Volunteer for a Provincial Directorship

The success of a province rests heavily on the shoulders of the Provincial Director.

Members are aware that there are criteria that need to be fulfilled in order to stand  for a position on Mind Sports South Africa's (MSSA's) Board. The criteria ensure that there is continuity on the Board as well as that there is a greater understanding of the culture within MSSA, and an understanding of the issues surrounding the administration of MSSA and to provide an upward path to those who wish to eventually serve on MSSA's Board.

Strong provincial leadership in organizations like the Mind Sorts South Africa (MSSA) is vital for several reasons:'

1. Strategic Direction: Provincial leaders provide strategic direction and vision for the MSSA, ensuring that its goals and objectives align with the broader educational priorities and needs of the province.
2. Resource Allocation: They oversee the allocation of resources, including funding, personnel, and infrastructure, to support the effective functioning of the MSSA and its programs at the provincial level.
3. Policy Development: Provincial leaders play a key role in develo
   ping policies and guidelines that govern the operations of the MSSA within the province. These policies ensure consistency, fairness, and compliance with regulatory requirements.
4. Advocacy: They serve as advocates for the interests of MSSA within their province, representing their needs and concerns at provincial government and within the MSSA itself.
5. Capacity Building: Strong provincial leadership facilitates capacity building initiatives within the MSSA, including training programs to enhance skills and competencies in areas such as leadership, governance.
6. Quality Assurance: Provincial leaders oversee quality assurance mechanisms to monitor and evaluate the performance of member clubs and MSSA programs within their jurisdiction, ensuring adherence to standards of excellence and continuous improvement.
7. Collaboration: They foster collaboration and partnerships with other stakeholders, including government agencies, school boards, parent organizations, and community groups, to leverage resources and expertise.
8. Innovation and Adaptation: Strong provincial leadership promotes innovation and adaptation within the MSSA, enabling it to respond effectively to changing trends, the needs of the athletes, and societal challenges.

9. Accountability: Provincial leaders are accountable for the performance and outcomes of the MSSA to the Board, ensuring transparency, integrity, and responsible stewardship of resources.

Overall, strong provincial leadership is essential for ensuring the effectiveness, relevance, and impact of the MSSA in promoting quality secondary education and supporting the holistic development of students across the province.

Their are nine Provincial Directorships available and are elected in for two year terms at the AGM, although, since Registered Players will be co-opted, he term of office shall be from the day of co-option until the 2024 Annual General Meeting (AGM).

However it should be noted that only Registered Players who meet the following criteria may be co-opted:

1. A member club has nominated the Registered Player, and
2. The Nomination Form has been submitted to MSSA on or before 26 April 2024, and
3. A Letter of Undertaking has been submitted by the nominee, and
4. The Registered Player is fully-paid-up for the 2023/2024 year as at the date of nomination, and
5. The club nominating the Registered Player has paid its affiliation fees for the 2023/2024 season.

Please note that only Registered Players may stand for the position in the province in which they live.

If you want to be a Provincial Director, ask your club to nominate you to the Management Board as soon as possible at mindsportscorrespondence@gmail.com.

Additional reading:

• 2024 Calendar of Events
• Affiliation: Private Clubs
• Affiliation - School
• Events: Reminder: 2024 Western Cape Online Championships to be held on 17 February 2024.1
• IESF: IESF announces game titles for 16th World Esports Championships to be held in 2024.
• IESF: MSSA confirms its entry to WEC24
• Office Bearers: Volunteer for a Provincial Directorship
• Office Bearers: Do you want to be a Regional Director?
• Results: 2024 Western Cape Online Championships - 17 February 2024.
• Results: Team ATK Oshun excels at 2024 Online Championships held on 13 April 2024 
• Sportsmanship awards - Je'nielle Cavanagh takes the award
• Sportsmanship awards: Ridah Hendricks take Western Cape Sportsmanship title
• Student Games: Superb Sochi
• Team Trials: To qualify for National Team Trials to represent South Africa.
• Titles: Esports titles selected for all MSSA's 2024 High School Championships.

