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Softballers pitch into Orange – 29 April 2008

Posted by Flick in Media Releases on April 29th, 2008

Softball skills will be on show in Orange this weekend for the NSW Regional Academies of Sport Softball Inter Academy Games. The Western Region Academy of Sport is hosting this year’s event and teams will come from Academies all over the state to compete. Athletes from Hunter Academy, Southern Sports Academy, North Coast Academy and Western Region Academy of Sport will converge at Orange High School for the two day tournament on 3 and 4 May. The Inter Academy Games event is based on a philosophy of opportunity and participation rather than purely on competition. Athletes will play five games in their Academy side on Saturday before being split into lottery league teams for games on Sunday. This structure provides a great development opportunity for the players, allowing them to play with athletes from their own squad and also learn from and interact with softballers from other Academies. One of the major highlights of the weekend is always the Red Faces entertainment night for the athletes and families of all Academies. Many athletes have been preparing and rehearsing their performances for weeks and this year’s Red Faces is shaping up to be a great night. WRAS softballers participating in the games are Emily Bennett (Orange), Matthew Death (Blayney), Simon Ewin (Blayney), Rachel Gentles (Orange), Andre Jewell (Mudgee), Alex Little (Orange), Chloe Lowry (Orange), Ashlee Lowry (Orange), Jane Partridge (Orange), Hanna Rath (Orange), Jayden Smith (Blayney) and Stephanie Wilson (Orange). The benefits of the Academy Games extend beyond the softball pitch. According to Nancy Haslop, Executive Officer of the Western Region Academy of Sport, “these games are an excellent chance for WRAS softballers to put into practice the skills they have been developing over the past 6 months. All athletes have worked extremely hard at improving their game skills at Academy training sessions and this weekend will allow players and their families to see just how much they have developed.”

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WRAS Netballers take to the court in Young – 29 April 2008

Posted by Flick in Media Releases on April 29th, 2008

Young will play host to the Western Region Academy of Sport Netball squad this Sunday for the second time in 2008. Due to the overwhelming success of the training day held in Young in January the WRAS squad, led by Head Coach Cate Gardner will return to the Young Shire on 4 May to further develop their netball skills. Training will commence at 10am with athletes traveling from around the region (Bathurst, Cowra, Cudal, Dubbo, Forbes, Gulargambone, Gulgong, Mudgee, Orange, Parkes, and West Wyalong) to attend. Young will be represented by two of the town’s brightest netball talents, Tori Pope and Lauren Sheridan. Athletes will work on developing all aspects of their game, with a specific focus on court performance and fitness using new and specialist techniques. Cate believes that the squad is training well and she is looking forward to the upcoming 2008 State League Competition. “The girls have been training hard and I’m predicting that they will be a force to contend with in the State League competition. This training day in Young will be a fantastic opportunity for the girls to concentrate on their fitness, mental toughness and game play situations”. The WRAS training day is a great opportunity for local netball players, coaches and spectators to see some of region’s most talented athletes train under the direction of the Academies highly qualified and experienced coaches.

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Netballers take to the court in Dubbo – 6 April 2008

Posted by Flick in Media Releases on April 22nd, 2008

Dubbo will play host to the Western Region Academy of Sport Netball Squad this Sunday for an intense training day commencing at 10am, under the watchful eye of head coach Cate Gardner. The 2008 Netball Squad which consists of talented athletes from all around the western region will head to St John’s College to develop all aspects of their game, with a focus on court performance and fitness using new and specialist techniques. Cate believes that the squad is training well and she is looking forward to the upcoming 2008 State League Competition. “The girls have been training hard and I’m predicting that they will be a force to contend with in the State League competition. This training day at Dubbo will be a fantastic opportunity for the girls to concentrate on their fitness, mental toughness and game play situations”. Local netball players, coaches and spectators are welcome to attend the training session which will provide a great opportunity to witness the latest training techniques and drills. END

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WRAS Hockey heads to Lithgow – 24 February 2008

Posted by Flick in Media Releases on April 22nd, 2008

Lithgow will play hosts to the Western Region Academy of Sport hockey squad this Sunday for an intensive training day. Athletes from across the region will arrive at the Lithgow Hockey Centre at 8am for a full day of training. The 2008 squad consists of some of the most talented young sporting stars of the future including Lithgow’s Shelby Craig, Sarah Hodgkinson, Holly Luck, Ben Redding, Beth Redding, David Reid, Courtney Sammut and Luke Thurtell. The day will focus on the refinement of skills such as footwork, flicking, drawing defence, channelling and set plays. The training day will be the final squad training before the squad comes together at Newcastle for the hockey Inter Academy Games on the 8 & 9 March. Head Coach Wayne ‘Wally’ Gaynor, of Lithgow, will lead the squad, and be joined by assistant coaches Jo Davis, Michelle Melhuish and Debbie Orrock. Gaynor said “It will be the last training session for the athletes to train together as a squad before the Inter Academy Games in Newcastle. This training is very important for the athletes to put all their skills into practice and refine their team work in game situations, communication and set plays such as penalty corners.” Coaches, players and parents interested in picking up some coaching tips and seeing what is expected at the next level are welcome to attend the training session. END

