The Illawarra Academy of Sport (IAS) is preparing to host the Regional Academies of Sport (RAS) for a growth strategy meeting between the many State Sporting Organisations (SSO’s), the NSW state government’s Office of Sport and the Regional Academies. In what promises to be a critical meeting for the state’s future sporting stars in NSW, the RAS network is facilitating a meeting where the strategy around developing talent pathways in regional NSW will be a cornerstone outcome.
As the first Regional Academy established in the State over 36 years ago, the IAS is excited to hold the meeting at home in Wollongong. “We are pretty excited to host such a crucial conference in the place where it all began” said John Armstrong, IAS CEO. “The potential to mark the next step in the growth of Regional Academies through this conference is a realistic prospect”.
Considering the effects COVID-19 had on sport in 2020, the RAS network is ideally placed to be leading the discussion on building a more robust sport system for regional NSW that delivers key outcomes for the sporting organisations in this state.
Ian Robilliard OAM, Chair of RAS said: “It’s exciting that RAS is able to facilitate a meeting with thirty CEO’s from the various State Sporting Organisation’s with RAS taking a lead on the debate around creating efficiencies in the very regions we operate”.
Robilliard continued, “The ultimate call to action will be greater engagement across the sport network with RAS. The work RAS does daily in pre-elite athlete development space is critical throughout regional NSW. This is exciting times for RAS, our relevance and our importance has grown considerably in recent years and to be able to facilitate such a meeting is important for our collective group of organisations.”
“The Illawarra provides a perfect location for such a forum with the excellent community support that is provided to the IAS as a real example of how the Academies can do so much more for emerging talent in each Sporting Organisation” said Armstrong, “With each Regional academy understanding the nuances of the region, it allows stronger support for emerging talent”.
Watch the 9 News story here.