MSSA's new Players' Representative - Jessie Joubert (ZAG Academy)

Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) was way ahead of the curve when it created its Players' Representative position to sit on the Board way back in 2005.

The person who holds this position has to represent the aims, wishes, and desires of the gamers in order to ensure that the players are not overlooked in the decision-making process. Such Player Representative, must therefore owe greater loyalty to the players than to any club affiliation.

Those who have held, and excelled, in such office are:

• Amoné Bekker (Valhalla)
• Jason Batzofin (Old Edwardian Mind Sports Club)
• Jonathan Newman (Maritzburg Griffins)
• Amanda Pakade (nee Kwaza) (University of Johannesburg)

Amanda went on to become MSSA President, and Jason Batzofin, went on to become Chairperson of International Esports Federation's Players' Commission.

At Mind Sports South Africa's 34th South African National Championships, the new Players' Representative, for the 2021 to 2023 term, was voted in by all participating athletes. On an unanimous vote, Jessie Joubert was voted in to serve his fellow athletes.

On being voted in, Jessie stated, "I am honoured to have been elected as the players representative of Mind Sports South Africa as I would love to see growth and improvement in the South African esports scene!"

Jessie then continued by saying, "I have been involved in the local gaming scene for many years in and outside of Mind Sports South Africa. Due to this I believe I can represent the players in a new and fresh way with new thoughts and ideas. My goal will be to interact with the community and all players to get the best possible outcome for all the different games in South Africa."

Jessie is open to all suggestions and queries, so everyone please do not be afraid to ask and contact him via the Players' Representative Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/933822936687387.

Also read:

• MSSA elections allow change and growth.
• MSSA remains a dynamic institution.
• Preventing dominance by any one club.
• Advantages of affiliation
• Calendar of  Events: 2020
• Upcoming events: South African National Board Games Championships - 12 December 2020.
• Affiliation: Schools
• Affiliation: Private clubs
• Esports titles selected: MSSA's School Championships.
• Esports titles selected: MSSA's Premier Championships.
  
• Notices: MSSA's new Players' Representative - Jessie Joubert (ZAG Academy
• Results of MSSA's 10th Annual Online Championships for High Schools
• Results of MSSA's Western Cape Online Provincial Championships.
• Results: MSSA's 11th Provincial Online Championships
• Results: Gauteng Online Provincial Championships.
• Results: Winners of MSSA's 34th S A National Championships.
• Results: Saudah takes SA Nationals for the third time in a row.
• Test Match results: South African Protea DotA 2 team rises triumphant.
• Test Match results: DOTA2: South Africa vs Azerbaijan
• New National Team Selection Criteria
• Selecting the national Protea teams for Mind Sports South Africa.

IESF’S PLAYERS’ COMMISSION INVITES ALL PLAYERS TO PARTICIPATE

Athletes proudly bearing their national flags at IESF’s 10th World Championships – Kaosiung.

To create better communication between International Esports Federation (IESF) and all the esports athletes it serves, IESF’s Players’ Commission, hereby invites all athletes who have participated in member federation’s teams in IESF events to join IESF’s Players’ Commission discord and Facebook Group page.

All such athletes are encouraged to join both the Discord and Facebook Group page so that any and all concerns raised by athletes can be raised at Board level in order to help IESF improve the experience.

The Discord and Facebook Group page is reserved entirely for such athletes, and is a safe space for athletes to voice concerns or comment about anything. IESF’s Players’ Commission will do its very best to solve any issues any athlete may have.

Amanda Pakade, MSSA president, has also stressed the importance of all South African players who have attended IESF World Championships to join the various platforms.

"Ony by taking ann active role in directing the affairs of IESF, can athletes take true ownership of esports, said Ms. Amanda Pakade.

All questions or concerns must be directed to:

• Facebook Group Page - https://www.facebook.com/groups/331951380921285/.
• Discord Group- https://discord.gg/thHXAVm
• E-mail - jaybatzofin@ie-sf.org

ELECTIONS OF IESF’S PLAYERS’ COMMISSION SET FOR 2019

Jason Batzofin (of MSSA) is IESF’s current Players’ Commission Chairman

It is IESF's duty to protect all players who participate in IESF events. 

