Across South Africa, a quiet but powerful shift is transforming how schools champion the journey of young female athletes. The HerForm training course co-developed by TWIN is now actively elevating this development.
HerForm stands as an essential, international resource—a rich pool of evidence-based content created to address the personal development challenges unique to female athletes.
Crucially, HerForm is built on the principle of implementation: it provides the what (the resources), but empowers institutions to take ownership of the how by contextualizing the material to fit their specific female athlete environments; in and beyond Europe.
HerForm contextualized
In South Africa, the collaboration between two Cape Town institutions—Herschel Preparatory School and St. Cyprian’s School—and specialist in junior athlete support and key TWIN affiliate, SportsThink360, serves as a powerful example of this philosophy in action, reimagining holistic athlete development in the girls schools’ environments. Their pioneering programme supports Grade 6 and 7 girls for whom competitive sport plays a significant role in their lives.
The schools’ programme curricula have been enhanced by the strategic integration of selected HerForm learning content since the training course’s test phase in 2025.
Athletes, learners, leaders
At Herschel Preparatory School, the focus is on helping girls see that the lessons learned on the field—teamwork, confidence, and perseverance—are valuable for life. Through the programme, the girls discover that talent is about much more than performance; it’s about personal growth, building resilience, and shaping their sense of identity. They are encouraged to define success on their own terms, focusing on learning and growth throughout their journey.
Nearby, St. Cyprian’s School runs the Beyond the Scoreboard programme, which helps its Grade 6 and 7 athletes see themselves as whole people: athletes, learners, friends, and young women finding their place in the world. Sessions like “Being a Brave Athlete” and “Ready for the Next Step” encourage the girls to understand why they play, how to stay grounded through wins and losses, and how to approach the next phase of their athletic journey with confidence and curiosity.
Using training module 1 of the HerForm training course, “HerFoundations”, as a guide, SportsThink360 Director and TWIN Consultant Ruan Schlebusch leads workshops, honest conversations, and interactive sessions. The key to its success? The material is delivered through stories and language that truly resonate with young South African girls.
Together, these programmes vividly illustrate how the HerForm learnings and material can be adapted and embedded into diverse settings while staying true to its core purpose: equipping young women with the understanding, mindset, and language to thrive both within and beyond sport.
Herschel Preparatory School and St. Cyprian’s School championing these pioneering, contextualised approaches using HerForm resources equals not just developing better athletes—it is empowering the next generation of resilient young women in South Africa.
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