The University of Sydney has once again shown its support for sport with the approval of additional funding for the Elite Athlete Program in 2008.
The funding boost will be primarily used towards providing additional financial support for new and continuing scholarship athletes, as well as providing significant increases for essential services such as tutoring, nutrition and sports psychology.
The Sydney University Sport Elite Athlete Program currently boasts 270 athletes across 35 sports. The majority of the funding increase will be targeted at current and new scholarship holders, to assist athletes with expenses directly related to studying at the University and the pursuit of their sporting goals.
The support is particularly welcomed with the 2008 Beijing Olympics around the corner. Sydney Uni Sport fielded 16 athletes at each of the past two Olympic Games. It is anticipated that a record number of athletes – consisting of both current and former students from the University – will participate in the Games this year, including current world champion rower Elizabeth Kell (Faculty of Education), Acuvue Sydney Uni Flames team-mates Natalie Porter (Economics and Business Faculty) and Alicia Poto (Education), and Australian Boomers basketball captain Jason Smith (Economics and Business).
Further funding is also available for Sydney Uni Sport’s comprehensive tutoring program, aimed at improving the academic performance of scholarship holders, many of whom are absent during the year owing to travel and competition requirements.
This unique service predominantly employs University tutors and research/coursework students to assist athletes with their academic progression, time management and study skills.
Funding increases in the areas of dietetics and nutrition were also announced, which equates to more individual consultations, physiological testing and group educational seminars and workshops for athletes.
The increase will assist a 12-month pilot intern project, in conjunction with the University’s Discipline of Exercise and Sport Science, aimed at providing nine students annually with valuable experience working with elite athletes in major programs such as rowing, rugby, basketball and swimming.
Mentored by Sydney Uni Sport’s dietician and strength and conditioning coaches, students are requested to screen athletes by taking diet histories and physiological measures.
Further funding is also available for sport psychology, with the specific intention of improving athlete performance consistency and ability to focus, as well as assisting athletes to mentally deal with injuries and avoid “burn-out”.
Finally, additional funds will also be used towards the implementation of an innovative athlete management database that can record essential data for athletes, such as sporting and academic progress, tutoring details, scholarship payments and competition dates.
Elite Athlete Program Manager Ian Evans says the funding increase will provide invaluable assistance in effectively helping Sydney Uni Sport scholarship athletes achieve the difficult balance of life/study/sporting pursuits.
“One of our primary aims with the Elite Athlete Program is to enhance the reputation of the University to the wider community through the international and national achievements of our athletes and to enable them to develop leadership and a team-orientated approach during their sporting careers,” Mr Evans said.
“To this end, I sincerely thank the University for their support to this valuable program”.