Strathmore University boosts of being the institution of choice for students pursuing higher education and still keen on co-curricular activities following an elaborate sports program started in 2001.
The university offers facilities for students to engage in at least 11 sporting disciplines including, rugby (men), football (men), karate (men), handball (men), swimming (men), basketball (men and women), hockey (men and women), table tennis (men and women), volleyball (men and women), tennis (men and women) and scrabble.
Most of their teams play in the top leagues in the country and some have gone on to represent the country at championships abroad.
“In 2001, Strathmore University provided resources to develop sports teams for students as soon as the first degree undergraduates were admitted. To date, Strathmore offers a total of 11 sports with well-qualified coaches,” a resource on the university’s website, strathmore.edu, states.
“Through a strict selection of top talent in sports combined with top academic performances, the Strathmore teams have attracted top players. The Strathmore jersey does not come easily,” Dean of Students, Paul Ochieng, adds.
Hockey, it seems, has been one of the biggest beneficiary in this program where they have two teams — the Gladiators (men) and Scorpions (women) — playing in their respective Kenya Hockey Union Premier League.
The Gladiators are three-time national champions, the best a team at the institution has achieved, while the Scorpions have been runners-up five times. The women’s were silver medallists at the 2011 Africa Club Championships.
They can be credited with the growth of some of the best talents the country has ever had in the last decade.
Apart from Wazalendo, all the top six clubs in the men’s Premier League have players who have passed through Strathmore.
Defending champions Butali Warriors, for example, have eight former Strathmore players including Festus Onyango, Francis Kariuki, Maxwell Fuchaka, Kennedy Nyongesa, Linus Sang, Brian Musasia, Derrick Kuloba, Frank Wanangwe as well as Constance Wakhura, captain at both the club and the national team.
Ben Wakhungu of Kenya Police and the Sikh Union brigade of Simon Odhiambo, Allan Iningu, Hosea Walucho, Davis Wanangwe and Fidelis Okello have also passed through the institution.
During the 2020 Tokoyo Olympic games qualifiers, the institution contributed seven players to the national teams.
Club captains Gilly Okumu and Onyango (now at Butali) donned the Kenyan jerseys in Stellenbosch, South Africa alongside new men’s team captain Paul Omariba, Jane Muragu, Ruth Adhiambo, Diana Akinyi and Wakhungu (now at Kenya Police).
This success cannot go without the mention of veteran coach Meshack Senge.
The firebrand tactician has been in charge of Strathmore University hockey teams since 2009, taking over following the passing on of the late Eric Shiahale.
He went on to guide the men's team to the national title in 2009, 2010 and 2016) and consequently attended the editions of African Cup of Club Championship ACCC in 2010 (Ghana) and the Zambian showpiece the following year. The ladies team has played three times in the ACCC tournament (2013, 2014, 2017).
The scouting model has been their biggest asset according to Senge, who played in Italy for Suelli and Cus Bologna between 2001 and 2007 before a serious injury brought an illustrious career to an end.
“We have engaged scouts who search for raw talent in secondary schools from as low as Form Two and join the institution on sports scholarships once they finish their ‘O’ Levels. These talents are given the necessary coaching that transitions them from school hockey to a club set-up,” observed the former national team captain.
“We attend secondary school competitions from the regional level to the national championships where we identify and monitor students we feel can fit our style of play. The monitoring process also enables us to identify players who not only fit into our system but also have different characteristics that can be vital to the team,” hints the decorated coach who tutored Suelli in 2006.
“We instill technical and tactical awareness to our players by giving them a competitive platform to express their talent without putting so much pressure on them. We bring new players on board every season and this has enabled us to cope with the loss of players to other clubs annually.”
The investment in coaching resources is another triumph card for the institution with Senge the only Federation of International Hockey FIH accredited coach in the country.
“I am the only accredited FIH high-performance coach in Kenya and probably in the region. I am also a South African Hockey Association (SAHA) Level 3 certified coach. Level 3 is the topmost category and their curriculum is similar to the one used in Europe. Exposure has also helped me understand the game better,” adds Senge, who played hockey for 19 years.
Onyango, who captained Strathmore last season before leaving for Butali, singled out the institution’s strength and conditioning department as one of the most important assets.
“Strathmore is unique because of their gym sessions, which are mandatory. As a player, you have to attend and make a certain attendance percentage for you to be considered for team assignments,” says the international player, who was Kenya’s top scorer in the Olympic qualifiers with four strikes.
As opposed to teams that find it hard to access training facilities at the City Park Stadium, Strathmore have buses that ferry teams to the KHU-run facility along Limuru Road.
The men’s team train on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays while Wednesday is reserved for strength and conditioning. Their female counterparts use the Astroturf on Wednesdays and Fridays. This gives them an advantage while playing against who train on no-so-modern pitches.
Onyango, who was the runner up in the top scorers’ chart with 12 strikes in his ultimate season with Strathmore, adds: “Healthwise, Strathmore medics do a splendid job. Every season a thorough scanning on vital body organs such as the heart, chest and lungs is carried to establish any abnormalities that might impede a player on and off the field and a report is given."
"This enables the coach to understand the players he works with and push themselves hard to become better players.”
Senior players in the team are involved in mentoring the junior ones. Alumni are still in touch with the teams and consulted when need be.
“I left Strathmore but I can still attend their sessions. Alumni work closely with the teams sometimes through friendlies and this inspires belief to the younger generation. I joined Strathmore when George Mutira, who was indispensable, was leaving and we are now teammates. There’s continuity at Strathmore,” he observes.
“In addition, Senge is a passionate and experienced coach who enjoys working with young players. His advice and instructions are reminiscent of a professional who knows his charges. Criticism is not a part of him.”
Experienced Scorpions’ forward Okumu reckons that the adoption of a unique playing structure by Strathmore comes in handy as players understand their roles on the field clearly. Okumu was the joint top scorer with Jacqueline Mwangi (eight goals) in the women’s category last season.
“The structure used is similar to the one implemented in the national team whereby players understand their roles, their arrangement and positioning and also their responsibilities with and without the ball. Modern playing formations have been important too,” says Okumu.
Individual discipline in carrying out duties is not only important in the growth of a player but also instills a sense of responsibility, maturity and togetherness, according to the widely-traveled attacker, who played twice in Germany last year.
“Societal values such as personal discipline are deeply ingrained. Players do the right thing at the right time and in the right place and this ensures there are no conflicts whatsoever. Being part of the group is always an honour,” she says.