• Basketball
• Hockey

The boys went through the tournament undefeated with wins over Qld 7-2, Victoria 5-3, ACT 11-1, Tasmania 14-1, South Australia 11-1 and Western Australia 6-2, They then  won the final over Victoria 7-3.

The WRAS boys were key members of the team and great ambassadors for the region and their sport.

Nick Hill and Jack Elliott were selected in the Australian U17 All Schools team to tour South Africa in July 2011.

This will be Jack’s second tour with this Australian team as he was a member of the team that toured China this year.

The Academy has had great success with its AWD program with Paralympian wheelchair athlete Kurt Fearnley previously holding a scholarship. Likewise, the High Performance program has continued to turn out Australian representatives such as hockey player Jade Warrender, and triathlete Nick North.

WRAS Executive Officer Nancy Haslop said  ‘the Academy prides itself on being able to assist athletes achieve at the highest level by providing opportunities through its programs. This year we are also plan to expand our Officiating and Lone Star programs by reaching out across the Western Region and identifying individuals who show potential to be able to represent NSW and Australia in the future.”

Applications are now also open and close 31 August 2010.

For more information, please contact the Western Region Academy of Sport on 6338 4821 or visit the website www.wras.org.au

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• Athletes with a Disability (AWD)
• High Performance
• Lone Star
• Officiating

Nominations close Tuesday 31st August 2010

Five coaches will return to lead their respective WRAS programs. Wayne Gaynor (Lithgow) – hockey, Ross Hunter (Grenfell) – Lawn Bowls, Nancy Haslop (Lithgow) – basketball and Bruce McLean (Orange) – Golf will all lead their squads, while NBL referee Peter Wright (Bathurst) will head up the officiating program again.

The Academy is also pleased to welcome new netball head coach Linda Macleod (Dubbo). Linda has extensive experience in her sport and will be an invaluable addition to WRAS netball program and athletes.

WRAS Sports Development Manager Brett Coxsedge said ‘the Academy is very excited to have many of our head coaches return for the upcoming year. It is a clear sign of strength and stability in the programs that WRAS operates. These local coaches are volunteers and give up their own free time to share their wealth of knowledge with the regions talented athletes. We greatly appreciate their support and look forward to working with them all.’

Applications are now also open for apprentice, assistant and satellite coaches as well as squad managers (applications close 6 September 2010).

For more information, please contact the Western Region Academy of Sport on 6338 4821 or visit the website www.wras.org.au

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The program called Where’s Dunkin’? is aimed at identifying exceptionally tall male and female athletes with the aim to see if they have the potential to become an elite basketball player.  ‘Dunkin’ will initially be identified utilising several simple physical tests that focus on the key physical attributes of an elite basketball player such as height, arm span and vertical jump.

WRAS Executive Officer Nancy Haslop said “While we would love to find the next Andrew Bogut or Lauren Jackson, we are initially setting modest goals and hoping to find athletes who have the capacity to develop and show the potential progress to state or national level. You don’t have to have played basketball in the past.  While there are no guarantees, there is no doubt that this is a great opportunity for the right person”

The talent search program has three phases. Phase one involves athletes in years 7-9 submitting an expression of interest form by Friday 20 August. To be eligible athletes must be at least 183cm tall for males and 175cm for females. Phase two will involve confirmation of eligibility by the Academy staff while phase three will see a trial conducted on Saturday 28 August from 11.30am-1.30pm at the Charles Sturt University gymnasium in Bathurst.

WRAS has had previous success with its ‘Where’s Dunkin’? program. Current WRAS high performance squad member Laurence Mifsud was identified through the same program several years ago. Laurence was selected in the U18 Country State team this year and is currently in the U18 Australian Development Squad.  

For more information, please contact the Western Region Academy of Sport on 6338 4821 or visit the website www.wras.org.au

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• Basketball – Nancy Haslop (Lithgow)
• Golf – Bruce McLean (Orange)
• Hockey – Wayne Gaynor (Lithgow)
• Lawn Bowls – Ross Hunter (Grenfell)
• Netball – Linda Macleod (Dubbo)
• Officiating – Peter Wright (Bathurst)

Applications are now open for assistant, apprentice and satellite coaches as well as managers. Download a flyer for more information.

The program aims to identify exceptionally tall athletes. An interview and selection process will be conducted. A number of scholarships are on offer with a view to progressing to NSW and Australian representation.

Download a ‘Where’s Dunkin’ package for more information.

• Basketball
• Hockey
• Lawn Bowls
• Netball
• Golf

Nominations close Friday 20th August 2010

Click here to download an application form.