2022 Academy News - July Edition

Future Talented Athletes from Regional NSW the Big Winners in NSW Budget Check out how the RAS network is preparing for Brisbane 2032

BMX Superstar competes at World Champs Volleyball Squad hits the Court

Read about how Kasy went in France.

The Volleyball Squad hit the courts for the final time before the RASi tournament!

2022

ACADEMY

NEWS

|

JULY

EDITION

WSAS News Welcome to the July 2022 edition of WSAS News.

This magazine was created by the Western Sydney Academy of Sport for the Greater Western Sydney community.

We hope you enjoy all the latest news, athlete insights, events, sponsor information and community engagement that this magazine strives to showcase.

Penrith Bluebet Stadium, 143 Station Street, Penrith 2750 (02) 4732 4977 www.wsas.com.au

Yes it's interactive!

ACADEMY NEWS

From the CEO

The July-August period traditionally sees the Academy team undertaking reviews of our current programs, consultation with all key stakeholders, and foreword planning for programs to be renewed as well as new programs.

This process allows us to determine the relevance of program content, strive for improvements and identify any areas requiring changes. One of the most pleasing outcomes of this process is the engagement undertaken with athletes and family members, our coaching staff and our many stakeholders – with the general feedback indicating we are doing it well and our programs are appreciated.

We understand that the severe weather conditions experienced had a strong impact on the delivery of many of our technical sessions across most sports programs, and once again – as was the case with the COVID pandemic – our athletes and staff displayed tremendous resilience and commitment to the program activity that was undertaken.

As we review programs that have concluded, we are also implementing programs that continue through towards the end of the calendar year such as Netball, Softball, Rowing, Volleyball and BMX. Our netball girls and staff will travel to Port Macquarie for the Academy Challenge weekend, while our Softball squad has recently held match play events against the ACT Softball squad and some visiting squads from the USA. Our Volleyball squad concluded their program with a camp held at Katoomba at the end of July.

Following positive collaboration with our Sydney West Sports Medicine partners, the Academy will once again provide a strong focus on strength and conditioning services for our athletes and provide development opportunities across a range of options. Information will be provided to all athletes once our 2022-23 squads have been formed.

The Academy will soon be undertaking two major events which will bring together athletes, coaching staff and parents.

Our annual Academy Athlete Awards dinner will be held on Friday 26 August at St Marys Rugby League Club, and our Induction Day for our new athletes, staff and parents will be held at Western Sydney University’s Kingswood Campus on Saturday 29 October.

These events are considered compulsory for athletes to attend and are always enjoyable and informative.

A final mention should be made of the State wide Academy Coach Conference held in May at Terrigal.

Over 300 coaches and Academy staff descended on this picturesque location to attend a fabulous two days of professional development, learning and networking, with ten of our Academy coaches taking the opportunity to participate. This event will become an annual conference and a great incentive for our coaching staff.

I look forward to having a chat with many of you at our dinner and the induction day!

MARTIN BULLOCK CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

FUTURE TALENTED ATHLETES FROM REGIONAL NSW THE BIG WINNERS IN NSW BUDGET In what has been defined as a significant investment in Australia’s Future Sporting Champions, the NSW State Government, through the Office of Sport, has confirmed funding over the next three years for the NSW Regional Academies of Sport (RAS).

The funds will be used for talent identification in regional NSW as a first step before placing those recognised young athletes into quality pre-elite programs managed in their home region. This State wide initiative gives prospective future champions the chance to develop and train at home, connecting these young people with quality coaching and high-performance support resources without the necessity of leaving their supportive local communities.

The funding comes 10 years out from the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games, and recognises the NSW RAS network as a breeding ground for our country’s future Olympic Champions. Considered by some as one of the most successful junior sporting talent programs in Australia, the network can boast that 59 past athletes have gone on to represent their country in the past two Olympic and Paralympic Games cycles. Those being Tokyo and Rio De Janeiro. Further to that impressive statistic, these Academy Alumni went on to win 31% of our Nation’s medal haul.

Western Sydney Academy CEO Martin Bullock commented that he was very pleased with the level of financial support provided by the NSW Government.

“We know the average Olympian that competes is aged between 24 and 26, and looking forward to Brisbane 2032 we know that our athlete cohort is primarily aged 14 to 16, therefore it makes sense to invest in the young sporting generation in regional NSW right now” he stated.

“The NSW Office of Sport has long been a valued supporter of the RAS network and right now is the correct time for investing in our Future Champions. We are Bound for Brisbane 2032”.

