THE TEAM

Dr Elsjé Jordaan

(PhD in SPORTSCIENCE)

Founder. Athlete. Coach. Sports Scientist. Visionary.

Dr Elsjé Jordaan is a trailblazer in South African sport, combining an international playing career, scientific expertise, and transformational coaching.
 

Dr Elsjé Jordaan is one of South Africa’s most decorated netball players. She captained the Spar Protea National Netball Team in 13 tests, leading the team at the World Netball Championships in Jamaica (2003). Over her career, Elsjé represented South Africa in 48 test matches and played 88 international games, establishing herself as a world-class athlete.

She also captained Gauteng North and the Thunderbirds, who were crowned National Netball League Champions three years in a row. Her international experience includes training and playing in Melbourne, Australia, under the guidance of Joyce Brown, coach of three Australian World Champion Netball teams, for the Melbourne Vixens.

PLAYING CAREER:

Dr. Elsje Jordaan is one of South Africa’s most decorated netball players. She captained the Spar Protea National Netball Team in 13 tests, leading the team at the World Netball Championships in Jamaica (2003). Over her career, Elsje represented South Africa in 48 test matches and played 88 international games, establishing herself as a world-class athlete.

She also captained Gauteng North and the Thunderbirds, who were crowned National Netball League Champions three years in a row. Her international experience includes training and playing in Melbourne, Australia, under the guidance of Joyce Brown, coach of three Australian World Champion Netball teams, for the Melbourne Vixens.

BUSINESS OWNER:

In 2003, Elsjé turned her vision into reality by founding SPORTISIMO, a sports consultancy dedicated to holistic athlete and coach development. Since then, SPORTISIMO has hosted thousands of players and coaches through innovative netball courses and has expanded into other sports, including hockey, rugby, mountain biking, athletics, and adventure racing.

Under her leadership, SPORTISIMO:

  • Developed and launched the Netball Grand Series, a national competition showcasing top senior players across South Africa.

  • Created Sportisimo ONLINE, an eLearning platform expanding access to coaching and training across the sports industry.

SPORTS SCIENCE PRACTITIONER:

Elsjé earned her PhD in Sports Science from the University of Pretoria in 2007 at just 30 years old, focusing on Talent Identification in Netball. She has applied her expertise as a sports scientist in numerous elite programmes:

  • Netball South Africa commissioned her as team analyst and conditioning coach for the 2007 Netball World Championships in New Zealand.

  • Contributed to the Rugby Springboks speed and agility programme under Jake White (2006) and similarly acted as the S&C coach of the University of Johannesburg’s first rugby team in 2007.

  • In 2015, she served as performance analyst for the South African National Netball Team during their World Championship campaign.

COACHING CAREER:

Elsje is a NSA Level 4 accredited coach, an RPL Designated High-Performance Master Coach, and a registered coach with the South African Sports Coaching Association. Her coaching achievements include:

  • Head Coach of the Spar Protea Senior Netball Team (2018 – present)

  • Assistant Coach (2016–2018) – During her tenure, the team won silver at the European Championships and gold in the Diamond Tri-Nations Challenge.

  • Attacking and Technical Specialist (2014) – Contributed to the national team’s first victory over England in two decades and a 3–0 series win against Scotland.

  • Head Coach of the Spar South African U21 Team (2021 Youth Netball World Championships – cancelled due to Covid-19)

  • Head Coach of the South African Universities Netball Team (2009) – Gold medal at the CUCSA Games in Malawi.

  • Fast5 Head Coach (2017–2018) – Represented South Africa in the Fast5 World Series.

  • National Jewish U18 Team (2019) – Bronze medal at the Maccabean Games in Tel Aviv, South Africa’s first-ever in this competition.

  • Head Coach of NW Flames (2017–2021) – Bronze medal in the A-division of the Telkom National League in 2020.

  • Head Coach of Golden Fireballs (2022–2025) – Won the maiden championship in 2022, bronze in 2023 & 2024, and a second championship title unbeaten in 2025.

  • Coached numerous provincial teams since 2006, including JNA Senior A, which became four-time consecutive National Senior A Champions (2022–2025) – a historic achievement.

SPECIAL AWARDS:

  • Lifetime Alumni Award (2017) – Awarded by Northwest University in recognition of Elsjé’s outstanding contribution to sport development in South Africa.

  • Special Recognition Award (2018) – Honoured by the MEC of Northwest for her exceptional impact on netball development in the province.

  • Nominee: Gauteng Coach of the Year (2022) – Selected as one of only three coaches across all sporting codes in the highly competitive Gauteng Province, The Home of Champions.

Minnette Dempsey

M.Phil
Leadership Facilitator & Mentor

Minnette Dempsey is a seasoned leadership facilitator, educator, and mentor, with a passion for developing personal, interpersonal, and professional leadership. She earned her Master’s degree in Leadership (Cum Laude) and was awarded the Chancellor’s Award for the most outstanding master’s student in the Faculty of Management at the University of Johannesburg.

Her teaching career spans over 13 years, including serving as Head of Department: Guidance and Leadership Development at Dr E G Jansen High School. She also worked as a part-time lecturer at the University of Johannesburg, sharing her expertise in leadership theory and practice.

Minnette brings her skills to a wide range of organisations, having facilitated leadership training for companies such as Liberty, P&G, Nedbank, Nandos, Murray & Roberts, Proctor & Gamble, Deloitte, and more. She is actively involved with schools and NGOs across the private and public sectors, bringing cutting-edge research and best practices in leadership development to every programme.

She is regularly invited to speak at national conferences, including the South African Principals’ Association (SAPA) and teacher unions such as SAOU and NAPTOSA. She provides sports leadership and mental preparation training for athletes and teams. Minnette has also collaborated with the Sports Bureau of the University of Johannesburg and returned to SPORTISIMO in 2021, where she continues to inspire and empower leaders of all ages.

In addition to her facilitation work, Minnette co-hosted a series of talks on RSG Radio Station with Prof Dawie Smith for the programme KOPSKUIF, exploring topics in personal leadership.

Minnette is an inspirational teacher at heart, a compassionate human being, and a creative and inquisitive mind, committed to continuous learning and development.

Contact Us

  • Tel: +27 (0) 82 255 0791
  • Tel: +27 (0) 82 571 5883
  • Email: info@sportisimo.co.za
  • Address: Sportisimo Office, Midstream Estates, Centurion, Pretoria, 1694

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