NSW’s FIRST ELITE SKATE PROGRAM ROLLS OUT!
Pathways for Australian athletes seem no longer reserved for traditional and high participation sports in NSW with the exciting introduction of the State’s first Elite Skate Program. The regionally based program, developed in partnership with the North Coast Academy of Sport (NCAS), Mid-North Coast Skate Club and Northern Rivers Skate Club offers athletes from Port Macquarie through to the Tweed Coast, the opportunity to build their skills and their competitive edge across a series of training camps based across Northern NSW skate parks including Yamba, Coffs Harbour and Byron Bay throughout 2023.
Over 20 applications were received for the inaugural athlete intake with just 8 athletes gaining entry to the program. Port Macquarie’s Murphy Dawkins holds up the southern part of the region with Cooper and Levi Miller, Georgia Winn and Jazz Kennedy from Coffs Harbour also filling positions in the group. Jude Buchanan, Archie Simpson and Tanisha Gardiner round out the strong 2023 team.
The NCAS program offers a series of additional performance based training elements aimed at building these athletes into the future. Participants have access to a fully funded skate specific strength and conditioning program through ACE performance, with athletes being put through their paces at Southern Cross University on 10 June. Athletes also spend time discussing nutrition and sports psychology with professionals during the program.
After a rigorous training camp at Yamba skate park in May. Coffs Harbour played host to a full day of shredding and coaching on 11 June, where Head Coach and World Skate judge Bevin Newton and Assistant Coach James Waghorn were joined by professional skateboarder Shaun Boucher.
“This isn’t just another grassroots, come and try skateboarding program, it’s a holistic program that offers our best skateboarders a platform to grow into very competitive individuals, as part of a solid team. The NCAS also provides high performance professional development for our coaches.”
“We’re wrapped to be working alongside the North Coast Academy of Sport to deliver some much-needed support for identified talent here in our region” says Bevin Newton. “This isn’t just another grassroots, come and try skateboarding program, it’s a holistic program that offers our best skateboarders a platform to grow into very competitive individuals, as part of a solid team. The NCAS also provides high performance professional development for our coaches.” He adds.
With further training camps set for both Yamba and Byron Bay in the coming months, it’s all eyes on this new program across the state with other regional academies seemingly keen to launch their own programs, based on its success. The Regional Academies of Sport is a pathway to the NSW Institute of Sport and the Australian Institute of Sport. With the added support of Skate Australia, could these regionally-based skate programs be set to produce the next-gen of Aussie competitive skaters …?
