Western Region Academy of Sport » hockey

WRAS Athletes selected in Australian and NSW sides

Flick — Tue, 12 May 2009 23:10:13 +0000

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!

WRAS Hockey heads to Lithgow – 24 February 2008

Flick — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 05:17:16 +0000

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

Survival Guide for Mum and Dad Coaches – 8 April 2008

Flick — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:54:32 +0000

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

Holiday camps for western region rookies – 10 April 2008

Flick — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:52:14 +0000

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

Handful of National Champions

Flick — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 05:02:40 +0000

WRAS now includes five National Champions after the NSW U18 Girls Hockey side won the Australian Championships on Saturday 5 April. Athletes Molly Bright, Claire McGarity, Kayla Orrock, Jade Warrender and coach Wally Gaynor were all part of the victorious side that contested the title. Claire was also named NSW Player of the Tournament for her efforts on the field. All athletes were a credit to their towns, the Academy and NSW, with the side also being given the Whistleblower award for their sportsmanship, attitude and behaviour. Congratulations Wally and girls!

Hockey squad heads to Newcastle for Academy Games – 7 March 2008

Flick — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 23:59:09 +0000

The Western Region Academy of Sport hockey squad heads to Newcastle this weekend for the Inter Academy Games. Over 400 athletes, coaches, managers, officials, support staff and hockey families will converge on Newcastle for the tournament which will bring together both boys and girls squads from the Western Region, South West Sydney, Illawarra, North Coast, Southern Sports, Hunter and Northern Inland Academies of Sport. They are joined by the NSW under 18 girls team (which includes five WRAS squad members!) who are looking forward to the challenge of playing in the boy�s competition. The Games play an important role in the development of young players in that this competition is based on the philosophy of opportunity and participation. The tournament is seen as a friendly and no pressure environment where athletes can apply the individual skills and tactics they have been developing as part of their squad training in a game situation without the pressure of having to win. The WRAS squad heading to Newcastle consists of James Griffin, Caitlyn Hadley, Jocelyn McGarity, Dylan Smith (Bathurst), Murray Bennett (Canowindra), Andrew White (Carcoar), Courtney Sammut (Clarence), Jaime Buckmaster (Cowra), Robert Singh, Kurt Ward (Dubbo), Shelby Craig, Sarah Hodgkinson, Ben Redding, Beth Redding, Luke Thurtell, Keeley Hunter, Mahala Williams (Lithgow), Amy Symons, Sarah Whiley (Millthorpe), Troy Kenny (Mudgee), Keegan Brooke, Ashleigh Carr, Timothy Eslick, Nicholas Hill, Nicholas Milne, Alexandra Savage (Orange), Sarah Melhuish, Jacob Townsend (Parkes), David Reid (South Bowenfels) and Holly Luck (Wallerawang). Five WRAS athletes Molly Bright, Amelia Burke, Claire McGarity (Bathurst), Kayla Orrock (Stuart Town) and Jade Warrender (Orange) will represent the NSW U 18 girls team. The benefits of the Academy Games extend beyond the hockey field. According to Nancy Haslop, Executive Officer of the Western Region Academy of Sport, �this competition represents an excellent chance for squad members to get together. As most Academy athletes are spread throughout their Academy region, events such as this provide an excellent opportunity for the athletes to develop team skills and mix socially with not only their own squad members but also other hockey players from around the state.�

WRAS Hockey heads to Lithgow – 24 February 2008

Flick — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 23:48:51 +0000

WRAS heads to Wallerawang – 1 February 2008

Flick — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 23:42:54 +0000

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.

State selection for WRAS hockey girls

Flick — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 03:58:40 +0000

Last Sunday, four WRAS hockey players were named in the NSW U18 hockey team at the squad�s training. Molly Bright, Claire McGarity, Kayla Orrock and Jade Warrender will all represent NSW at the Hockey National Championships in Melbourne in March. Fellow WRAS athlete Amelia Burke has been named as a shadow. This is a great result not only for the girls, but also for WRAS to have this number of athletes included. There�ll also be at least one other familiar friendly face for the athletes with WRAS head coach Wayne �Wally� Gaynor in the role of assistant coach for the side. It will be a tough tournament for the girls starting on the 23 March and continuing for a fortnight but will also be a great experience to show off their hockey skills at the next level. Good luck Wally and girls!

WRAS hockey heads to Orange

Flick — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 03:23:02 +0000

Orange 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 Orange 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 Orange�s Keegan Brooke, Ashleigh Carr, Timothy Eslick, Nicholas Hill, Nicholas Milne, Kayla Orrock and Alexandra Savage. Head coach Wayne Gaynor and five players Molly Bright, Claire McGarity, Kayla Orrock, will be absent from the day as they will be at training session for the NSW women�s U18 squad. Assistant Coach, Jo Davis, of Orange will lead the squad for the first time in the head coach�s absence. She will be joined by fellow assistant coach Michelle Melhuish and satellite coaches Beth and Pete Shea. The day will focus on improving field performance and the refinement of skills including positional play, hitting, trapping and short corners. The WRAS athletes will then further build on these skills the following weekend when they meet again at the Combined Academy Camp. Head Coach Wayne Gaynor said �the day is a good opportunity for the squad to gain coaching from some experienced and knowledgeable members of the Orange Hockey community. Being exposed to different coaching styles and techniques is critical to the athletes development�. Local hockey 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.