The South West Sydney Academy of Sport

Written on the 7 October 2021 by SWSAS

The South West Sydney Academy of Sport, is your local sports Academy and is a not-for-profit organisation supported by the State Government and our Local Councils. And as with many local and state sporting organisations and schools, has endured yet another COVID and lockdown interrupted year. 

Despite these challenges, the Academy was able to successfully service 168 of our region's talent-identified young athletes.

With athletes participating in, AFL Development, AFL Women's, Basketball, BMX, Golf, Netball, Netball Umpires, Softball, Triathlon. And a West Future Star program for individual athletes where the Academy does not provide a full program, which itself provided opportunity for athletes in eleven diverse sporting disciplines. 

Each Academy sport program is run in conjunction with its state sporting organisation, and forms a part of the sports talent and high-performance pathway program. With a key focus on Individual skill development and targeted sports education  in strength and conditioning, sports science testing, development competition opportunities and athlete mental health and wellbeing. 

Some key statistics from 2021 were,

• 72% athletes participated in mixed-gender programs
• 56% overall athletes were female
• 59% of athletes were new incoming athletes
• 43% of athletes are aged 14-16 years old, (Year 8-10 in School)
• 52% of athletes attend public educational institutions
• 22% of athletes identified as Culturally and Linguistically Diverse
• 5% of athletes identified as Indigenous or Torres Strait Islander

In 2021, Academy athletes represented total of 56 schools within the four council areas the Academy services, and competed for 46 local sporting clubs and associations. 

The Year Ahead

The 2022 calendar year coincides with the Academy’s 25th Anniversary, and as such, it is looking to celebrate that milestone anniversary, by greatly increasing its athlete intake. 

And with the recent announcement of the NSW Government road map out of COVID, the path forward for a welcome return to sport is starting to take shape, as is the Academy’s outlook for 2022. 

This includes the addition of sport programs in Men's Netball, Beach Volleyball, and an Indigenous Athlete Program, which will commence in late 2021. 

The Academy is also in negotiations for Beach and Indoor Volleyball and Hockey to commence early in 2022, as well as conducting Talent Athlete Identification days early in the new year, that will involve mini-sport trials, sports science testing and talent pathway identification opportunities for school age athletes, within our region. 

It is anticipated that through the addition of these programs, the Academy will service around 250 athletes each year. 

But to remain successful, it needs your help in assisting it in spreading the word about the amazing opportunities the Academy offers. By passing on nomination and trial information to your sport coordinators, students and families, along with any potential coach and support staff member you may have within your school, or network.

We want your school to be formally, or informally identified by the Academy, as an ‘Athlete identification school partner’.

Please find included later in this EDM, links to relevant advertising material, suitable for newsletters, website, posters or social media. 

Do you have an Indoor Venue for hire?

The Academy is also seeking additional training venues that can be utilised on a casual basis throughout the school term.

As a community-based organisation, the Academy utilises facilities on a primarily casual basis throughout a specific short window each year. And it finds it a challenge competing against regular user groups and hirers of the major Council facilities, leisure centres and established stadiums within our region. 

As such, it is keen to build relationships with local schools who may be able to grant access to the Academy's high quality sport development programs and assist it in developing athletes, many of whom have aspirations of competing for NSW and Australia; even more so with the announcement of the upcoming Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Ideally, the Academy is keen to secure access to an indoor stadium facility, that would be suitable to host Basketball, Netball and/or Indoor Volleyball training sessions, on a regular basis between November and May each year. 

If your school has such a facility available, please contact Sport Program Manager Daniel Currinckx by email, to discuss availability and cost. 

In addition, should there be anything further the Academy can assist you or your school with; or if you have any questions regarding athlete opportunities, please contact the Academy. 

Click below to read more about the South West Sydney Academy of Sport