The IESF Player's Commission was created in 2016 for this very purpose. Each member on the Player's Commission serves a 3 year term. It is now coming up to the end of 2019 and thus, the end of the three year term for all who are currently serving in the Players' Commission. 

The Players' Commission has no role in any selection disputes, disciplinary hearings or anti-doping involving athletes. The Commission serves a far greater purpose and that is to represent the athletes' best interests to the IESF Board.

The founding and current Players' Commission consists of Jason Batzofin (Mind Sports South Africa), Koen Schobbers (Netherlands), and Madeleine Leander (Sweden). This will be the end of their full term and thus a new election will be held.     

Each National Federation’s Players Representative shall have one vote each and shall elect six members of which half shall be male and half shall be female.

The voting shall take place at IESF’s 2019 World championships, and IESF shall make a venue and time available for all the National Federation’s Players’ Representatives to meet.

It is at such meeting that the various National Federation’s Players’ Representatives shall state which of their number are making themselves available for election.

Only should there not be sufficient numbers for any one gender, then members of such gender may offer to stand for election even though they are not National Federation’s Players’ Representatives, but as long as they are team members at such World Championships.


To be a National Federation’s Players’ Representative, such athlete shall:

• Have a seat, as per the NF’s own Constitution/Statutes, on the Board of such member federation, and 
• Have reached the age of majority, and 
• Have represented such member federation in a national team at an IESF World championships, and 
• Not be older than 30 years of age. This is a vital position that requires athletes who are dedicated and committed to ensuring a better environment for all athletes.

IESF President, Coin Webster, stated, “IESF is proud of the contribution made by the members of the inaugural commission. All members worked well during their term of office and have created a culture within the commission that will ensure that all esports athletes are protected.”


“All that remains to be seen is, who shall be elected into office in 2019.”

The position of MSSA's Players' Representative is up for election at the 2018 SA National Championships.

Jason Batzofin (second from the right) in Al Ain (UAE) at the Asian E-Sports Federation's General Assembly Meeting.

It should be noted that MSSA, created the position for Players' Representative on its committee in 2005. However, it was not until 2006 that MSSA found a player willing to take on such an important role.

The position of Players' Representative is not only a brilliant launching pad for the athlete who wants to become renown on a national level, but also for those who want to get ahead on an international level too.

Both Amanda (nee Kwaza) Pakade and Jason Batzofin have successfully used the position to reach for the stars and to advance themselves. Amanda Pakade is now MSSA president and Jason Batzofin is now the chairperson of IESF's Athletes' Commission.

In 2016, Jason was appointed by the International Esports Federation (IESF) to sit on its Athletes' Commission.

In 2017 IESF's Athletes Commission elected Jason to be the Chairperson of such Commission. As the Chairperson of the Athletes' Commission, Jason too sits on IESF's Board and represents the interests of all players/athletes directly to the very highest levels of esports.

The player's who have served as Players' Representative are as follows:

Years	Players’ Representatives	Club
2016 to present	Jason Batzofin	St John’s College
2010	Jonathan Newman	Maritzburg Griffins
2006 – 2008	Amanda Kwaza	University of Johannesburg

To be elected as the Players’ Representative to MSSA's Management Board, such player shall have Protea Colours, and shall have represented South Africa in an International Competition, and shall not be over 30 years of age at the time of such election.

However, it should be noted that the Players’ Representative is not be elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) by the member clubs, but instead is elected by Registered Players who are in standing and who are fully-paid-up. It shall be deemed that all Registered Players have been notified of the election should the member clubs have been timeously notified.

The election of the Players’ Representative shall be conducted in the following manner:

• All Registered Gamers who have senior Provincial, National, and Protea Colours may send in their vote on the prescribed voting form for their choice of candidate.
• The vote may be submitted either by facsimile or by e-mail.
• Such vote must reach the General Secretary by the close of business on or before two days prior to the AGM.

