Elize Kotze
{{short description|South African netball player and coach}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox netball biography
|name = Elize Kotze
|image =
|fullname =
|birth_date =
|birth_place =
|height =
|school =
|university =
|positions =
|clubyears1 =
|clubteam1 =
|clubapps1 =
|nationalyears1 = 199x–199x
|nationalteam1 = South Africa
|nationalcaps1 =
|coachyears1 = 2000
|coachteam1 = South Africa
|coachyears2 = 2004–2011
|coachteam2 = UP-Tuks
|coachyears3 = 2011–2015
|coachteam3 = South Africa
|medaltemplates =
{{MedalCountry|{{nb|South Africa}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|World Netball Championships}}
{{MedalSilver|1995 Birmingham|Team}}
}}
Elize Kotze is a former South Africa netball international and national team head coach. As a player she was member of the South Africa team that were silver medallists at the 1995 World Netball Championships. As a head coach she took charge of South Africa at the 2011 World Netball Championships and 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Playing career
=Early years=
In her youth, Elize Kotze excelled in track and field and gymnastics, as well as netball. She captained the Northern Transvaal High Schools in netball. After school, she captained the Gauteng North senior team and in 1994 was voted best defender in the country.{{cite web|url=https://www.up.ac.za/media/shared/Legacy/sitefiles/file/1795/speedoconference/medalistaugust.pdf|title=The Medalist – sport, science, knowledge|publisher=www.up.ac.za|date=August 2011
|access-date=9 March 2025|page=14–16}}
=South Africa=
Kotze, was vice captain of the South Africa team that won the silver medal at 1995 World Netball Championships. Her team mates included Irene van Dyk. During the tournament they defeated both England and New Zealand before losing in the final to Australia.{{cite web|url=https://gsport.co.za/former-protea-on-a-netball-mission-2/|title=Former Protea on a Netball Mission|publisher=gsport.co.za|date=15 September 2009|access-date=8 March 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://gsport.co.za/kotze-coach-of-proteas-for-jamaica-tour/|title=Kotze Coach of Proteas for Jamaica Tour|publisher=gsport.co.za|date=18 April 2012|access-date=8 March 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://www.teamsa.co.za/sa-coach-kotze-upbeat-ahead-of-netballs-fast5/|title=SA coach Kotze upbeat ahead of netball's Fast5|publisher=www.teamsa.co.za|access-date=8 March 2025|date=2 November 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.todor66.com/others/Netball/World/Women_1995.html|title=Women Netball IX World Championship 1995|publisher=www.todor66.com|access-date=5 January 2020}}
Coaching career
=UP Tuks=
Between 2004 and 2011, Kotze served as head coach at UP-Tuks Netball. During this time she coached and mentored several notable future South Africa netball internationals, including Erin Burger, Chrisna Bootha, Amanda Mynhardt and Vanes-Mari du Toit. She also mentored Jenny van Dyk, one of her successors as South Africa head coach.{{cite web|url=https://www.up.ac.za/netball/news/post_1737046-tuksnetball-elize-bags-top-coaching-job|title=TuksNetball: Elize bags top coaching job|publisher=www.up.ac.za|date=25 January 2011|access-date=6 March 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://www.news24.com/news24/grooming-netball-champs-20150429|title=Grooming netball champs|publisher=www.news24.com|date=11 August 2013|access-date=7 March 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://za.linkedin.com/in/jenny-van-dyk-0b534359|title=Jenny van Dyk|publisher=za.linkedin.com|access-date=8 March 2025}}
=South Africa=
