Indigenous Athlete Pathway

The land on which the South West Sydney Academy of Sport is located,
and where our athletes live and train is the traditional land of the Dharawal people.

The South West Sydney Academy of Sport acknowledges the Traditional owners of country,
and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture.

We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present, and emerging.

Athlete Eligibility

• Male and Female Athletes must be between 13 and 18 years of age in the year of the program.

• Athletes must reside in, or attend school, or compete for a sporting association within the Academy area of the traditional land of the Dharawal people
  • (Campbelltown, Camden, Liverpool or Wollondilly local Government area)

In addition;

• Athletes wishing to participate must recognise as Indigenous/Torres Strait Islander, and may be asked to provide evidence of their claim.
• Indigenous Athletes participating within an existing Academy Sport Program must also meet the age or gender specific requirements of that sport program.

In conjunction with the Regional Academies of Sport (RASi) network, the NSW Office of Sport Aboriginal Outcomes Team and partnership with UAA, the Academy conducts an annual Indigenous Talent Identification Day, which takes place throughout the second half of each year throughout the South West Sydney region.

The aim of this day is to provide Indigenous athletes from across the Academy catchment area the opportunity to be talent identified by undertaking education and activities that promote sport and movement skills (talent) within a high-performance environment, whilst sharing sport within their own Indigenous culture.

Athletes will participate in three core components of the day, being;

• Foundational Movement Skill and Talent Identification
• Fitness Testing for Potential Identification
• Cultural Sport Education - Introduction

The Academy is additionally supported by Western Sydney University, who provide assistance in providing fitness testing equipment, and interpretation of data utilising sport science students and professors.

Selection Process

There is no selection process to attend the Indigenous Talent Identification Day, however it is recommended that;

• Athletes nominating to attend should be supported by the school and/or school Indigenous Liaison Officer
• Athletes should have a reasonable grasp of sporting knowledge or have a background in sport participation.

The Indigenous Athlete Talent Program exists to provide talent-identified athletes the opportunity to develop fundamental sporting skills such as passing, catching, speed, agility and elevation through an introduction to sports high performance pathways, sports education, and strength and conditioning programs to support talent-identified Indigenous athletes achieve their sporting goals.

Following on from the Indigenous Talent Identification Day, a number of athletes will be selected to participate within the Indigenous Athlete Talent Program.

The aim of this program is to provide a short-term general athlete development program, with an introduction to high-performance sport pathways and in line with the Academy Sport Framework. In addition the program exists as an opportunity to validate the athletes ‘talent', as identified through the Indigenous Talent Identification day.

This program features regular training and education sessions that will assist athletes to develop foundational movement skills general to a range of sporting disciplines, such as passing, catching, speed, agility and change of direction within a squad training environment.

The program may feature one or more specific sporting disciplines within its program that feature the majority of the above skills in order to further identify and validate talent within a particular sporting arena.

In addition to the on-field development, athletes will undertake a supervised Strength and Conditioning program, as well as an Introduction to sports education program.

Athletes who have their talent validated within current Academy sport programs, who are age-eligible, may be provided an invitation for a scholarship within that sporting program, or the Academy Future Stars Program, without the need to attend an additional trial or selection process.

As such, the Indigenous Athlete Talent Program should be conducted within the traditional School Term 4. Athletes may then be invited to return to participate within the Indigenous Cultural Education Program, conducted within the traditional School Terms 1 and 2.

Selection Process

• Athletes must have attended and participated in the Indigenous Athlete Talent Identification Day
  • If an athlete is unable to attend the Indigenous Athlete Talent Identification Day, they must provide a reason in writing, to gain an exemption.

• Following the day, the Academy may invite talent-identified athletes across both Male and Female Genders to participate in the Indigenous Athlete Talent program.
• The Academy will select a squad, the forming of teams will not be the primary intent of the Indigenous Athlete Talent program.
• Successful athletes will be advised within three weeks (21 days) of the Indigenous Talent Identification Day, this may also include notification to the school liaison officer.
• If the Academy can not get in contact with the athlete, or there is no response within 2 weeks (14 days), then the program offer will be deemed to be withdrawn.

The third step in the Indigenous Athlete Pathway is the Academy's Indigenous Cultural Education Program.

The aim of this program is to provide a cultural enrichment program, specifically for Indigenous athletes of the Academy.

This short-term program carries a high focus on Pathway and Performance Wellbeing Education, complimentary to that provided within the Academy's existing sport programs.

Indigenous Athletes who have progressed through either the Indigenous Athlete Talent Program, or who have been selected into Academy Sport Programs, and identify as Indigenous or First Nations, are invited to to be a part of the Indigenous Cultural Education Program.

This program features regular education and mentoring gatherings that will assist athletes to develop a greater appreciation for the importance their Indigenous culture plays within sport.

Support and education specific to the Indigenous Cultural Education Program may include;

• Indigenous significance and pathways in sport,
• Indigenous health and nutrition,
• Connection to land and culture , and
• Indigenous symbols, totems and artwork.

Given it's position within the Indigenous Athlete Pathway, and recognising the program as an extension to existing Academy Sport Programs, the Indigenous Cultural Education Program should be conducted within the traditional School Terms 1 and 2.

The timing of this program allows the program to conclude alongside NAIDOC week, encouraging participation within those cultural activities.

Selection Process

• Athletes must participate in their appropriate Academy Sport Program trial or selection process, and be selected.

• Following the sport program squad selection, the Academy may invite identified athletes across both Male and Female Genders to participate in the Indigenous Cultural Education Program, alongside athletes participating in the Indigenous Athlete Talent Program.

Program Support

• Due to the financial support of Underwriting Agencies of Australia (UAA), and the NSW Office of Sport, there is no cost for athletes to participate in the Academy's Indigenous Athlete Programs.

• However, Athletes who are selected via an Academy Sport Program, and participate within that program, may be required to pay the athlete levy and/or additional camp levies associated with that program, to be eligible to participate within the Indigenous Cultural Education Program.

• Subject to funding availability, the relevant Sport Program Athlete Scholarship Levy may be reduced or waived for participants in the Indigenous Cultural Education Program.

Macquarie Fields Campus