Last year when Grey High School Old Boy, Maths teacher and top rated rugby coach Dean Carelse decided the time was right for a change and personal growth, he made KwaZulu-Natal his destination of choice. His services were immediate sort after by several top schools in Durban. Of the options available to him, it was Westville that just touched a chord during his visit to the school on a derby day. Many things impressed Dean with Westville’s contagious passion to excel amongst them.
Dean had been at Grey High from Grade 1 to Grade 12. He stood out as a multi-talented school sportsman having played 1st XV rugby (2 years) and holding leadership roles in both 1st team waterpolo and swimming. After school, he spent another 10 years of his working career in the employment of the Port Elizabeth school. During this spell of his almost life-long relationship with Grey, he worked his way up the rugby coaching ranks from under-14A all the way up to the 1st XV head coach. It goes without saying that Grey was and very much still his home and will always hold a special place in his heart. He parted ways on very good terms, as he went in search of an opportunity to gain more experience in a completely different environment and the fresh new challenges that come with it.
Westville has so far proven to be an incredible experience for Dean. The school’s commitment to enhancing every aspect of each individual pupil’s development and their embracing of the benefits of sporting excellence have been among the many positives.
Westville decision-makers have also come to the party big time. They have not wasted any time in making the necessary adjustment to utilise Dean’s abilities as a rugby coach. He will take charge of the under-16A rugby team this season.
Former under-16A coach Roland Norris who achieved a good deal of success in the rugby age-group and recently earned promotion to assistant coach of the KZN Academy Week team, will now be in charge of the 2nd XV.
All-in-all, Westville rugby looks to be in very good hands heading into the 2014 season, which includes a must-watch inter-schools date with Glenwood on 15 March 2014.
Huge loss for Grey. Dean coached the awesome ’08 Grey High side that was tied 2nd in the country that year which had Siya Kolisi, Kurt Coleman and Michael van Vuuren playing that year.
Good luck to Dean, KZN needs as many good coaches as possible.