Beyond the playbook: Inside secrets of successful high school tacticians

Ng'iya Girls hockey players celebrate with their coaches and Principal Hellen Masengeli (center) after winning Nyanza Region hockey girls title on March 15, 2025 in Migori.[Washington Onyango, Standard] While some average coaches may be obsessed with shortcuts that will win them titles in the shortest period, then fade into oblivion, some standout tacticians have trusted the process and continue to shine over the years. For these teachers, who double up as coaches, trophies are not the ultimate prize but a bonus or reward for their relentless pursuit of excellence. They wear many hats, for they are not just teachers but also caring substitute parents, psychologists, motivational speakers, and visionary leaders able to turn students into stars. Moi Girls Kamusinga teacher Godfrey Simiyu is one of the country's standout coaches, having led the side to greater heights. Reigning national and East Africa girls' handball champions, Moi Girls Kamusinga, are without doubt the face of consistency, having been at all national and East Africa games since 2012. They dominated locally and also won some East African titles, with most of the players making it to the national junior and senior teams. Simiyu underscored that this is not by chance but an outcome of their concerted efforts to nurture talent. "For a team to remain strong, one must be intentional in their recruitment process, and I have made sure that I get it right by having at least six promising players join the school every year as the form fours exit," Simiyu said. Simiyu said that together with former St Luke's Kimilili coach Gerald Juma, they started an academy in the area to tap and nurture young talent. "The secret is to start training them at a young age, and we could only do that by starting an academy. Our main objective was to help the young boys and girls get an education because we noticed that they were dropping out mostly in classes seven and eight." Kwanthanze from the coast celebrate after winning the girls volleyball during the National Secondary school games at Nakuru High school on September 12,2022. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard] The academy hosted by Kimilili FYM primary school has been a feeder to both St Luke's and Moi Girls for years. In 2023, they started a second academy at Namakhele RC Primary School, increasing the number of players churned from the initiative. "Through the two academies, we have remained at the top, but now other schools are benefiting because we have many players. We let them join schools across the country as long as they are given scholarships, so our aim of helping them get an education is fulfilled," he added. Simiyu and Juma, who is now at Kenyatta High School, Mwatate in Taita Taveta, hold a holiday camp in December. During the camp, they select players for their schools and also invite coaches from other schools across the country to select theirs. "This initiative has not only put us at the top in sports but has also transformed our community. Our children are educated, and some have secured opportunities that they could have never even dreamt of," Simiyu added. On their objectives this year, Simiyu said they are determined to defend all their titles locally and qualify for the East Africa games to be held in Morogoro, Tanzania as Kenyan champions. "I have a good squad capable of competing at all levels thanks to the structures that we have in place. We want to successfully defend all our titles from the zonals to East Africa," he said. At Laiser Hill Academy, a private school tucked on the outskirts of Ongata-Rongai town, it's not just about trophies. According to Dean of Students Anthony Kirimi, who has been at the core of the institution's success in basketball, rugby and football over the years, theirs is a process geared towards total transformation. St Dorcas School Netball Coach Laban Murangiri celebrate their win as Nairobi Region Secondary school Term 2 Regional Netball 2025 champions after beating Raila Education Centre at Nairobi School on Saturday, July 12, 2025. [Jonah Onyango, Standard] "A trophy awarded at the end of a championship is nothing; the true trophy is the person you make out of the journey of success," Kirimi said. Though Kenyan teams have not been able to win the boys East Africa basketball title in over a decade, Laiser Hill remains the most successful side in the region with seven gongs. This year, they are looking to successfully defend the national title and then make another attempt to recapture the East Africa title, which has eluded them for years. In 2024, they came close to making it happen but fell short when they narrowly lost to hosts Amus College in Mbale, Uganda. Last year, they settled for bronze when Kenya hosted the games in Kakamega. He revealed that they have remained consistent because they build their teams on institutional culture and shared meaningful purpose. "We build on institutional culture, and our teams are anchored on a shared dream rooted in trust, which inspires us to keep pushing and never give up. We have a robust youth and age group development structure that ensures that we are not short of talent." Former Kwanthanze Secondary School volleyball coach Justin Kigwari, who ditched the chalk for greener pastures in Rwanda, also revealed what had kept him on top for years. Kigwari noted that for him, coaching was more demanding than teaching. "I walked in villages looking for potential players. I was that stranger who would stop anyone on the road in Turkana, Pokot or any other part of the country and ask if they knew of a tall girl in the village," Kigwari said. He exited the school games coaching scene with his head held high after winning the 2026 national and East Africa titles. Under his guidance, Kwanthanze became a powerhouse, winning seven national, eight East African titles and one Africa school trophy. "I handled each player individually, capitalising on their strengths, though they had not played volleyball before and had to start by learning the basics. Teamwork made up for weakness and in the end, through hard work and dedication, we won titles, but above all, most play for the national team and top clubs in the country," he said. St Anthony's Boys High School Kitale hockey team has also been a regular on the big stage. The former national and East Africa champions have maintained their place as a hockey powerhouse even as others slowly faded away. Though they lost their national trophy to Musingu High School in 2023, they have played in all the national finals since 2017. Team coach Kelvin Lugalia attributed their success to a two-pronged approach geared towards helping students succeed in both the sport and academics. "Since most of the players get into the game when they join the school, I first ensure that they learn the basics and understand that the sport is not dangerous. Thereafter, I analyse their abilities by trying them in different positions to establish where they can excel," Lugalia said. These coaches, alongside others like Philip Onyango of Kaya Tiwi, who has led the side, sleeping giants Shimba Hills, among other institutions to success in basketball and netball, and Moses Irima of Tigoi Girls hockey, will go down in history as the top school coaches of all time. Peter Mayoyo, now retired, as well as Brendan Mwinamo, a former Kakamega High School Green Commandos coach, have also made a name for themselves in school sports.

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