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