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WRAS Basketball squad bounces into Bathurst – 8 April 2008

Posted by Flick in Media Releases on April 22nd, 2008

The Western Region Academy of Sports basketball squad consisting of athletes from all over the western region will head to Charles Sturt University on Sunday 13 April for a full day of intense training to further enhance their basketball skills. The WRAS squad consists of some of the region’s most talented and up and coming basketball stars including Bathurst’s own Jesse Fergusson, Meredith Jones, Laurence Mifsud, Freya Roebuck and Connor Sherlock. Joining the squad on the day will be the Senior and High Performance basketball athletes which will add the competitive edge needed to keep the athletes on their toes. The WRAS Basketballers will benefit from this day by participating in rigorous training sessions aimed at developing and increasing their range of skills on the basketball court. Head Coach Katrina Ferris from Bathurst will conduct the training day, “I am looking forward to the day as it will be a great chance for the athletes to learn and improve their skills. It is also a great opportunity for the whole squad to come together, interact as a team and challenge themselves.” Local basketball players, coaches and spectators are welcome to attend the training day which will provide a great opportunity to witness the squad in action and the latest training techniques and drills. END

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Try a Triathlon – 9 April 2008

Posted by Flick in Media Releases on April 22nd, 2008

The Western Region Academy of Sport is on the look out for that ‘undiscovered’ talent to ‘try a triathlon’. The Academy offers athlete’s quality sports development programs to help them reach higher levels in their sport. WRAS athletes are provided with excellent opportunities including elite coaching, fitness testing, strength and conditioning, athlete education and individual program monitoring. Over the last few years, the Academy has conducted a broad talent search program through schools in the western region in conjunction with the Australian Sports Commission. The focus of this years WRAS talent identification program is on discovering athletes suited to specific sports such as triathlon. If you are exceptionally fit, an outstanding swimmer, a confident strong runner, in school years 7-10 and have never competed in a triathlon then the academy wants you! The Academy is offering people that meet this criterion an opportunity to attend a 3 day training camp and a possible 2009 Talent Identification (TID) Scholarship which could be the first step on the way to state and national representation. WRAS Triathlon head coach Nick Kastelein Sr said “The program is a great opportunity for regional athletes to fast track their progress in a sport they have never thought about participating in. Triathlon is such an exciting sport, but people don’t often think about trying it and this is their chance”. WRAS has already had great success in triathlon including Bathurst triathlete Nick North, who was identified by WRAS in 2005. After 3 years Nick has already risen to the top ranks of triathlon. He recently attended the Australian development camp with the National Junior Squad and continues to show great promise. WRAS is excited about the prospect of finding and helping western region athletes achieve things that they have never even thought possible. END

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Survival Guide for Mum and Dad Coaches – 8 April 2008

Posted by Flick in Media Releases on April 22nd, 2008

Have you been put in the daunting position of having to coach your child’s sports team this year? Your role as a coach can be made lot of easier by receiving skills and practical knowledge from the professionals. The Western Region Academy of Sport has the answer to this intimidating and often very challenging prospect. Coach the Coach Survival Guide for Mum and Dad Coaches, is a day for beginner coaches that will give them the necessary skills and knowledge to be an effective coach. The program will be held at Charles Sturt University, Bathurst on Sunday 18 May 2008. The initiative will include two sessions; the first is a morning information session which is an hour and a half full of helpful information and tips. Coaches will be taught about how to establish goals and objectives, how to structure a training session, how to handle athletes and parents and how to become a better coach. Simon Woinarski, Sport Education Coordination from NSW Sport and Recreation will conduct the Survival Guide. Simon has over eight years of experience in sport development and will bring a fresh approach to coach education. The optional second component of the Survival Guide is an hour and a half practical which will look at skills and drills specific for basketball, hockey or netball. Attendees will leave with a season plan of drills to implement and develop throughout the training and competition season for their respective sport. A morning tea will be provided between the two sessions to give participants an opportunity to network with fellow beginner coaches from various sports. Survival Guide for Mum and Dads was run successfully last year with participant’s thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to develop and be a better coach for their children. Amanda Matthews attended the day last year and said “The program was very valuable and it helped me as a first time coach. I have been able to put the skills I learnt into practice whilst coaching my daughter’s netball team. The day was also a great opportunity to meet other parents that were in the same position as me, it was definitely value for money”. For more information and to register go to www.wras.org.au, select the ‘download’ tab and download the ‘Survival Guide for Mum and Dad coaches application form’ or call the Western Region Academy of Sport on 63384821.END

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