ook bloot aan kommentaar en opinies van die publiek, wat soms ekstra druk kan veroorsaak.

 

Lienke Badenhorst, nommer twee vrouetennisspeler van die NoordWes-Universiteit (NWU) het gesê: “Ek voel nie noodwendig druk vanaf sosiale media se kant af nie, maar daar is wel die verwagting in die lug dat ons weer kampioene moet wees hierdie jaar omdat ons die laaste drie jaar USSA’s gewen het.” ’n Groot rede hiervoor is die vergelykings wat dikwels gemaak word tussen verskillende universiteite se spanne, of selfs tussen spelers van dieselfde universiteit. Dit is nie altyd maklik om te sien hoe jou spanmaats goed presteer en daarvoor op sosiale media geprys word nie, terwyl jy self sukkel om die ranglys te klim nie. Volgens haar skep die publiek ook soms onrealistiese verwagtinge, soos dat elke wedstryd beter as die vorige een moet wees, iets wat in die werklikheid nie altyd moontlik is nie.

 

Nog ’n nadeel van sosiale media is die konstante verwagting dat sportspelers altyd moet presteer. Wanneer ’n span wen, word die oorwinning wyd op sosiale media gevier, maar wanneer hulle nie dieselfde sukses herhaal nie, word die teleurstelling net so vinnig uitgewys. Hierdie siklus kan druk op spelers plaas om voortdurend op hul beste te wees, selfs wanneer hulle met beserings, akademiese werk of persoonlike uitdagings sukkel.

 

Sosiale media plaas ook druk op spelers as gevolg van kommentaar en terugvoer van mense wat nie direk by die span betrokke is nie. Anders as in skoolsport, waar kritiek meestal van afrigters en spanmaats kom, kan universiteitssport nou kommentaar van enige persoon aanlyn ontvang. Negatiewe kommentaar kan selfvertroue knak en spelers laat twyfel oor hul vermoëns.

 

Liebrecht Winterbach, ’n lid van die NWU se Young Guns-rugbyspan, sê dat negatiewe kommentaar ’n groot invloed kan hê, veral wanneer ’n speler hard gewerk het en trots is op sy prestasie. Hy probeer egter eerder fokus op die terugvoer van sy afrigters en spanmaats, omdat konstruktiewe en opbouende kritiek meer waarde het. Volgens hom het mense op sosiale media nie altyd die volle prentjie van wat in ’n span aangaan nie. Winterbach se tweelingbroer, Hubert, hanteer dit anders en gebruik negatiewe kommentaar as motivering. “Daar sal altyd negatiewe kommentaar wees, maar ek steur my nie regtig daaraan nie. Dit motiveer my net om harder te werk en mense verkeerd te bewys.” 

 

Sosiale media sal altyd deel wees van moderne universiteitssport en spelers sal waarskynlik altyd blootgestel word aan kommentaar van alle kante. Die uitdaging is om gefokus te bly op jou eie spel en nie toe te laat dat eksterne faktore jou prestasie bepaal nie. Die kern van universiteitssport lê steeds in sportmanskap, eerlikheid en die liefde vir die spel. Daarom is dit belangrik dat spelers onthou waarom hulle begin sport speel het, en om nie toe te laat dat die druk van sosiale media daardie passie wegneem nie.

 

 

 

Algemene plasings op sosiale media van universiteit sportspanne (Oorsprong: Greenfly).

Foto van Liebrecht Winterbach  (Oorsprong: Liebrecht Winterbach).

 

Foto van Hubert Winterbach (Oorsprong: Liebrecht Winterbach).

Die 2025 eerste vrouetennisspan Van links na regs: Mia Scimper, Cayline le Grange, Rozanne van der Schyff, Lienke Badenhorst (Oorsprong: Lienke Badenhorst).

 

Teksredigering deur Kristen Welgemoed

 

English Translation

 

Translated by Simoné de Witt

 

Nowadays, social media not only plays a big role in the development, and self-image of young people, but also has a great influence on university sports. It is used to market and introduce sports teams, but it also exposes players to comments and opinions from the public, which can sometimes cause extra pressure.

 

Lienke Badenhorst, the number two female tennis player at North-West University (NWU), said, “I don’t necessarily feel pressure from social media, but there is indeed an expectation in the air that we must be champions again this year because we have won the USSA titles for the past three years.” A big reason for this is the comparisons often made between different university teams, or even between players from the same university. It is not always easy to see how your teammates perform well and are praised for it on social media, while you yourself struggle to climb the rankings. According to her, the public also sometimes creates unrealistic expectations, such as that every match must be better than the previous one, something that in reality is not always possible.

 

Another disadvantage of social media is the constant expectation that athletes must always perform. When a team wins, the victory is widely celebrated on social media, but when they do not repeat the same success, the disappointment is highlighted just as quickly. This cycle can put pressure on players to constantly be at their best, even when they are struggling with injuries, academic work, or personal challenges.

 

Social media also puts pressure on players due to comments and feedback from people who are not directly involved with the team. Unlike in school sports, where criticism mostly comes from coaches and teammates, university sports can now receive comments from anyone online. Negative comments can undermine self-confidence and make players doubt their abilities.

 

Liebrecht Winterbach, a member of NWU’s Young Guns rugby team, says that negative comments can have a big impact, especially when a player has worked hard and is proud of his performance. However, he tries to focus more on feedback from his coaches and teammates, because constructive and building criticism is more valuable. According to him, people on social media do not always have the full picture of what goes on in a team. Winterbach’s twin brother, Hubert, handles it differently and uses negative comments as motivation, saying, “There will always be negative comments, but I don’t really pay attention to them. They just motivate me to work harder and prove people wrong.”

 

Social media will always be a part of modern university sports, and players will likely always be exposed to commentary from all sides. The challenge is to stay focused on your own game and not allow external factors to determine your performance. The essence of university sports still lies in sportsmanship, honesty, and the love for the game. Therefore, it is important that players remember why they started playing sports, and not allow the pressure of social media to take away that passion.

 

 Photo of players during a game on the field (Source: Physical I.Q.).

 

General social media posts from university sports teams (Source: Greenfly).

 

Photo of Liebrecht Winterbach  (Source: Liebrecht Winterbach).

Photo of Hubert Winterbach (Source: Liebrecht Winterbach).

 

The 2025 first women’s tennis team. From left to right: Mia Scimper, Cayline le Grange, Rozanne van der Schyff and Lienke Badenhorst (Source: Lienke Badenhorst).