Athletes in the Western Region Academy of Sport Tennis squad will converge in Bathurst this weekend for the Open Teams Tournament. Bathurst Tennis Centre is hosting the event and players from clubs around the state including Springwood and Tumut will attend. The tournament begins on Saturday morning, 10 May and will be played as is a round robin doubles competition. There is one ladies division and both an A and B grade division for men. This event is a great opportunity for the young WRAS athletes to get some experience playing against adults. The Academy will be represented by a team in every division and all are expected to perform well. WRAS Tennis Head coach and tournament coordinator Andrew Mitton said ‘the tournament is a great opportunity for the athletes to put into practice the skills they have been working on at their local TDCs (Tennis Development Centrea) and at other Academy events. We have some really promising athletes in WRAS and I’m expecting some great results.’ It’s set to be a big weekend for the junior players as they will also have a session on Friday night with newly appointed NSW Institute of Sport Regional Coach Nicholas Burns. Local athletes, coaches and spectators are welcome and encouraged watch this session which at the Bathurst Tennis Centre from 7-9pm.END
Tags: 2008, bathurst, tennis, 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
WRAS High Performance Tennis player Greg last week competed in the 2008 
NSW Combined High Schools (CHS) Championships in Penrith where he finished fourth overall in the state in the singles competition. From this Greg has been selected in the NSW CHS 1sts team that will compete in Wollongong on the 25 and 26 March for selection in the Pizzey Cup team for the School Sport Australia Championships. We’ll keep you posted over the coming month with more results from this rising tennis star. Congratulations Greg!
Tags: 2008, news, tennis, wras
Bathurst will play hosts to the Western Region Academy of Sport tennis squad this Friday for an intensive training day. Athletes from across the region will arrive at the Bathurst Tennis Centre at 9am for a full day of training. The squad consists of some of the most talented tennis stars of the future from towns such as West Wyalong, Forbes and Trundle and Bathurst’s own Greg Lynch and Kurt Johns. The athletes will take part in various training drills and games as they focus on improving their court speed, shot selection and game tactics, as they look to follow in the footsteps of Lleyton Hewitt and Casey Dellacqua! This training is getting the squad ready for the JDS tournament in Orange on February 3. Head Coach Andrew Mitton said “It’s a good opportunity for the players to get back focused on their tennis after the Christmas break, and tune up for the Orange tournament.” Local tennis 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.
Tags: 2008, news, tennis, 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
NSW Combined High Schools (CHS) Championships in Penrith where he finished fourth overall in the state in the singles competition. From this Greg has been selected in the NSW CHS 1sts team that will compete in Wollongong on the 25 and 26 March for selection in the Pizzey Cup team for the School Sport Australia Championships. We’ll keep you posted over the coming month with more results from this rising tennis star. Congratulations Greg!
