Program Summary

Program Season: March - October
Age Group: 13-16 Years of Age
Gender: Male and Female

Current Program Status: 

Nominations Opening in December 2024.

The South West Sydney Academy of Sport implements high performance programs for talented young athletes from South West Sydney region across a number of sports.

New in 2025, the Academy will be launching a pilot Baseball Performance Pathway and Support program in association with The Macarthur Credit Union and RBI Academy Australia. Additionally, through consultation with local Baseball associations, the Academy intends to develop this pilot program into a full Academy Sport Program for 2025-2026.

This pilot program is targeted for athletes who are participating in Macarthur District Baseball competitions, as well as those who have participated within the RBI Academy structure previously.

The focus of the pilot program is on providing ongoing high-performance support to talent identified Baseball athletes within the Academy catchment area.

Program Objectives

Develop athletes to be competitive, with a fundamentally sound base.

Provide fundamental individual skill development and leadership sessions for athletes during traditional representative off-season programs, to participate within Baseball High Performance Pathways.

Compliment athletes local Representative team training and encourage athletes to be leaders within those teams, by providing high-performance training and development opportunities within the local area.

Prepare athletes for Baseball NSW High Performance trials and pathway programs, such as State teams, College combines, or touring team trials.

Athlete Benefits

The program provides access to pathway performance coaching, analysis of individual skill and development within a squad structure, sports science testing, and access to high performance strength and conditioning programs, through the use of on-field training, and in-house specialist workshops utilising the existing South West Sydney Academy of Sport frameworks, along with the Baseball knowledge of RBI Academy Australia.

A large range of athlete appropriate education workshops such as sport psychology, nutrition, drugs in sport awareness, public speaking, resilience, media training, sports medicine and injury prevention are also undertaken as a part of the regular training program.

The South West Sydney Academy of Sport Baseball program is designed to introduce athletes to the State and National high performance pathway. And include training in the NSW Style of Play along with technical and tactical skill development specific to the next level of Baseball.

Key performance opportunities will be selected to best suit the current development level of athletes, and may include events such as Academy hosted invitational tournaments, local touring teams, or inter-Academy opportunities.

Training and Performance Opportunities

• The Academy will conduct regular on-field training sessions that will include individual and squad based fundamental skill development training between March and October. A focus on team dynamics and tactical skill development will take place towards the latter part of the program.

• Additional Academy education sessions and off-field development may take place following the conclusion of the "program year", with the program attending the Annual Athlete Graduation and Sport Awards Dinner, generally held in late July.

• Regular training sessions will be aligned to avoid clashes with the representative training and competition schedules of those clubs within the South West Sydney Academy of Sport catchment area, as much as possible. 

• Athletes will be required to undertake a strength and conditioning program, including access to a supervised gym program throughout the period.

• Subject to the athletes commitment to the Academy, training performance and depth of squad, the Academy intends to compete in a suitably identified tournament. 

• The Academy may send age and gender appropriate team's to additional tournaments, or conduct Development Camps/Challenges with other Regional Academy or high performance programs and invited teams through the program period.

• Training sessions will take place at Baseball Association grounds throughout the South West Sydney region. Additional sessions, including optional battery sessions, may take place at the indoor training facility, RBI Australia, in Narellan. A full training and performance schedule will be provided to successful athletes through the XPS Network online communication tool.

Squad and Support Staff

2025 Baseball Squad

2025 Baseball Coaching Staff

Athlete Eligibility

• Athletes must be between 13 and 16 years of age as of 31 December 2025.
  • Ie born 2009 - 2012
• Athletes must be a registered member of Baseball NSW
• Athletes must reside in, or attend school, or compete for a Baseball NSW affiliated association within the Academy area of Campbelltown, Camden, Liverpool or Wollondilly local Government areas.

In addition;

• Athletes who have been, or are selected into Baseball NSW U16 and/or U18 State Squads are eligible to participate within parts of the  Academy Program, subject to the approval of Baseball NSW. 
• Approval will be subject to the training load and commitments for the relevant State Squad program, however may include inclusion into the  Academy sports education, strength and conditioning, sport science testing and or athlete health and wellbeing programs. 

Selection Process

What to Expect:

The Baseball squad is selected based on the athletes performance at an open trial.

The Academy Baseball program trial will feature a number of skill and drill components, followed by a series of short-sided or modified match-play scenario to assess the athletes skill and potential. 

Elements of sport science testing and/or fitness assessment may be conducted as a part of the trial. 

One or more trials may be conducted.

Selection Process:

• Athletes must complete a South West Sydney Academy of Sport Athlete Nomination Form prior to the advertised closing date. 
• Athletes must attend at all trial dates. If an athlete is unable to attend a trial they must provide a reason in writing, prior to that trial to gain an exemption. 
• Prospective athletes Parents must attend an Academy Information session, which will take place at the same time as one of the trials. This will be identified on the Nomination Page and communicated to parents by the email provided in the nomination form when confirming the trials information. 

• The Academy may select up to 14 x  Male and 14 x Female Athletes within the Baseball program. 
• The Academy will select a squad, the forming of teams will not be the primary intent of the Baseball program. 
• Final selections, number of athletes and squad composition will be made dependant on the talent available during the trial process. 
• Successful athletes will be advised within seven (7) days of the the final trial.  

Athlete Scholarship Levy

• An Athlete Scholarship levy of $300 inclusive of GST, will apply to all successful athletes. 
• This levy assists in offsetting the program costs of;
  • Annual Athlete Membership including ID Card, Athlete Journal, Annual Awards Dinner admission; 
  • Training and Development including training venue hire, sports equipment, skill development programming, and guest / coaching costs.
  • Education and Support Services including online access to programs / XPS network, targeted sports education lectures and workshops with guest presenters, sport specific strength and conditioning program with an Academy S&C partner facility, sport science testing, and access to athlete wellbeing and support service network providers.

Additional Fees / Levies

Uniform Costs

• All uniform purchases are to be made via the Academy's uniform supplier ACEIT, utilising their online store. 
• New athletes will be required to purchase uniform consisting of at minimum, Athlete Polo Shirt, Walkout Shorts and Gym T-shirt. The cost of this is approx. $90. 
• New athletes will be provided a discount code to purchase an Academy tracksuit following receipt of payment of the Athlete Scholarship Levy. 
• Additional competition uniform costs exist, specific to sport requirements, which athletes will need to purchase. The required items, if not listed below, will be identified at the sport program induction. 
• Athletes may purchase additional Academy items, that includes Hoodie, Socks, Towel, Sports Bag, Backpacks, and Active Wear. 

Camps, Tours and Tournaments

• Camps, Tours and Tournaments form an important part of each sport program structure. The costs of these events, as with the overall sport program, are heavily subsidised by the Academy and its partners.
• Camp / Tour costs may be applied for certain activities throughout the program year and will be communicated well ahead of the event. These are generally costed at $100-$150 per day and include transport, accommodation and the majority of meal costs, as well as any entry fees associated with tournaments or performance elements of the camp / tour. 
• Tournaments held locally (where the Academy does not provide Accommodation) may attract a nominal fee of between $10 and $50 depending on the sport requirements, and are used to assist in covering the tournament entry, venue hire and any transport costs.

All Athlete levies must be paid in full within 30 days of the invoiced date, or the scholarship offer will be automatically withdrawn; unless financial hardship or payment plan arrangements have been made with the CEO.