Taking it to the schools

To borrow a famous phrase, the road to sporting success is paved with good intentions. 

At least, that’s the hope and drive behind Melbourne University Sport’s new Elite Athletes in Schools Program, running in Victorian secondary schools for the first time in 2012. It aims to provide student athletes with the chance to listen and learn from elite athletes now studying at the University of Melbourne, giving them greater insight about the path required for both sporting and academic success.

“Our student athletes are high achievers in both their study and sport, and we count many Victorian and Australian sporting representatives among those in the University’s Elite Athlete Program,” says Rod Warnecke, Sports Development Manager at MU Sport. As a member of the Australian Sports Commission’s Elite Athlete Friendly University (EAFU) network, the MU Sport program helps provide flexible study and assessment options for eligible student athletes.

“We know these students can be ideal role models for other young people, who in many cases are not that far away from achieving similar levels of athletic performance. We think it’s going to be a real benefit for them to be able to ask questions and learn from these world-class athletes, and have a better understanding of what it takes to manage their study, training and competition commitments.”

The first school to play host to the program has been Grovedale College in Geelong, which is also home to one of the state’s only dedicated secondary school Sports Academy programs. Students in Years Nine and Eleven had a few hours to pick the brains of athletes such as recently returned London Olympic rower James Marburg, Beijing Olympic modern pentathlete Angela Darby and former rowing world championship representative Alice McNamara.

“The athletes were fantastic. The information they offered up was just incredible, they were very forthcoming in responding to student questions, “ says Mick Lenaghan, College Manager. 

For Grovedale, the visit was especially important in the context of the sports academy program. “One of the main aims of the program is to expose students to what it takes to be an elite athlete; the lifestyle, the training, the things you may have to give up,” he says. “We try to incorporate at least one athlete to come in each year and give a presentation, but to have four or five at one time was fantastic.

“In speaking to the students afterward, they all said they found it very useful and they felt that the messages the students put across were not just helpful but impressive. We’ll definitely be looking to do it again.”

Grovedale’s program expects its young sporting stars to have the same approach to their athletic endeavours as those in the University’s own Elite Athletes program. 

“The big emphasis we have is on their attitude and how they approach everything, not just in the sporting arena,” Mr Lenaghan says. “We want students to be independent, to make decisions for themselves and make the most of the opportunity.” 

For Genevieve Venosta, the High Performance Athletes in Schools Program is a kind of dream come true. A water polo athlete at the Victorian Institute of Sport and a former professional player in Russia’s national league, she’s played a key role in leading the charge to make the program a reality, as one of the co-ordinators of the of the University’s Elite Athlete Program. 

“It’s been great, absolutely, we’ve had such good feedback from the schools we got in contact with who have all been very receptive about what we’re trying to do,” she says.

“It’s been good to speak with the Year Eleven students at this time of year, as they start to lock down their plans for VCE and beyond. We’ve already got another five confirmed sessions with more to come, so it’s going from strength to strength.”

Speaking from the Australian University Games in Adelaide where she was representing the University in the pool, Venosta said she has had first-hand experience with how helpful such elite athlete programs can be, as she completes a Bachelor of Commerce. 

“I’m in my third year now and as an Elite Athlete at the University I’ve been able to access gym membership and physiotherapy for my entire degree, I’ve received assistance to go to the Junior World Championships last year, and I’ve even been able to complete an exam while playing full-time in Russia!”

http://www.sport.unimelb.edu.au/recreation/EliteAthlete.html