Other benefits of the funding will be used in partnerships with State Sporting Organisations and the NSW Institute of Sport and will allow for important research projects and coach development programs across the state.

There will also be inclusive Talent Identification programs concentrating on under-represented groups in regional NSW. These specifically designed talent ID days will be focusing on finding more participants in the high performance pathway from Aboriginal backgrounds, multi-cultural communities, disabled and disadvantaged families in regional NSW, and at the same time build on the capacity for regional youth leadership.

Martin Bullock added “not only is the Academy of Sport system within NSW proud of the number of quality athletes it produces, our investment in developing young people is probably our highest priority. We believe we are playing a strong part in creating job ready, mentally resilient people. Our aim is to support the future generations to lead a healthy lifestyle that ultimately shapes our country.”

The next 10 years will be exciting to see the talent develop from regional NSW, and this funding will provide a launching pad for success and confirm the Regional Academies of Sport as the leaders in pre-elite multi-sport programs.

Sydney West Sports Medicine (SWSM) is the leading sports medicine and rehabilitation clinic in the Western Sydney region. Conveniently located within the renowned Sydney Gymnastics and Aquatic Centre at Rooty Hill, our team has access to a range of state-of-the-art facilities allowing us to provide superior services to improve the health, wellbeing and sporting abilities of athletes and everyday individuals in the local community.

Our wide range of services include Physiotherapy, Exercise Physiology, Sports Medicine, Dietetics and Nutritional Advice, Massage Therapy, Chiropractic’s and Podiatry.

SWSM is passionate about supporting local sporting clubs and communities, which is why we are offering all Western Sydney Academy of Sport Athletes, Coaches and Support Staff a 15% VIP discount across all services, sports tape, and braces/guards for the next 12 months.

This discount can also be used for our Yong Athlete Program. Current research has shown that athlete development can take anywhere from 8-12 years of committed training for a “talented athlete” to achieve elite status. This research has led to the development of athletic models, which identify appropriate training techniques aimed at each stage of the athlete's physical development.

Our Framework implements the latest research by ensuring participants are tested, measured and follow the fundamental competencies that athletes must demonstrate at specific ages and stages of their sporting career. To find our more contact reception on 9851 5959 or click here to book online

ENOURMOUS ACHIEVEMENT FOR KASY! BMX Squad member Kasy Saliba was selected in the team that represented Australia at the 2022 UCI BMX World Championships in Nantes, France on the 26-29 July.

Kasy raced in the 14 Boys 20” and Cruiser categories, giving a performance of a lifetime in the 14 Boys Cruiser category, placing 10th overall and only missing out on a finals spot by 1 place.

Kasy then backed this performance up with a solid run in the 14 Boys 20" category placing 34th.

Although it is not the results he hoped for being selected in a National Team is a huge accomplishment and he already has his eyes set on a podium finish at the next UCI BMX World Championships in Glasgow next year!

SOFTBALL NSW HOSTS WSAS, SWSAS AND USA The WSAS Female Softball Squad attended a skills day at the Blacktown International Sports Park with South West Sydney Academy of Sport and the USA Academy teams on Saturday 9th July.

Our athletes were sorted into four groups with the other Academies and then allocated to different skill stations for specialised drills, across the stations the athletes worked on a variety of skills that will improve their gameplay including backhand throws, field movement, throwing mechanics and situational play. Our very own Assistant Coach Jack Rauhihi assisted one of the USA Coachs in running the hitting station.

Ending the day with a BBQ dinner the athletes, parents and coaching staff were able to form friendships with the other Academies and share their journeys and stories of being involved in the sport at a pre-elite level. A massive thank you to our Softball Parents who organised, cooked and served both lunch and dinner to all involved.

Special thanks to Assistant Coach Donna McGrath for organising this opportunity for our Female Squad and to Softball NSW for hosting this event.

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Matthew Engesser We sat down with Triathlon Squad Member Matthew Engesser to talk about all things triathlon and his journey in the sport!

How long have you been involved in triathlon and what attracted you to join?

As a little kid, I did the Weet-Bix triathlon every year and I trained with the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Triathlon squad. But it wasn’t until I was watching the 2020 Paralympics that I realised that triathlon was a Paralympic sport. So my mum and I looked into how to compete in triathlon and that’s how we were led to WSAS, it was my first time this year competing.

Are there any athletes you look up to and who?

I look up to triathletes Jeremy Peacock and Liam Twomey as they are both the same classification as I am which is a PTS4.

What has been your favourite experience as an Academy athlete?

My favourite experience in the Academy has been making loads of friends within WSAS and other academies at the Billigence Series Championship races.

