Hockey Hits Goal With Enhanced RASi Partnership

Written on the 16 October 2024 by RASi

The South West Sydney Academy of Sport is excited to play a crucial part in the delivery of an enhanced agreement with Hockey NSW and Regional Academies of Sport Incorporated (RASi) NSW. RASi recently announced a new strategic partnership with Hockey NSW, marking a significant milestone in the development of future hockey talent across the state.

This renewed partnership, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), will see Regional Academies, such as the South West Sydney Academy of Sport, play a crucial role in delivering Hockey NSW’s pathway programs for U/16 and U/18 athletes across the State.

Under this agreement, Regional Academies will become the primary delivery network for the Hockey NSW pathway programs, offering young athletes vital opportunities to progress within the sport. The partnership aims to nurture and develop talent, providing aspiring hockey players with the training, support and resources needed to advance to state-level teams and compete on national platforms.

The program will specifically target two age groups, U/16 and U/18, with Regional Academies hosting training and development sessions that align with Hockey NSW’s pathways, with the primary goal is to offer athletes a high-performance environment to refine their skills and enhance their chances of state team selection. This will be achieved through access to quality coaching, technical training, and performance support services, including nutrition and psychology education.

Each year, the program will culminate in major events that serve as talent identification opportunities for state team selection. These include the Your Local Club Regional Academy Games for the U16 age group athletes not participating in the U16 National Championships, providing those fringe athletes the opportunity for high level of competition to refine their skills for future state selection. A separate Academy Challenge tournament will be held for the U18 age group, where athletes will have an opportunity to be talent identified, as well as gain experience in a final hit out ahead of the U18 Nationals.

The partnership also aims to strengthen the regional coaching framework, with coaches involved in the program receiving educational support aimed at enhancing their capabilities in not just nurturing athletic talent, but developing their own coaching skills. Umpire development will also be a key focus, ensuring that officiating talent grows alongside player development.

"We are excited to partner with Hockey NSW to deliver a program that will open doors for young athletes in regional areas. Our goal is to provide them with the resources and opportunities they need to progress through the hockey ranks," said RASi Chairperson, Brett O’Farrell.

Hockey NSW CEO Matthew Bulkeley said, "We are thrilled to extend our partnership with RASi as a key part of our new strategic direction and officially partner with them to enhance the development opportunities provided for Hockey across the state.”

“This partnership will allow Hockey NSW's Pathway Program to continue to provide opportunities to Under 16 and Under 18-year-olds within the footprint of each Regional Academy of Sport. This is a very important strategic directive of Hockey NSW's performance pillar, and we are excited to continue working together with RASi to achieve this," Bulkeley added. 

"Having had Hockey as a key part of our Academy family supporting Hockey athletes from our local region since 1997, and with a long list of former Academy Athletes who have not just represented NSW, but Australia at Commonwealth and Olympic Games levels, we are looking forward to continuing our local region's athletes journey through this enhanced partnership." said Academy CEO Gerry Knights. 

Nominations for both Athletes and Coaching Staff to be a part of the 2024-2025 Club Menangle Hockey Program are open ahead of a selection trial and program commencement later in 2024. 

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