Strong start to new era of Academy of Sport

The newly elevated Academy of Sport programme aims to provide more comprehensive levels of academic, athletic and financial support to student athletes, while also encouraging inclusion and engagement on a wider scale.

As a result of the revised framework, the Academy of Sport can now cast a wider net of support around more students and provide further opportunities to get involved. The beginning of the year sessions have already been well-received by those in the programme.

Team building and fitness testing sessions were held on the Manawatū campus at the beginning of March, where the largest cohort of student athletes are based. The team building provided an opportunity for students at a gold and silver level to come together and foster relationships between fellow athletes and key staff. Additionally, the fitness testing was open to all student athletes to assess their physical capabilities and formulate a benchmark to track their progress across the year.

High Performance Coordinator Tamara Scott-Valath says it’s been a promising start to the year with the restructure already showing positive results.

“It’s been fantastic to be able to support a much wider group of student athletes in 2024. The new structure has allowed us to recognise the talent and dedication of all our student athletes and support them towards achieving their goals both on and off the sporting field. We’re already seeing the benefits from the increased support and on-campus opportunities, and I’m excited to continue building the programme further and getting to reconnect with new and returning students alike to follow their successes throughout the year.”

The upcoming Semester One and Semester Two Academy of Sport calendars involve a series of workshops and webinars across a range of relevant subjects, including nutrition, sports psychology and clean sport to help the cohort optimise their performance and wellbeing.

First-year Bachelor of Agricultural Science student and cricketer Ella Hogan says the recent team building session she attended was helpful in establishing herself for the new journey ahead.

“I was able to meet heaps of new like-minded people and get to know the team behind the programme. It was pretty daunting to start university not knowing what to expect and I was worried about how I would balance my workload with training, study and games but the team have already been so encouraging and helpful with advice on how to manage it. The fitness testing was also very beneficial in giving me an indication of my current performance and where I need to improve to perform at my best.”

Phoenix Reid, who is in her sixth year with Massey completing a Master of Science in Biological Sciences, says she’s glad to be part of the Academy of Sport again as she juggles study and her artistic roller skating career.

“Massey has always been flexible, understanding and accommodating when it comes to being a student athlete. The Academy has offered me guidance on balancing my study and my training and competing schedule, assisting with the large amount of communication required between athletes and Massey staff and providing additional resources including seminars, gym memberships and one-on-one nutrition and sports psychology when needed.”

For more information on the Academy of Sport programme, click here.