THE Limestone Coast Regional Sporting Academy has announced it has received funding from the Office for Recreation and Sport to the tune of $50,000 dollars to further develop the program.
The pilot program began last year, with 12 athletes involved, centred around strength and conditioning, plus education, all conducted locally.
The funding will help push the program to the next level, to provide real pathways and opportunities for athletes in the region, with sport specific training now added, which was otherwise gained in the big city centres.
The academy has now formed partnerships with Uni SA and state sporting organisations in soccer, hockey and athletics.
Academy coordinator Tony Elletson said it was an exciting announcement, which would help grow the program and offer athletes in the region access to facilities not before available.
“It is probably the most exciting thing that has happened in sport for young people down here for a long time,” he said.
“This isn’t just a fly-by-night thing, it is something we have had buy in from a lot of areas, different levels of government and state sporting organisations.
“We have gone from 12 athletes now and will be able to grow that to close to 30-40 next year, with sports specific programs.
“The athletes will get skills-based programs at the elite level.
“Where they normally have had to travel to the city to have access to the state training program, they can do it here.
“The state sporting organisations will train the local coaches down here.
“Councils have bought into the program which is massive for us and now we want to form partnerships with local businesses who want to partner up with us and be involved.”
Elletson said it was not just an academy where you go along, do your training and off you go.
He said it was about providing clear pathways to the next level.
“Our athletes will have access to the Uni SA high performance centre,” he said.
“They can go and do the VO2 Max testing and biomechanics testing.
“We will go down to Adelaide three times a year and if any athletes are in Adelaide they will have access to that high performance centre.
“From that testing their results will be measured against other athletes and give them an understanding of where they need to be in real time.
“They will also have their strength and conditioning programs modified to fit that need.”
Elletson said the initial pilot program had proved successful, with athletes competing at the state and national level providing positive feedback.
The new funding simply means it can go to the next level.
“The athletes will continue to do their strength and conditioning through their home town across the region,” Elletson said.
“But they will all come together for their sport specific programs, whether it be once a week, once a fortnight or once a month.
“They will all train together at either Mount Gambier, Naracoorte or across the region.
“The councils involved, the Office of Recreation and Sport and the state sporting bodies can see a real opportunity that this is something which provides real benefits for athletes in regional areas.”
Elletson said the funding was an exciting development for the future of the academy.
“This funding gives us some certainty going forward that we can keep running the program,” he said.
“We can offer it to more athletes and because we form partnerships with the state organisations, it means we can fund the actual resources of running the program.”
