THE Canobolas High Performance Athletes Program scholarship recipients are already planning how they will achieve their sporting dreams.
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The program had its official launch last Wednesday, which attracted athletes, parents and key stakeholders.
Six scholarships recipients were announced at the official launch from the 18 students already selected for the program.
Jack Connors (athletics), Kane Mitchell (rugby league and touch football), Mac Reith-Snare (softball) and Bradlee Roberts (lawn bowls) were given individual scholarships, while siblings Erin (netball and touch football) and Callan Naden (league and touch football) were awarded a joint scholarship.
The young athletes are excited by the program, which will offer them specialised coaching, strength and conditioning, fitness testing and assessment, sports psychology and nutrition consultation, as well as academic assistance to help them achieve their sporting dreams.
“It’s smart. It’s exciting,” Connors said of the program.
“I like it a lot more than others because it also includes the academic side,” Roberts added.
Interested students had to apply for the program and submit a second application for the $500 scholarships.
“You had to get two teachers to sign the form and say you do well in sport and your schoolwork,” Mitchell explained.
“You had to kiss up for a week or two,” Roberts joked.
Most of the athletes said the scholarship would help them with the cost of travel and training.
Roberts would like to use his money to help grow his sport in the region.
“I’d like to put mine towards a program for bowlers to get more juniors involved,” he said.
The program, Jr Jack Attack, aims at introducing the game of lawn bowls to children in an inclusive and fun format.
The scholarship winners said their sporting goals were to be selected in NSW and Australian squads in their chosen sports.
The program will start in February next year when the athletes attend a three-day testing and induction camp at Charles Sturt University.
They will also have regular sessions at PhyzX for pilates classes and injury prevention, meetings with dietician Jacki Jasprizza, testing at CSU, specialised coaching, and scholastic guidance from the program’s academic support co-ordinator Louise Rose.
