Ahead game of the

Kiara Bercelli (OC 2022)

Kiara Bercelli is one of St Andrew’s College's most high-achieving footballers. She is currently on a professional contract for Sampdoria in the Italian Serie A and is studying a Bachelor of Sport Coaching online with the University of Canterbury. In June, she was in Fiji to play with the New Zealand U20 team in World Cup qualifiers, before heading back to Italy for pre-season training.

Kiara loves anything to do with sports so didn’t hesitate to select the Athlete Sports Performance programme as one of her subject choices. She says the main benefit she got out of the programme was working with teachers, Riley Gain and Ben Eves, on how to balance her sport with her schoolwork. She has found the programme incredibly helpful after moving on from St Andrew’s and still uses the same spreadsheet today to keep herself organised. Nutrition and mental coaching abilities are among the other valuable skills she picked up.

Kiara’s aims in the future are to keep developing and making a name for herself in Italy, and hopefully representing the Football Ferns at the 2024 Olympics and the 2026 Women’s World Cup.

Maddie May (OC 2021)

As a young golfer at the top of her game, Maddie is currently studying and playing golf on a full scholarship at the University of Mississippi. After two years there, she will transfer to Indiana University, and continue to play golf for the three years she is eligible.

Maddie joined the Athlete Sports Performance programme in Year 11 and says it helped her to develop abilities that have prepared her for life. She was impressed by the concern and willingness of those running the programme to go above and beyond for the athletes, while helping them to juggle the demands of the student/ athlete lifestyle. Maddie appreciated having people watching out for her and ensuring she was keeping on top of all facets of her life. She says Riley Gain gave her invaluable help with athlete sports performance, effective communication, and time management, along with the freedom to use her time however she saw fit. As a result, she developed independence and discipline in her practise and studies. Maddie says she is incredibly grateful to St Andrew’s for providing her with the tools she needs to be successful in the United States.

Hugh (HeadMontgomery Prefect 2020)

Hugh was in the Athlete Sports Performance programme throughout his secondary schooling, and says one of the key benefits of his senior years was the extra time it gave him to complete his studies or extra training. A highly talented rugby player and athlete, Hugh’s progress was hampered by some significant injuries during his time at St Andrew’s, which put him out of sport for some time. He says the programme, and particularly the mentorship of Teacher in Charge of the programme, Riley Gain, provided sport specific help, guided him academically, and helped him with his mental game both on and off the field, especially when facing the disappointment of injury. Today, Hugh still uses the mental skills he learnt in the programme, and credits it for the development of his current mental strength and resilience.

With Riley Gain as his inspiration, Hugh models similar behaviour and interactions in his social work with youth aged 16–18. He is currently studying at the University of Canterbury, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Marketing, and credits the daily diary from the Athlete Sports Performance programme for developing his organisational skills, which is leading to success in his studies. Hugh trains eight times a week and hopes to work towards playing Rugby 7s post studies.