Academy hits radar
Sport conference seeks pathway to dream
A FAR North sport working group will come together to further explore a regional academy in Cairns after a sport and recreation conference.
A total of 18 different sports were represented at the sport and recreation conference delivered by industry experts to cover the latest trends and future challenges affecting the sport and recreation industry late last week.
A potential regional academy of sport in the region has been a talking point for years with how it would be run, how it would be funded, where it would be located, among other aspects, heavily debated.
The idea of a local academy that tailors itself to high-performance Far North athletes was raised, as was an economic asset that attracts visiting teams and services high-end sporting teams.
Sport and Recreation Services regional manager Ian Lowth said the concept of a high-performance centre was around 15 years old in the Far North.
“It is about attempting to get input from around the table on what that might be or where we can take it as a community,” Lowth said. “There will be a working group coming together to try and progress it a little bit further.
“It still needs a little bit more meat on the bone, the whole concept.
“It needs more fleshing out, research and substance.
“It needs to be looked at, the need or demand of the possible centre. This is the start of the conversation, a lot of water needs to go under the bridge to sharpen up the proposal and get the community on the same page.”
AFL Cairns president Gary Young, who has been vocal about the need for an academy, believes North Cairns, near Tobruk Memorial Pool and the Cairns Tennis Centre, or James Cook University should be locations considered.
“It is not just going to happen,” Young said.
“It is going to be a 10-15 year plan and we need a greater plan than just building a high performance centre. The conference got a wider range of people thinking about the concept of what it might be and Speed Vision Smarts Agility Leadership Fitness Courage TOMORROW: Leadership how we can work towards it.”
JCU sports scientist Stephen Bird, who spoke at the conference yesterday, believes a regional sports academy needs to be established.
“There is already a lot of really good sporting infrastructure in place in Cairns,” Bird said. “How can we go about it now to maximise the competitive leverage as an advantage?
“Generally, everyone is on the same page and in agreeance among all sports but it is something we need to explore further to develop the pathway and the transition.”