College to help train athletes of future
WESTERN Heights College has launched a new state-ofthe-art high-performance centre, which is part of the school’s progressive Specialist Sports Program.
Students will now have access to the impressive centre, which offers a fully-catered gym and recovery and video review facilities.
The centre is spearheaded by head of basketball and current under-19 Australian women’s basketball team head coach David Herbert, head of football and former Western Bulldogs head coach Brendan McCartney, and head of strength and conditioning Kris Blicavs.
It’s the latest addition to the school’s unique learning environment which the school says is geared to developing great people first and great athletes second.
Western Heights College principal Fiona Taylor said the program is committed to providing ongoing guidance, support and learning opportunities to balance academic and sporting excellence for its students.
“We want to provide our students with the best chance of success, whatever that outcome is, which is why the Specialist Sports Program aims to develop the whole athlete and young person by focusing on strength and conditioning, nutrition, physiotherapy, sports psychology, mindfulness and resilience, along with regular wellness monitoring,” she said.
“We believe that the opportunity to regularly train in a high-performance environment with other like-minded students will really enhance and drive the development of student athletes.”
Ms Taylor said the centre was designed specifically for student athlete development and functional training, with flexible layout options to accommodate between 30 and 50 students in the learning and training environment.
“We are excited to offer students a unique opportunity to pursue their sporting dreams while receiving a tailored and individualised learning program, and our new high-performance centre is an important part of that,” she said.
Students are coached and mentored regularly by elitelevel coaches, all of whom have played or coached at a national or international level.
Geelong Supercats star Sara Blicavs, who was recently added to the Australian Opals roster ahead of the 2020 World Cup, has been working closely with Western Heights College student and future basketball star, Jasmine Whatley. “The Specialist Sports Program and the new highperformance centre are incredible,” Blicavs said. “I keep saying that I wish I had access to a program like this when I was in high school.
Year 8-11 applications for 2021 are now open and close on September 18.
For more information on the program go to: sports.whc.vic.edu.au/.