TVE
News
[an error occurred while processing this directive]

Sports Programme Launches the Victorian Stars of the Future
A new sports programme for emerging athletes was launched in late December by the Minister for Sport and Recreation, the Hon. Justin Madden and a number of Victoria’s top sports stars.

Known as the VicSport Emerging Athletes Programme, the course will assist individual emerging athletes prepare for any success they may attain in the future at the elite sporting level. The programme is also open to coaches and sporting officials.

The programme, which begins in May 2001, will have professional experts teach participants skills in dealing with the media, attracting sponsorship, handling peer pressure, health, financial management and travelling away from home.

The VicSport Emerging Athletes Programme is unique in that 50% of all profits goes back into helping sport at grass root levels throughout Victoria.

Shane Woewodin (AFL-Melbourne Demons and 2000 Brownlow Medallist), Tamsyn Lewis (Australian Olympian), Brad Hodge (Victorian Bushrangers) and Julianne Adams (Australian Paralympian) who all play top level sport in Victoria, strongly support the programme and will be the "faces" of the new VicSport initiative.

Andrews Marketing Group developed the programme after conducting extensive market research on behalf of VicSport and its 128 State sporting associations. The research identified a lack of support for those athletes not yet at the elite level who are unable to access existing development programmes.

The Minister for Sport and Recreation in Victoria, Hon. Justin Madden, said that it was important that young athletes received support through professional development programmes which guide them along both their sporting and career paths.

"The VicSport Emerging Athletes Programme will ensure that every emerging athlete in Victoria will be given a chance to be educated in skills outside the sporting arena.

"This programme will support and develop our future athletes for the many pressures that come with being a high profile sports person in today’s public eye," he said in Melbourne today.

Shane Woewodin, last year’s AFL Brownlow Medallist and star of the Melbourne Football Club, believes the programme will assist Victoria’s young and aspiring athletes.

"The VicSport Emerging Athletes Programme is a great initiative which I strongly support. I believe that athletes need to gain skills in many areas, not just those linked with their sports performance. Having experienced this within an AFL club, I am honored to assist developing athletes in this education program," he said.

Tamsyn Lewis, who ran in the 800 metres and the 4x400 metres at the Sydney Olympic Games also, felt that the VicSport Emerging Athletes Programme provided the much needed support for young athletes who were new to media and sponsorship commitments.

VicSport is the independent umbrella body for over 128 state sporting associations and associated sport service organisations in Victoria, representing more than 1.5 million registered sport participants.

The VicSport Emerging Athletes Programme will run from May to October 2001 and will have the support of current and past Australian sporting champions. The programme is anticipating running nationally in 2002.

The Programme will consist of 8 sessions as follows:

  • Media Skills
  • Public Speaking and Presentations
  • Personal Presentation
  • Financial Planning and Selecting a Manager
  • Introduction to Sports Law and Third Party Liability
  • Time Management
  • Health & Well Being
  • Sponsorship

Applications for the Programme will close on Friday 30th March 2001. The fee for the course will be $665, including GST.

Interested participants can visit the VicSport Emerging Athletes Programme website at www.emergingathletes.com.au.

Athletes, coaches and officials wishing to enter the programme should contact John Williams at Andrews Marketing Group (Manager of the programme) on (03) 9820 8133.