Students hear from athletes
Restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have changed the lives of everyone in today's world, including young athletes with hopes and dreams to take their sport to the next level.
The Elite Sports Performers (ESP) Program at St Paul's Anglican Grammar School has been assisting their 50 ESP students by providing inspirational videos from professional athletes and coaches to help motivate them to continue balancing training regimes with their schoolwork and family time.
The possibility that motivation levels of students could decline as the length of the lockdown progressed was the driving force behind program co-ordinator Scott Armour and his ESP team for reaching out to some of Australia’s leading athletes and coaches for assistance.
“Without access to the students I wanted a way to get brief messages of support and encouragement to our young athletes. In the first lockdown, the videos focused on getting athletes to show how they had adapted their training to home-based sessions during the lockdown.
“In the second lockdown, we centred the videos around strategies to get the ESP student athletes to remain positive and focus on their training,” Mr Armour said.
Former Olympians, elite athletes, Australian coaches and industry professionals recorded videos for the students about how they were progressing with their training despite the pandemic putting a hold on their sport.
“They have also provided valuable tips and advice to help the students be mentally and physically prepared to step straight back into their sport when it returns,” he said.
Some of the athletes and coaches who sent messages included Dean Vickerman, Brenton Jones, Harry and Ben McKay, Ashleigh Brennan, Sarah Rowe and Taylah Giliam alongside many more.
Scott Armour was extremely grateful to all who had taken the time to provide St Paul’s ESP students with tips and messages of support that the students have found extremely helpful and motivating.
The program at St Paul’s continues to assist young athletes competing at a state, national or international level in their chosen sport to balance the demands of school with their sporting commitments.
During remote learning, ESP students have access to their Inspire App to monitor wellness, email staff for support and to request one on one online meetings.