Members of Northern Arena’s Coast Elite Swim Squad at the Auckland Recreation Centre with Health and Fitness Team Leader Karl Puohotaua (left) and Fitness and Recreation Services Manager Richard Hollings (Right).
The three-year partnership will give athletes in Northern Arena's Coast Elite squad access to the university’s Auckland Recreation Centre, strength and conditioning programmes developed by Massey staff and a range of Academy of Sport resources that support athlete development.
The initiative aims to encourage talented swimmers to remain in Aotearoa New Zealand while pursuing tertiary study, rather than feeling they need to head overseas to continue their sporting development.
Manager – Sport Massey Angela Rainham says the partnership reflects Massey's commitment to supporting student athletes to succeed both in and out of the sporting arena.
“We are committed to supporting high-performance athletes to succeed in both their sporting and academic endeavours. We have expertise to enhance athlete development and academic progression for these athletes, and we are excited to enter into a partnership like this that will encourage elite swimming talent to stay in New Zealand for tertiary study.”
The Coast Elite squad includes 17 athletes, among them several current and future Massey students.
Current Bachelor of Business student Sam Brown says the university's flexibility has enabled him to pursue both academic and sporting goals.
"Having flexibility around balancing sport and university has made a huge difference to my studies at Massey. High-performance swimming involves early mornings, heavy training blocks, travel and recovery, so being able to work my study around those commitments has helped me stay consistent.
"That support has allowed me to achieve strong academic results while continuing to compete at a high level in the pool. It also takes a lot of pressure off knowing Massey understands what's required of me as both a student and an athlete."
Savannah-Eve Martin, who will begin studying a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise at Massey in Semester Two, says the partnership reinforces her decision to study while continuing her swimming career.
"I'm looking forward to starting my studies at Massey and developing myself both academically and as an athlete. As a high-performance swimmer representing New Zealand, having a university that understands the demands of elite sport is incredibly valuable.
"I think the partnership between Coast Swim Club and Sport Massey is a fantastic initiative because it supports athletes in pursuing their goals, whether that's training, studying or both. It creates an environment where athletes can thrive in and out of the pool while preparing for the future."
The partnership also builds on existing connections between Massey and Northern Arena. Head coach Michael Weston is a Massey graduate, having completed a Bachelor of Science with a major in Exercise and Sport Science, followed by a Master of Business Administration.
Alongside supporting current athletes, the partnership will introduce prospective students within Northern Arena's wider swimming community to Massey's flexible study options, sporting scholarships and Academy of Sport programme.
Northern Arena has more than 500 swimmers in its competitive programme and more than 4,000 people attend lessons at the facility each week, providing opportunities to showcase the support available to student athletes at Massey.
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