It's not always that a former volleyball star and coach can trade his knee pads and athletic wear for a teacher's grade book and chalkboard.
But such is the story of Erasmus Mupukuta, who has walked the opposite direction from a career that gave him fame and fortune to become just a school teacher.
And three years after he left everything volleyball, Mupukuta has channelled his energy into educating and inspiring the next generation and he seems content.
He teaches Design and Technology at Lord Malvern High School in Harare.
Growing up in the dusty streets of Chitungwiza where sport was the pulse of the high density suburbs, Mupukuta rose to become a top volleyball player, represented a number of top clubs before he was selected to represent the country.
He also became one of the most sought after coaches on the local scene and at one point was the Zimbabwe Volleyball Association (ZVA) technical director.
Perhaps the plan was to be teacher first and the volleyball happened when he was at Belvedere Technical Teacher's College.
“I grew up in a neighbourhood that was predominantly athletic. So, it was a case of emulating one's idols. That spurred me to take up the sport of leaders albeit well in my later high school days," recalled Mupukuta.
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“After high school, we formed Falcon Giants VC with fellow school leavers in Chitungwiza, but the project did not last long as almost everyone in the club went to pursue further high school education.
“When I was in college, I found myself playing for Tacoola Hawks VC, a club then in the highly-competitive second tier league of Mashonaland Volleyball Association. After an 8-match stint I joined the mighty Wild Cats then Zimbabwe Club Champions. I established myself there playing a number of international matches,” Mupukuta said.
“I was selected to play for the Zone VI annual National Championships that were held in Gaborone in November 1994. The tournament was the first step in the build-up towards the 5th All Africa Games that were held in 1995. I débuted in a match against neighbours Zambia. Apparently (and) unhappily that was the last time Zone VI National Championships were held.”
During his heydays, Mupukuta shared the courts with some great players who made the games very competitive and their inclusion made the games more interesting and tough.
“I had an opportunity of playing for top teams. This made all our matches very difficult. Every team wanted to beat us and make history. My most difficult opponent was my team mate and friend, Saj Ebrahim, who really mentored me at Cats and Mohawks. He was an industrious, made to measure and battle- hardened versatile player who excelled in the middle. Fortunately, we played on the same side,” he said.
During his playing days Mupukuta managed to earn his teaching qualification and has been juggling the two ever since.
However, being a volleyball player shaped his future by installing a sense of hardwork and discipline in him.
“I did not transit from neither of the two. I was actually juggling the two at the same time, hence my easy movement from being a player to a volleyball teacher after my volleyball playing time.
“It has not been straight forward or easy like that nor has it been single directional. It has been cross-cutting. Problem solving skills have been shared between the two, same as discipline. Safety, respect and dignity have been taken to the court from classroom practice.
“Quick organisational skills, fast problem solving, teamwork, hard working have all been modified to make sense in the classroom,” Mupukuta said.
Since 2022 when the volleyball ace turned his back on the sport he has not been anywhere near the pitch as he feels things are not taking the right direction.
“I have followed volleyball religiously and passionately more after my playing days than when I was still playing. Since taking a deserved rest from coaching in 2022 at the Zone VI Club Championships in Lusaka, I have not been close to a volleyball as yet," he said.
“It’s stupendous to note that there hasn’t been much activity for the senior national team in the last 13 years or so."
Mupukuta is disheartened that the players and the sport itself is facing the same challenges they faced decades ago.
“My heart bleeds when I find the same challenges that I faced as a player three decades ago are still being faced by the players today. Are our leaders bereft of ideas or are they cursed or are they simply incompetent to provide the necessary?
"We cannot have a situation where we are consistently doing wrong things and expect different results,” he said.
Although Mupukuta quit volleyball he still cherish the good olden days of success.
Some of his successes in volleyball include helping Zimbabwe win CUCSA [Confederation of Universities and Colleges of Sports Association of Southern Africa] Gold 3-1, at home against bitter and perennial rivals South Africa.
He also managed to successfully defend CUCSA title while coaching the Zimbabwe women’s side in 2018 in Bulawayo after winning the title in Zambia in 2016.
Mupukuta led the senior men’s national team for its ever African Nations Cup as the Technical director in Durban 2006 while leading Zimbabwe women to be ranked 16th in the World Students Games (in 2015 in Gwangju, South Korea the country's best ever volleyball world ranking in that competition, stand among the best moments.
And now he is enjoying a quiet life a teacher.