Thus, Registered Players have the opportunity of circumventing the existing system of elections to get their choice of Registered Player directly onto the Management Board.

Thus, every Registered Player has the ability to influence MSSA.

To be nominated for the position, players must contact mindsportscorrespondence@gmail.com and request such form. The completed form must then be returned to mindsportscorrespondence@gmail.com by the end of business on or before 1 November 2018.

You want change? It is in your hands, take the opportunity.

Should gamers 'hop' from club-to-club?

Some esports gamers have been known to move two or three times a year.

With MSSA now having over 90 clubs affiliated to it, are you at the right club?
Conventional wisdom holds that there is some kind of sliding scale between loyal club member and a member that hops from club-to-club, and that it is dangerous to move to much. 

If, on the other hand, you opt for the loyalty route, the club for which you play may give substantial benefits, as turnover is expensive. 

Because of the expense in training new club members, clubs look for unfaithful members, but not members that are unfaithful too often as they do not want those members to cheat on them as they did on the previous club.

Transition from clubs are a finite resource, and is often the difference between having a few cold ones on the weekend and being an alcoholic.

One of the biggest reasons people stay at a club is simple inertia as it is easier to stay where you are comfortable rather than going somewhere else which may test you, and possibly make you 'up' your game.

Being satisfied with the club of which you are a member, is also a huge reason why a player would not hop from club-to-club.

Loyalty too is yet another reason why a player will remain with a club. In return, the club may reward such a player with loyalty in return. Such cases are, however, rare as administrators change and sometimes do not share the same values as the previous administrators.

It is always unwise to believe that a club would not be able to survive without your loyalty and skills. Clubs are remarkably good at plodding along, even when administrated by incompetents.

When club hopping, you stand a better chance of developing your career. When you hop: you tend to accumulate more experience as you have to learn to deal with new team-mates, learn new aspects of the game, a deal with new environments.

Hopping from club-to-club also lets you control your circumstances.

The club hopper is never around long enough to wait for promotion to the 'A' team, if he/she sees it is not going to happen within his/her time-frame, he/she moves, and goes to a club that will provide the advancement that he/she craves.

As a result of the above, players who hop from club-to-club avoid stagnation.

As long as you don’t quit, or get kicked-out, without another club to go to, there is nothing wrong with hopping from club-to-club.

Sure it will annoy club administrators, but such administrators were probably far to complacent with you as a member, and not really meeting your needs anyway.

Of course the player  who is having his/her needs met will rubbish this opinion piece.

The Player's Representative

Many organisations claim to look after the interests of its athletes, but few take it as far as what Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA)  takes it.


MSSA allows a player to sit on the Management Board in order to look after the interests of the athletes.
However there are a few criteria to be met.
In order to ensure that such Player's Representative knows what he/she is talking about, such Representative has to:

1. Have Protea Colours, and
2. Have represented South Africa in an International Competition, and
3. Shall  not be over the age of 30 at the time of being elected.
4. All Registered Gamers who have senior Provincial, National, and Protea Colours may send in their vote on the prescribed voting form for their choice of candidate.
5. The vote may be submitted either per facsimile or by e-mail.
6. Such vote must reach the General Secretary by the close of business on or before two days prior to the AGM.

Thus the Player's Representative is not elected at the AGM, but is instead elected by Registered Players who are in standing and who are fully-paid-up. 
The election of the Player's Representative shall be conducted in the following manner:

1. All Registered Gamers who have senior Provincial, National, and Protea Colours may send in their vote on the prescribed voting form for their choice of candidate.
2. The vote may be submitted either per facsimile or by e-mail.
3. Such vote must reach the General Secretary by the close of business on or before two days prior to the AGM.

The AGM  is your chance to direct the fortunes of MSSA, use it...


To ensure that it is the athletes that get the person that they want, it is not the member clubs  that nominate the candidates - but the players themselves.


The Nomination Form can be found on: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MSSAeSports/10153669266220699/