KeNako Academy Awards 2012

Most Improved Player

The Most Improved Player Award goes to the student who has applied himself or herself throughout the year to improving their performances by working constructively on the information received by all the professionals at KeNako. They have understood what is required to improve, taken the information and utilised it to improve their performances in practice and competition.

The following students were nominated for the award:

  • Nicholas Bacon
  • Bradley de Beer
  • Cameron Moralee
  • Aidan Boon
  • Jabulane Mabilane
  • James Pennington
  • Caylum Boon
  • Franklin Manchest
  • Charnay Williams

Key reasons for Cameron’s improvement include his strengthened body; a great competitive attitude – a poor shot does not affect his attitude; and of course his efficient golf swing.  His improved performance can be compared to a wolf. Wolves are recognised for being able to focus their energy on achieving their goals.  They have a plan and when the critical moment arrives they do not depend on luck but rather trust themselves to achieve their end goal. They do not feel threatened and are able to constantly engage their senses and skills – this gives them the edge.  Cameron has absorbed what he has been taught and dramatically improved as a player.  Congratulations Cameron!

Many of the students who have not been nominated for the Most Improved Player Award this year have improved of late which makes for a very interesting 2013.

Mental Skills Award

This award applies to the mental skills lectures; to advice given by the other professionals; and to the ability to take what has been learnt and then implement it on the golf course and in all facets of life at KeNako Academy.  Following a process and implementing a routine – and here KeNako encourages individuality – is so important for constructive development and consistent performances.

The following students were nominated for the award:

  • Aidan Boon
  • Garen Niemand
  • Caylum Boon
  • James Pennington
  • Cameron Moralee

Aidan has become a very disciplined golfer; with a set routine and a new improved attitude and reaction after hitting a poor shot.  His new maturity is being rewarded with better consistency.  Aidan contributes constructively in mental skills lectures and was the only student to score 100% in the mental skills test completed by all students.  As Thomas Jefferson once said “Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal.”  Congratulations Aidan.

Spirit Award

This award recognises a student’s passion, desire and commitment to improve their game and to love the game no matter how they are playing, what the conditions are like or what the circumstances are.  This attitude is to be admired as it has a wonderful influence on everyone they come into contact with.

The students nominated for this award were:

  • John Bang
  • Franklin Manchest
  • Aidan Boon
  • Cameron Moralee
  • Caylum Boon
  • Johan Oosthuizen
  • Jabulane Mabilane
  • James Pennington

The winner of this award was quite easy to acknowledge as he was picked by his peers – unofficially – but ask any KeNako Academy student who embodies this award and they will all say it is Jabulane Mabilane.  Jabulane’s eyes light up when he is talking about golf.  In his physical programme Jabulane is very spirited, at this stage about selected exercises and body parts, especially his Biceps!

Norman Vincent Peale once said “There is real magic in enthusiasm.  It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.”  Jabulane’s spirit and willingness to go the extra mile are starting to play handsome dividends with his golf.  His positive spirit can help him to accomplish great things!

KeNako’s Head Professional, Roger Wessels, was walking down the fairway with Jabulane towards the end of the year when he saw him challenging Nicholas Bacon to a long drive competition which he then won by half a metre – his chirp to Nicholas was “another 10 sessions in the gym plus 5 protein shakes and you might catch me!”

Diligence Award

Life is rewarded by hard work, focus, a willingness to travel the extra mile; by having passion and enjoying the challenges offered by life.  Students are encouraged to participate in the academy programme in a constructive way whilst embarking on a steep learning curve.  Diligence can be described as an earnest and conscientious application of one’s energy to accomplish a goal that one has undertaken.  Diligence includes paying careful attention to detail and to having a strong desire to achieve quality results.

 The following students were nominated for this award:

  • Aidan Boon
  • Cameron Moralee
  • Caylum Boon
  • Garen Niemand
  • Jabulane Mabilane
  • James Pennington

Jabulane Mabilane has encapsulated these qualities in 2012.  Jabulane is very much a typical teenager but where he is different is that if he is late or missing, we all know what he is doing – practicing some aspect of his game, be it in the gym, on the range or playing the course. Congratulations and keep it up Jabulane! 

Perseverance Award

Perseverance is a trait to be admired, respected and developed.  When we first discussed this award a number of names were put forward but it then became clear that all of our students persevere in their own way to improve themselves, their golf and their attitudes.  Every student that enrols at KeNako endures a challenge; be it missing home, unfamiliar surroundings, the intensity of the program, technical changes on the range or the rules they have to adhere to.

Every student can be mentioned by name with focus on a particular challenge that they have had to overcome, but the fact that they are still at KeNako shows they have perseverance and that they are meeting the challenges that come their way.  Congratulations to all of the KeNako students for developing this excellent habit – it will become one of the pillars that support you through life.  It was Thomas Edison who said “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

Best Overall Student

This award acknowledges the student who has involved himself or herself in all aspects relating to the academy programme, including taking responsibility for hostel duties; empathy and respect for fellow students; commitment to the academy programme; commitment and adherence to hostel rules; commitment to academic studies; and showing leadership qualities.

