April and May have been exciting months with many past and present WRAS athletes receiving selection in State and National sides. Here are just some of these remarkable achievements:
- Basketball athlete Mitch Mavrak has been selected in the Australian Boomerangs – the national men’s basketball side for athletes with an intellectual disability that will travel to the Czech Republic in July to take part in the 2009 INAS-FID Global Games
- Hockey players Jade Warrender and Tamsin Lee included in the Australian 2009 Women’s Junior World Cup Squad
- WRAS basketballers Hannah Lepaio and Laurence Mifsud named in the U16 NSW teams to represent the state at the Australian Championships
- Following the NSW Junior Touch Football Championships last week, Basketball High Performance squad athlete Olivia Patterson was named in the NSW 16 years Merit Team
- Female hockey athletes Kate Brown, Madeline Bott, Keely Hunter, Ailie McGarity and Zoe Watts have all been selected in the NSW U15 Girls squad. The girls will attend a high performance camp in July where the final selections for the team will be completed
- Current hockey athletes Tim Eslick, Nick Hill, Nick Milne and Jacob Townsend have been selected in the NSW U16 boys All Schools squad
Congratulations to all these WRAS athletes!
Tags: basketball, hockey, news, nsw, wras
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
Tags: 2008, basketball, bathurst, wras
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
Tags: 2008, basketball, COACH the COACH, coaching, hockey, netball, wras
In July 2008, the Western Region Academy of Sport is conducting Rookie Camps for Hockey and Netball and Rookie ‘Plus’ Camps for Basketball, Lawn Bowls, Tennis and Triathlon. All of these residential camps will provide ‘rookie’ athletes with the opportunity to enhance their skills and knowledge in a fun learning environment. The camps also act as a pre selection trial for the WRAS 2009 squads. Rookie ‘Plus’ camps also include athletes currently in the 2008 WRAS squad which allows them to further their development. The camps will be held in the July school holidays and athletes and coaches will stay on campus of Charles Sturt University, Bathurst. Ages for camps are set by State Sporting Organisation’s and can be found in the camp information packs along with exact dates on the WRAS website at www.wras.org.au in the ‘download’ section. The residential camps will be run under the guidance of highly accredited coaches, who will be assisted by special guest coaches, coaches from the local region, association/club coaches and senior WRAS graduates. 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. Attendance at the Rookie Camps in 2008 is compulsory for all athletes wishing to try out for the 2009 WRAS squads. Current WRAS squad members for Hockey and Netball who are still eligible to trial for WRAS for 2009 do not need to attend the rookie camps. Players who don’t wish to try out for the Academy will still find any one of these camps a great opportunity to receive instruction from some of the top coaches in NSW and the western region. WRAS Program Manager Rohan Simpson 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”. Information and nomination forms are available from the WRAS website www.wras.org.au now. Nominations for both athletes and coaches close Friday 16 May 2008. For more information contact the Academy office on 6338 4821. END
Tags: 2008, basketball, hockey, lawn bowls, netball, rookie camps, tennis, triathlon, wras
Lone Star athlete Natalie Sharp last weekend competed in the Little Athletics Association of NSW 2008 State Track and Field Championships. Natalie placed 5th in the 3000m, 3rd in the 800m and won the 1500m race with a time of 4.53 minutes. Natalie has been training hard with coach Paul Unsworth (WRAS consultant) over the last few months as well as seeing Strength and Conditioning Intern Nathan Carroll to get her time under the 5 minute mark. Congratulations Natalie!
In other exciting news, basketball athletes Will Aisake and Olivia Patterson attended the state trials on the Easter long weekend and were both selected in NSW teams. Will who is a member of the 2008 WRAS basketball senior squad, was selected in the NSW U18 men’s team which is an amazing result considering he has only been playing the sport for a few years. Olivia has been a member of the WRAS for the past 3 years and will play for the NSW U16 women’s team. Both athletes have been working extremely hard over the last few months, preparing for these trials with Will spending 5 hours a day on shooting practice throughout the Christmas school holidays and Olivia having regular sessions with Strength and Conditioning Intern Nathan Carroll. Congratulations Will and Olivia! Don’t forget to let the WRAS office know if you have received some exciting news, we love to hear about it!
Tags: 2008, basketball, lone star, news, wras
Over 160 Western Region Academy of Sport athletes and squad staff from across the region will converge on Wallerawang this weekend for a live-in training camp. The basketball, high performance, hockey, lawn bowls, netball, softball, tennis and triathlon squads and WRAS lone stars will participate in a variety of development and education sessions. The Combined WRAS Camp has become an annual event rotating each year between Wallerawang and Dubbo. The basketball and netball squads will make use of the excellent facilities at the Wallerawang Indoor Sports Stadium, the softball squad will train at Wallerawang Diamond, the tennis squad at the Mt Piper Power Station tennis courts and triathletes will make use of Lake Wallace and surrounds. The Hockey squad will train at the Lithgow hockey complex and the lawn bowlers will spend their weekend training at the Lithgow City Bowling Club. Following the camp welcome on Friday night, athletes will head off into squad groups for an hour of team bonding and planning. Saturday will begin with a practical nutrition workshop for WRAS rookie athletes while the senior members attend a lecture from WRAS S&C Coaches on the importance of strength and conditioning to their athletic development. Squads will then head off for an intense day of training and a pool recovery session at the Lithgow Pool before the athletes enjoy a Games Spectacular on Saturday evening. A number of highly regarded specialists will travel to Wallerawang for the weekend including Ron Clarke from NSW Sport & Recreation and massage therapist and speed coach Paul Unsworth from Bathurst. Athletes taking part in the weekend from the Lithgow region are Romy Casey, Sophie Murray, Elliot Smith, (Basketball) Shelby Craig, Sarah Hodgkinson, Holly Luck, Ben Redding, Beth Redding, David Reid, Courtney Sammut, Luke Thurtell (Hockey) and Natalie Sharp (Lone Star). Academy Executive Officer, Nancy Haslop said “The Combined WRAS Camp is a vital component of the WRAS calendar and a weekend that everyone looks forward to. It’s a great opportunity for all athletes and squad staff to get to know not only everyone within their squad, but also those from the other Academy programs. It’s always great to hold Academy activities in Wallerawang and WRAS has again had overwhelming support from the Lithgow and Wallerawang communities which we greatly appreciate”. Local coaches and athletes are invited to witness the sessions, details of times for the squads are available by phoning the Academy on 6338 4821.
Tags: 2008, basketball, high performance, hockey, lawn bowls, lone star, netball, news, softball, tennis, triathlon, wras
The gloves will be off when the West Sydney Razorbacks take on rivals the Illawarra Hawks at Homebush and the WRAS stampede will be there to view all the action. The night will kick off at 5.30pm and in addition to watching the Razorbacks v the Hawks, the WRAS crowd will also be treated to the game between the Sydney Uni Flames and the Perth Lynx. Everyone is invited to join in the WRAS stampede whether you’re a basketball fan, general sporting enthusiast or just in the mood for a great night out. Tickets are just $20 per person and include a commemorative t-shirt so you can remember the fun and frivolity for years to come. Get a group together and call us at the WRAS office on 6338 4821 to book before Monday 17 December!
We hope to see you all there!
Tags: basketball, razorbacks
