Eberhardt, the dominant Hockey centre forward
Calistus Kolantsho | Friday December 18, 2020 07:45
Born 18 years ago in Mmadinare, Eberhardt is an all-rounder. She has been involved in different sport disciplines during her school days. “I am a sports person and I tried to play all sport available in my school, John Mackenzie High, in Francistown. When I was doing Standard Six, hockey was introduced and I decided to play it. After a short stint, I developed a love for the sport and it grew deeper in me,” she told Mmegi Sport.
That was the best choice made by Eberhardt. Today she is a dominant centre forward with all of the will, power, and intangibles to become a successful hockey star. She has tried her luck in swimming, netball, girls’ football and athletics. During her stay at John Mackenzie, Maggie Lambat coached her. Eberhardt completed her A-Levels this year. John Mackenzie headmaster said in her testimony that Eberhardt had contributed in all spheres of school life.
“She was a keen and enthusiastic participant in several of the sport disciplines offered in the school. She was a regular member of swimming, hockey, netball and athletics teams where she participated with passion in each sport,” the testimony reads in part. “So I stopped school hockey and I now play for Basil Club Hockey where I am coached by Thoriso Bogwasi,” she said.
In 2019, Eberhardt was selected to captain the senior hockey, netball and swimming teams. At the Independent Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSSA) athletics meetings, Eberhardt won seven gold medals. She also received six gold medals and a bronze medal at the Conference of Heads of Private Schools (CHOPS) athletics championship. She has received the most valuable player in hockey accolade. Eberhardt said last year she made it into the provincial national team after only five months in club hockey. She joined Basil in June 2019.
She made her debut club tournament in Francistown against the University of Zimbabwe. “The most interesting thing about hockey is that you can never exhaust the sport, there is always room for improvement. And how the most basic skills like pulling the ball to one side are the ones that make the biggest difference in the games,” she said. Eberhardt said she was happy that hockey is being introduced in government schools. Regarding the support from her family, Eberhardt said just like most Batswana, most of them knew a little bit about hockey. “However, my mother is always attending tournaments cheering me on,” she added. Eberhardt said she plans on studying medicine abroad and there she knows the quality and competition in hockey is greater.
“I would definitely improve and play in the university teams so when I come home, I could represent my country having acquired skills and techniques,” she said. Just as any other sports person, the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic did not spare Eberhardt. “Hockey was cancelled in our school so there was no training for me since January. I went for many months without playing on a proper court. The only thing I could do was to keep fit by doing cardio. And thus my skills deteriorated and now I have to work extra [hard] to get back to where I was before COVID-19,” she said. Eberhardt said her role models are her parents, Mmoniemang Jankie, Heinz Eberhardt, 'and my grandmother Ompulukile Jankie'.
“I am God-fearing and whenever I walk into a game or before I start a race, I recite Philippians 4:13,” she said. Bogwasi who started coaching Eberhardt in August 2019, said she is one of the players bound to be the best.
“Her work ethic and relentlessness to become a better player and person. Her athletic ability gives her an immediate advantage over most players. The national team has been waiting for a player like Lisa and she could help to raise our flag high in the coming years,” Bogwasi said.
FACT FILE
Full name: Lisa Olorato Eberhardt
Date of birth: August 7, 2002
Place of birth: Mmadinare
Sport: Hockey
Club: Basil
Position: Centre Forward
Hobbies: Fishing, hanging out with friends, and watching television series Stable dish: Mabele and seswaa