The following 3 students were nominated for this award:

  • Aidan Boon
  • Garen Niemand
  • James Pennington

Garen Niemand endured a tough time early in the year but he worked through that challenge and has subsequently contributed even more positively to the KeNako Academy programme.  Garen has improved both as a golfer and as a person. Congratulations Garen on an outstanding year!

Garen was elected as a leader in the Academy this year and these leadership skills have been recognised by Glenwood House School too where he has been made a prefect for 2013.  Garen received a book on the 4 Pillars of Leadership to further enhance his leadership capabilities.

Technical Improvement Award

This award goes to the student who has made the greatest technical improvement over the course of the year, determined by where they were in January and what their technique is like at the end of the year.  Technical improvements do not happen overnight and require patience, perseverance and faith because success is never immediate – it takes time to understand what is required and to develop the sensations that make the swing repetitive.

It is wonderful to be able to say that every student at KeNako is clearer about what good technique is and all of them have improved their techniques but one student has progressed impressively this year.  The award goes to Nicholas Bello. Roger Wessels says that Nicholas reminds him of the great New Zealand left hander Bob Charles who had a simple efficient swing which made him so consistent.  Nicholas has the basics in place and as his strength improves so will he hit the ball better and better.

Player of the Year

This award is performance based and goes to the student who has not only performed best as an individual in the various tournaments throughout the year but also in the team events.

The KeNako Player of the Year award goes to a very deserving student.  He has been consistent, impressive and he not only achieved fabulous individual honours but contributed to some great team results as well.  Before mentioning his name, a list of notable achievements for the year is acknowledged.  All of these students contributed to a very successful KeNako Academy year.

  • Lydon Charnley won an Order of Merit (OOM) event for the first time at Oubaai.
  • Garen Niemand won an OOM at Riversdale.
  • James Pennington played in the Southern Cape U17 team at Riversdale.
  • Cameron Moralee finished the year by winning the OOM at Fancourt and the OOM at George GC, and then winning the Kingswood Open against both senior and junior players.
  • The four students mentioned above played in the Retief Goosen High School National Championship and finished 3rd out of 24 teams.
  • Mohit Mediratta, an international student, represented the Southern Cape at the U23 IPT.
  • Aidan Boon, Caylum Boon, Matipa Madisane, Jabulane Mabilane, Franklin Manchest and Johan Oosthuizen all made provincial Southern Cape Teams.
  • Cameron Moralee, Aidan Boon, Caylum Boon, Franklin Manchest and Kyle Barker made history by being in the Southern Cape U14 team that won the Fish River Inter-provincial Tournament for the first time, inflicting the first ever defeat on Western Province.
  • Bradley de Beer played in the team that won the South African Primary Schools tournament.
  • In the Kingswood Club Championships KeNako students missed winning but filled the next 6 places on the leaderboard, with Cameron Moralee finishing second at 4 under par after rounds of 73 and 67 and Aidan Boon finishing third at 2 under par after rounds of 70 and 72.  Of the 6 KeNako boys in positions 2 to 7 five of them only turned 15 years old during 2012.
  • The KeNako students played for Oubaai in the league and lost in the League Finals.  Unfortunately the league finals clashed with exams so some of the regular boys were unable to play.  Those who played in the Oubaai League Team included Garen Niemand, Cameron
  • Moralee, Aidan Boon, Caylum Boon, Johan Oosthuizen, Jabulane Mabilane and James Pennington.
  • Several Best Nett prizes and B and C Division prizes were won at the OOM tournaments each month.
  • Two students had huge handicap improvements: Bradley de Beer improved his handicap by 12 shots from 17 to 5 and Chanay Williams improved by the same margin from 27 to 15.

Congratulations to all of those mentioned above. 

The winner of The Player of the Year Award for 2012 is Cameron Moralee.

Cameron has achieved amazing success during 2012.  He started the year as a 14 year old relative unknown and ended the year as a 15 year old ranked the number one junior player (U19) in the Southern Cape.   Achievements through the year included being part of the first Southern Cape Team to ever win the U15 Fish River Challenge; a top 10 finish in the SA Boys U17’s; being part of the Glenwood House School team that finished third in the Retief Goosen High School Championships; being chosen for the Southern Cape U19 IPT team; finishing second in the Kingswood Club Championships (including a second round 67) and winning both the Fancourt SCOOM and the Kingswood Open.

School Leavers

KeNako bids farewell to 3 students who have contributed to the development and growth of the academy in its early years.   Thank you to Mohit Mediratta, Lydon Charnley and Jodie Duminy.  We wish all three students everything of the best in their future careers and look forward to seeing them visit KeNako in years to come.  They will remain extended family of KeNako.

Mohit, Lydon and Jodie were acknowledged and bid farewell at a special student dinner before everybody departed the academy for the year.  All three of them greeted the professionals and their peers and remembered aspects of their lives whilst at KeNako.

KeNako Adieu

Mohit Mediratta

“When you have completed 95 percent of your journey, you are only halfway there.” – Japanese Proverb

KeNako Academy 2011 and 2012

Lydon Charnley

“If you are facing in the right direction, all you need to do is keep on walking.” – Buddhist saying

KeNako Academy 2011 and 2012

Jodie Duminy

“Every day you may make progress.  Every step may be fruitful.  Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path.  You know you will never get to the end of the journey.  But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb.” – Sir Winston Churchill

KeNako Academy 2011 and 2012