View submission details
Submission by Martin Bullock on 20 October 2008.
1. Ensure Australia's continued elite sporting success
New South Wales Regional Academies of Sport currently provide a unique and critical step in the development pathway for talented young pre-elite athletes – bridging the gap and making valid connections between grass roots participation and elite levels such as State representation and NSW Institute of Sport scholarships. Regional Academy programs are recognised as a vital and valid component of the athlete development pathway in practically all major sports within NSW – with programs being developed and implemented generally in close collaboration and with the endorsement of the relevant State Sporting Organisation (SSO).It is recognised that within each sport there exists a defined athlete development pathway – duly recongising the existence/roles of a number of levels of providers e.g. AIS, NSO, NSWIS, SSO, Regional Academies, Local Academies, District and Club. However in most instances, there is no connection with, or consideration of, bodies that have some level of separation in respect of the level of talent of the athlete being provided for. There is a significant deficiency in the funding and resources made available to Regional Academies as they struggle to remain financially viable and capable of providing high quality and relevant development programs for these athletes. Although close relationships exist between Regional Academies and the SSOs in NSW, there is a critical disconnect with other key agencies throughout NSW and Australia. NSW Institute of Sport will provide a scholarship for an elite athlete as identified through his/her progression from a Regional Academy program. Yet the NSWIS has little interaction and provides no support for the Regional Academies who initially identify the athlete and provide fundamental assistance and resources to enable them to progress to the higher level. This obvious disconnect arises from the source of most issues in athlete development – funding ! A first step in resolving many practical and fundamental problems that revolve around talent identification, staged development program delivery and finally elite athlete development and sustainability, would be an overall audit of the critical steps in the pathway – what should be provided, at what age, and stage of development for the athlete – and who is best equipped or should be better equipped to deliver these various stages. Uncertainty exists in respect of financial capabilities, resource availability and what is the “endorsed” pathway from the top down – it would be a significant first step to confirm a comprehensive “generic” pathway that all agencies and providers can subscribe to. This process will re-establish the critical nature of fundamental programs such as those provided by Regional Academies that underpin elite athlete programs, and greater focus can be placed on ensuring Regional Academies are provided with adequate levels of funding by not only levels of Government, by those who benefit most from the athletes developed reaching the next stages i.e. NSWIS and AIS. In respect of ensuring maximum returns for talent identification programs, it is felt that Regional Academies are well placed as a connector between grass roots and elite levels of participation and development. Regional Academies have extensive grass root networks and stakeholder relationships viz. Clubs, Associations, Schools, Local Government and sport user groups, and are well positioned to act as identification and screening agencies for the upper levels of elite athlete development. Recommendations •Conduct a comprehensive consultative process to audit and confirm the critical steps in the athlete development pathway for all sports; •Develop a generic – recognised and subscribed to pathway for talent identification and development; •Greater recognition and resourcing of Regional Academies and providers at the “underpinning” levels of athlete development; •Develop agreed financial modelling for revenue contributions across Govt and agencies.
2. Better place sport and physical activity as a key component of the Government's preventative health approach
No response
3. Strengthen pathways from junior sport to grassroots community sport right through to elite and professional sport
The current state of athlete development pathways in many sports, more specifically at the lower levels, is at best fractured. In examining the system to determine the capacity to ensure optimal and efficient delivery of athlete and coach pathways, it is felt that one should commence at the grass roots level. Junior and community sport participation is suffering across many fronts, primarily the costs associated with sport participation, the lack of suitable facilities/amenities, and the lack of quality people involved in coaching and administrative roles. The capacity for any sport to foster and sustain an effective pathway producing elite level athletes is questionable. There are a number of inhibiting factors in terms of the capacity for Regional Academies to deliver and sustain the quality of their talented athlete development programs, but the most fundamental and significant factor is the narrowing of the production pipeline from junior sport to Regional Academies. Participation of young people in many sports can be seen to be decreasing dramatically, and the emergence/identification of talented athletes is obviously being impacted through the reduction in numbers. Similarly, the reduction in children participating in sport means a parallel reduction in the participation of parents – those that take on coaching and administrative roles. Regional Academies, as caretakers of developing young athletes, together with all higher levels of development such as NSWIS and AIS, are dependent on the grass roots providers of sports participation and subsequently the talent that arises, and have a vested interest in ensuring local sporting clubs and Associations have robust participation bases, quality facilities to ensure athlete enjoyment and development and coach development programs that assist athlete development. To strengthen the pathways from the bottom up requires a renewed focus on sports opportunities overall – higher levels of accessibility, better standard and smarter use of facilities, higher levels of funding support to reduce prohibitive costs, simple and “user friendly” models and information resources for administrators. The next level of focus then becomes Regional Academies, their capacity to work collaboratively with grass roots sport and State level organisations to identify talented young athletes, plan and implement effective “holistic” development programs and provide relevant and meaningful assistance to young athletes in preparation for their transition to the elite levels of their chosen sport. Regional Academies provide critical assistance across a broad range of sports, yet their lack of funding and resources and the further capacity to cover off on a more sports, would indicate it is an athlete development resource or level, with untapped potential and a capacity to play a far more significant role in this level of athlete development which is only restricted by lack of funding. Therefore the system that presently exists – at least in NSW and in respect of emerging/developing young talented spots people, has great potential but is severely inhibited by the issues outlined above. Regional Academies have also established solid links with State Sporting Organisations recognised as the next level of progression along the talented athlete pathway – yet much of the interaction and collaboration stems from the bottom up, with some exceptions e.g. Netball, Tennis, Hockey. There needs to be greater awareness and recognition generated amongst State and National sporting authorities of the needs of emerging athletes as they are prepared for the transition to State and National level representation – and recognition that these athletes need a structured support framework around them, one that can be provided by Regional Academies with the appropriate amount of assistance from the SSOs. Recommendations • Renewed focus on sports opportunities overall •Improved financial models • facilitated and endorsed agreements
4. Maintain Australia's cutting edge approach to sports science, research and technology
No response
5. Identify opportunities to increase and diversify the funding base for sport through corporate sponsorship, media and any recommended reforms, such as enhancing the effectiveness of the Australian Sports Foundation
No response
Page last updated: 20 October, 2008