What is PlayerNation?

PlayerNation is a community-driven initiative committed to fostering positive transformation through sports in schools and communities. Rooted in the belief that sports can be a powerful catalyst for personal development, unity, and societal change, the project engages with schools, educators, and learners to instil a love for physical activity, teamwork, and the values inherent in sportsmanship.

PlayerNation was designed with the primary objective to revive and resuscitate school sports for Township and Rural Schools, and to provide regular, healthy PhysEd, Sports and Recreational activities for young people in disenfranchised communities. School sports suffered a major blow when USSASA was forced to close in 2014/5 as the national organisation responsible for school sports. PlayerNation was designed and developed by the Institute of Sport under the tutelage of John O’Connor, former and founder CEO of USSASA, in 2023 with the direct intent of reviving and resuscitating school sport and physical education in public schools in South Africa.