In November 2000, Kotze coached a South Africa team that played in a Tri-Nations Netball Series against New Zealand and Australia.{{cite web|url=https://www.news24.com/news24/netball-sa-chief-resigns-20001107|title=Netball SA chief resigns|publisher=www.news24.com|date=8 November 2000|access-date=9 March 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/netball/netball-silver-ferns-overwhelm-south-africans/EUHNJOFJ74FKJ7OHHINLJE4BWY/|title=Netball: Silver Ferns overwhelm South Africans|publisher=www.nzherald.co.nz|date=26 November 2000|access-date=9 March 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/netball/netball-van-dyk-happy-on-and-off-the-court/XAF6LU5TUOLZIOZD5RTAUU6KFI/|title=Netball: Van Dyk happy on and off the court|publisher=www.nzherald.co.nz|date=30 November 2000|access-date=9 March 2025}}
Between 2011 and 2015, Kotze served as head coach of South Africa.{{cite web|url=https://gsport.co.za/kotze-netball-coach-until-year-end/|title=Kotze Netball Coach Until Year End|publisher=gsport.co.za|date=16 July 2012|access-date=8 March 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/netball/news/12415/9635965/netball-south-africa-head-coach-elize-kotze-resigns|title=Netball: South Africa head coach Elize Kotze resigns|publisher=www.skysports.com|access-date=1 July 2024|date=8 January 2015}}{{cite web|url=https://www.teamsa.co.za/search-is-on-for-new-national-netball-coach-as-kotze-calls-it-quits/|title=Search is on for new national netball coach as Kotze calls it quits|publisher=www.teamsa.co.za|access-date=23 August 2024|date=8 January 2015}} At the 2011 World Netball Championships she guided South Africa to fifth place after defeating Malawi in the play-off.{{cite web|url=https://www.up.ac.za/netball/news/post_1737018-tuksnetball-takes-national-team-by-storm|title=TuksNetball takes National Team by storm!|publisher=www.up.ac.za|date=25 March 2011|access-date=8 March 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://gsport.co.za/monkey-off-their-backs-as-spar-sa-claim-african-title/|title=Monkey Off their Backs as Spar SA Claim African Title|publisher=gsport.co.za|date=10 July 2011|access-date=8 March 2025}}{{cite web|url=http://www.todor66.com/others/Netball/World/Women_2011.html|title=Women Netball XIII World Championship 2011|publisher=www.todor66.com|access-date=5 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200707133659/http://www.todor66.com/others/Netball/World/Women_2011.html|archive-date=7 July 2020|url-status=live}} Highlights of her time in charge included South Africa defeating Jamaica in a test match for the first time in 28 years{{cite web|url=https://gsport.co.za/a-turning-point-as-proteas-win-final-test/|title=A Turning Point as Proteas Win Final Test|publisher=gsport.co.za|date=20 June 2012|access-date=9 March 2025}}
and winning the 2013 African Netball Championship.{{cite web|url=https://gsport.co.za/proteas-beat-malawi-for-top-in-africa-title/|title=Proteas Beat Malawi for Top in Africa Title|publisher=gsport.co.za|date=29 June 2013|access-date=24 November 2024}} At the 2014 Commonwealth Games she guided South Africa to sixth place. In January 2015, she resigned as South Africa head coach, citing personal reasons beyond her control. One of Kotze's son was critically ill at the time and spent time in intensive care.
Family
Kotze is married to Martin. They have two sons, Christoph and Altus. Since 2001, Kotze and her husband have run the Raloka Netball Ranch, a training facility on their property, near Pretoria.{{cite web|url=https://www.citizen.co.za/lowvelder/sports-news/school-sports-news/2016/04/10/komati-akademie-netbaltoer/|title=Netbalspelers durf langpad aan vir kursus|publisher=www.citizen.co.za|access-date=9 March 2025|date=10 April 2016|language=Afrikaans}}
Honours
=Player=
- World Netball Championships
- Runners Up: 1995
=Coach=
- African Netball Championship
- Winners: 2013
- Diamond Challenge
- Winners: 2012, 2013
References
{{Reflist|3}}
{{South Africa national netball team|state=collapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kotze, Elize}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:South African netball players
Category:1995 World Netball Championships players
Category:South Africa national netball team coaches
Category:South African netball coaches