In July 2009, the Western Region Academy of Sport is conducting Rookie Camps for Basketball, Hockey, Lawn Bowls, Netball and Triathlon. Rookie athletes from towns right around the region including Bathurst, Blackheath, Blayney, Cowra, Dubbo, Forbes, Gilgandra, Grenfell, Gulargambone, Gulgong, Kandos, Lithgow, Lyndhurst, Mudgee, Narromine, Oberon, Orange, Parkes, Portland, Quandialla, Rylstone, Wallerawang, West Wyalong, Wongarbon and Young will attend the camps.
All of these residential camps will provide ‘rookie’ athletes with the opportunity to enhance their skills and knowledge, in a fun learning environment and to identify talented players, to be invited to apply for a 2010 WRAS scholarship.
The camps will be held in Bathurst with athletes and coaches staying on campus of Charles Sturt University. The camps will commence with basketball and triathlon held on Friday 10 to Sunday 12 July. The basketball rookies and some athletes from the 2009 WRAS basketball program will be coached by previous AIS assistant coach Debbie Cook. Renowned NSW triathlon coach John Hickey will work with budding triathletes from the western region along with athletes from the Northern Inland Academy of Sport.
WRAS hockey head coach and NSW AHL assistant coach Wally Gaynor will head up the hockey camp to be held along with the lawn bowls camp on 12 to 14 July. Lawn bowls rookies will be coached by highly experienced local coaches Bob Townsend and Ross Hunter.
The camps will conclude with the netball rookie camp which will be led by WRAS netball head coach Cate Gardner.
Athletes who attend the camps will receive expert tuition by coaches from the local region, special guest coaches, senior WRAS graduates and association/club coaches. Positions are also being offered for coaches of all levels to attend the camps to improve their skills and increase their experience.
The camp activities planned include physiological testing, body movement, individual and specialist skills, and game sense. Players and coaches will be exposed to the latest playing and coaching techniques and given instant feedback on improving individual performance.
WRAS Executive Officer Nancy Haslop said “these Rookie Camps are a great development opportunity for western region sports people with some of the state’s best coaches heading up the training sessions. They are also a good way for athletes to become involved with the Academy and develop a better understanding of what WRAS does”.
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