Notre Dame College Launches Sports Academy to Cultivate Young Talent in Greater Shepparton

Through its sports academy, Notre Dame College has made a significant effort to develop young talent in a region known for its deeply ingrained love of sport.

“Notre Dame College Sports Academy has arrived to fulfil a long-awaited need in our region,” sports academy co-ordinator Nathan Reid said.

The establishment of sports academies has become a common trend due to the strong sporting traditions in cities like Melbourne, Ballarat, and Bendigo.

The Greater Shepparton area’s fervent sporting community, however, had missed out on the chance up until this point.

“In the college, sports are extremely important. Not just the GV region as a whole, but also in our area, we lacked it. It’s a very sporting community,” Reid said.

The sports academy welcomes students in years 9 and 10 because it values both academic commitment and athletic prowess.

Their selection is based on both their academic rigor as well as their athletic prowess.

“We do expect students that apply to do the best of their own ability, whatever that ability is,” Reid said.

Instead of concentrating only on academic success, the application process closely examines students’ commitment to excellence and personal growth.

Student participation in the program, which is integrated into the regular curriculum, is essential once they are chosen.

They discuss specialized theoretical subjects meant to improve athlete development and performance.

The gym and strength training sessions, which emphasize the value of good movement, are central to the sports academy experience.

“We’re hoping to educate them on how to move properly for them so they can then move out to the community and educate others,” Reid said.

Students are given the tools they need to start their fitness journey with knowledge and confidence by the academy by instilling fundamental movement principles, rather than just relying on bodybuilding exercises or social media fads.

Specialized skill sessions held before school give students additional chances to hone their skills.

These sessions are led by outside coaches with expertise in sports like cricket, basketball, netball, and AFL.

While being exposed to various coaching philosophies broadens their horizons, the collaborative environment encourages interaction between students with comparable skill levels.

“We’re hoping to extend the time frame into Years 8 and 11 as well next year. So that will increase the numbers, and over the next year or two, we’ll have more than just those four sports available for students to specialise in,” Reid said.

The sports academy provides students with an alternative to conventional physical education electives while it is still in operation as an elective during school hours.

They can grow physically and consider potential careers in the sports industry thanks to this exceptional opportunity.

“We’re getting them to look at different pathways that they can potentially take in the sport industry,” Reid said.

The academy hopes to pique students’ interests and reveal new career options by introducing them to various facets of sports, such as nutrition or sport and recreation.

It aims to offer regional students opportunities that were previously unavailable.

Parents and students have responded positively, according to Reid, in a resounding manner.

“The students are loving it,” he said.

The program’s addition of a dietitian and additional training sessions has been well-received by the parents.

Students receive knowledge and resources from the academy to lead healthier lifestyles in addition to assistance with improving their athletic performance.

By fusing athletic development, academic enrichment, and career exploration, the academy is creating a new generation of well-rounded student-athletes.

Reference: www.sheppnews.com.au