I also enjoyed my coach James Sweeney teaching me triathlon skills that I never knew until I started to do triathlons with WSAS.

Do you have any pre-race rituals?

Not really, I just set up my bike in transition and do my normal warm up, I also prepare my mind when I am about to swim. But the night before I make sure to eat some pasta and on the morning of the race I always have a banana.

If you weren’t a triathlete what sport would you play/be involved with?

I would have focused more on my soccer as I have been training with the NSW Cerebral Palsy Football team for the past 4 years. I also would have trained for cross country as I still love my running.

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

What is the best advice you have been given?

I have to say it came from my WSAS coach, James Sweeney and he said, “Always make sure your bike is clean”, also, a quote I always train to is “no pain no gain”.

What has been your greatest achievement?

My greatest achievement so far in triathlon is competing at the Australian Junior Paratriathlon Championships in Runaway Bay in April this year where I met my idols and competed against other Para-triathletes. I also placed 1st in the Junior PTS4 class and 2nd All Around Junior Paratriathlete.

If you could have one super power what would you choose?

The one super power I would like to have would be super strength because then I could be stronger than my brother.

Nominations for the 2022/23 Triathlon Program are now open!

Visit https://www.wsas.com.au/nominations/triathlon-nominations/ for more information and to nominate.

ANNUAL ATHLETE DINNER AND AWARDS NIGHT

The Annual Athlete Dinner and Awards Night is fast approaching!

With just over 2 weeks until ticket sales close get in fast to secure your seat. Please contact Mikayla (Marketing and Communications Officer) with any questions on 0429 434 940 or mikayla@wsas.com.au!

VOLLEYBALL SQUAD HITS THE COURT BEFORE RASI TOURNAMENT The Volleyball Squad convened at Katoomba Sports and Aquatic Centre on the 30th of July for the last training session before the inaugural RASi tournament on the 6th and 7th of August.

This session marked the conclusion of the 2022 Volleyball program training sessions. Throughout the program participants were given the opportunity to attend educations sessions, strength and conditioning testing with Sydney West Sports Medicine and training sessions with an accredited coaching staff. The 2022 Volleyball program also saw 3 squad members being selected into NSW Volleyball Phoenix Representative Squads Ayen Nyuar, Kai Young, Sathnidu Silva and Evangeline Wang.

The RASi tournament sees teams from 5 other Academy's in the Regional Academies network come together for a weekend full of High Performance training sessions with Volleyball NSW, leadership and education sessions with Volleyball NSW Head of Pathways and retired beach Volleyball athlete Martin Reader, and finishing with competition. the Education session

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ACADEMY SOFTBALL PROGRAM ACHIEVING WONDERFUL RESULTS

The Western Sydney Academy of Sport have been delivering high quality development programs for the region’s talented young athletes for over 18 years now, and can currently lay claim to six Academy Alumni who have gone on to represent at the Olympics.

As a further indication of the quality and success of the Academy’s programs, four athletes who have passed through the Academy’s programs have been selected by Softball Australia to compete in the U/23 Men’s World Championships being held in Argentina in September this year.

Hayden Shaw (2016-17) Jack Besgrove (2018-19) Thomas Cass (2014-15, 2015-16) Tyler Kelly (2016-17, 2017-18) This is not only a milestone achievement for the very talented young players, but a huge endorsement of the effectiveness of the Academy’s program, which features highly accredited coaching staff, utilizes the best available venues and provides a holistic platform for its program delivery.

Jack Besgrove, who was a recipient of the Academy’s Woolworths Scholarship in 2019, has also been selected in the 2022 Aussie Steelers squad who will compete in the Softball Men’s World Cup in New Zealand in December.

The successes of these young male players come off the back of Academy alumni Taylah Tsitsikronis (2007/08-2010-11) and Kandra Lamb (2014/15-2016/17) being named in the Aussie Spirit Squad who competed at the World Games in Birmingham earlier this month.

WSAS Softball Program Manager Jo Beach commented on the success of Academy alumni “Is certainly a reflection of their time at WSAS and a result of the experienced and passionate coaches that are involved in the WSAS Softball Program. Always wanting the athletes to believe in themselves and to push their boundaries to achieve their full potential whilst on their journey as a pre-elite athlete and being involved in the WSAS Softball Program.”

READ ABOUT OUR ATHLETES AND ALUMNI IN THE LOCAL PAPERS

Nepean News 20 May 2022

Western Weekender 3 June 2022

Western Weekender 17 June 2022

Western Weekender 17 June 2022

Western Weekender 1 July 2022

Western News 15 July 2022

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