In 2017 the Illawarra Academy of Sport will once again provide sporting scholarships to more than 180 athletes across nine sporting programs including Basketball, Cricket, Cycling, Golf, Hockey, Netball, Rugby Sevens, Tenpin Bowling and Triathlon, as well as two individual athlete programs including the LoneStar program and Athletes with a Disability.
In a positive move for the region, Basketball, an inaugural sport within the IAS in 1986 returns to the Academy in 2017 along with a new sport program in Tenpin Bowling.
Scholarship holders will be provided with athlete development programs inclusive of skill acquisition, physical development, education and community engagement programs to further enhance and support the athlete’s personal and sporting development.
The IAS will in 2017 continue exploring opportunities to expand our athlete servicing with the inclusion of further sports programs and scholarship initiatives. Athletes will be provided the opportunity to engage in additional education programs including the academically focused In-2-Uni Program being delivered by the Academy’s education partner, the University of Wollongong. Additionally, through the partnership with Big Fat Smile, scholarship holders will be offered the opportunity to undertake a course in leadership and the means to engage the community in various leadership roles.
The IAS is excited to be able to provide athletes across the region with unapparelled access to industry leading physical performance programs including complementary memberships to the regions premier fitness facilitates with Jetts Fitness and access to high performance programs with BaiMed.
The Illawarra region has a rich history for producing elite sports men and woman and the IAS has been for 30 years a significant vehicle in this process. Graduating athletes from the IAS include Australian Test Cricketers Brett and Shane Lee and Phil Jaques, World Surfing Champions Sally Fitzgibbons and Michael Lowe, Australian Kookaburras Keiran and Blake Govers, Tristan White and Flynn Ogilvie, Olympians David Smith, Ryan Gregson, David McKeon, Jarrod Poort and Zoe Upton and Paralympians Siobhan Paton, Megan Newell and Brett Stibners, Australian National Team Representatives Dan Palmer and Alex Kanaar (Wallabies), Luke Bailey, Shaun Timmins, Ben Hornby, Josh Morris, Brett Stewart and Craig Fitzgibbon (Kangaroos), Luke Wilkshire (Socceroos), Grace Stewart (Hockeyroos), Caleb Ewan (Cycling) and many more…..
The IAS would like to acknowledge and thank our valued sponsors and partners for whose generosity will allow us to continue providing support to regionally base young talented sports citizens throughout 2017. Our partners include Collegians Rugby League Football Club, NSW Government – Office of Sport, BlueScopeWIN Community Partners, University of Wollongong, Illawarra Mercury, BaiMed, Jetts Fitness, MCT Solutions, Big Fat Smile, Cram Fluid Power, Peoplecare, Premier Transport Group, Choice Home Loans, Soto Consultant Engineers, Aceit Sportswear and the local councils of Kiama, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven, Wingecarribee and Wollongong.
On behalf of the IAS Board of Directors, Staff and Athletes, I would like to welcome you to the New Year and invite you to join with us in celebrating the achievements of all athletes, past and present throughout 2017.
