This Sunday 18 May, The Western Region Academy of Sport is holding their valuable Coach the Coach Survival Guide for Mum and Dad Coaches at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst. This program was a great success last year and combines both theory and practical components to provide attendees with the skills to effectively coach their team. The Survival Guide will include a beneficial information session run by the NSW Sport and Recreation’s Coordinator of Sport Education, Simon Woinarski that includes information on how to structure a great training session, establishing positive goals and objectives, how to correctly handle athletes and their parents, how to become a greater coach for your team and many more relevant issues for the coaches. Following this information session, there will be three practical sessions with specific skills and drills run by highly experienced local coaches Katrina Ferris, Cate Gardner, Wayne Gaynor in either basketball, hockey or netball. Those who attend the Survival Guide will receive a CD resource to take home with them containing important information and ideas from the theory session. The morning tea break will be a great opportunity to network with fellow beginner coaches. Twenty two people have already applied for this exciting program and there are still a few positions available for parents to apply. Nancy Haslop, Executive Officer of the Western Region Academy of Sport, believes this opportunity for coaches must not be missed. “This program will provide those who attend with invaluable experience and expertise in their new coaching role, enabling them to become more effective coaches and therefore enabling their squad to become better players”. For further information or to register for the remaining positions call the Western Region Academy of Sport on 63384821.END
Tags: 2008, coach, development, wras
WRAS is once again set to ‘RACE’ around the region with the Regional Athlete and Coach Education program. RACE lectures will provide an overview of some of the latest strategies to enhance athletic performance and will be presented in towns throughout the western region. This year’s RACE will consist of four 20 minute lectures on:
* Recovery
* Acute Injury Management
* Speed and Power
* Self Massage
These lectures are a fantastic opportunity for local people involved with sport as an athlete, coach, parent, teacher, student or enthusiast to brush up on current developments in the world of sports science. Please see link below for more information or call the WRAS office on 6338 4821.
Dates, venues and times for 2008 RACE lectures
Tags: 2008, RACE, sports science, wras
Young will play host to the Western Region Academy of Sport Netball squad this Sunday for the second time in 2008. Due to the overwhelming success of the training day held in Young in January the WRAS squad, led by Head Coach Cate Gardner will return to the Young Shire on 4 May to further develop their netball skills. Training will commence at 10am with athletes traveling from around the region (Bathurst, Cowra, Cudal, Dubbo, Forbes, Gulargambone, Gulgong, Mudgee, Orange, Parkes, and West Wyalong) to attend. Young will be represented by two of the town’s brightest netball talents, Tori Pope and Lauren Sheridan. Athletes will work on developing all aspects of their game, with a specific focus on court performance and fitness using new and specialist techniques. Cate believes that the squad is training well and she is looking forward to the upcoming 2008 State League Competition. “The girls have been training hard and I’m predicting that they will be a force to contend with in the State League competition. This training day in Young will be a fantastic opportunity for the girls to concentrate on their fitness, mental toughness and game play situations”. The WRAS training day is a great opportunity for local netball players, coaches and spectators to see some of region’s most talented athletes train under the direction of the Academies highly qualified and experienced coaches.
Tags: 2008, netball, wras, Young
Dubbo will play host to the Western Region Academy of Sport Netball Squad this Sunday for an intense training day commencing at 10am, under the watchful eye of head coach Cate Gardner. The 2008 Netball Squad which consists of talented athletes from all around the western region will head to St John’s College to develop all aspects of their game, with a focus on court performance and fitness using new and specialist techniques. Cate believes that the squad is training well and she is looking forward to the upcoming 2008 State League Competition. “The girls have been training hard and I’m predicting that they will be a force to contend with in the State League competition. This training day at Dubbo will be a fantastic opportunity for the girls to concentrate on their fitness, mental toughness and game play situations”. Local netball 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. END
Tags: 2008, dubbo, netball, wras
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
Tags: 2008, hockey, lithgow, 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
The Western Region Academy of Sport is on the look out for that ‘undiscovered’ talent to ‘try a triathlon’. The Academy offers athlete’s quality sports development programs to help them reach higher levels in their sport. WRAS athletes are provided with excellent opportunities including elite coaching, fitness testing, strength and conditioning, athlete education and individual program monitoring. Over the last few years, the Academy has conducted a broad talent search program through schools in the western region in conjunction with the Australian Sports Commission. The focus of this years WRAS talent identification program is on discovering athletes suited to specific sports such as triathlon. If you are exceptionally fit, an outstanding swimmer, a confident strong runner, in school years 7-10 and have never competed in a triathlon then the academy wants you! The Academy is offering people that meet this criterion an opportunity to attend a 3 day training camp and a possible 2009 Talent Identification (TID) Scholarship which could be the first step on the way to state and national representation. WRAS Triathlon head coach Nick Kastelein Sr said “The program is a great opportunity for regional athletes to fast track their progress in a sport they have never thought about participating in. Triathlon is such an exciting sport, but people don’t often think about trying it and this is their chance”. WRAS has already had great success in triathlon including Bathurst triathlete Nick North, who was identified by WRAS in 2005. After 3 years Nick has already risen to the top ranks of triathlon. He recently attended the Australian development camp with the National Junior Squad and continues to show great promise. WRAS is excited about the prospect of finding and helping western region athletes achieve things that they have never even thought possible. END
Tags: 2008, talent identification, triathlon, wras
