The University of Canberra is the sponsor of this major component of the athletes’ scholarship and the academy was delighted to stage this activity at the university for the fourth time. SERAS has had a long standing relationship with the university as a strategic partner and the academy has been utilising facilities on the campus since 2006.

The education program is designed to assist scholarship holders to develop their understanding of sport science and their responsibilities as potential elite athletes. In 2012 there are 86 scholarship holders across seven programs.

Programs being run by the academy this year include: coach and umpire; Essential Energy (individual athletes); golf; lawn bowls; netball; rising stars; and snowsports. The majority of scholarship holders come from the south east region of NSW but this year there are also 10 athletes from the ACT and 10 athletes from Sydney.

The athletes from Sydney are scholarship holders in the Snowsports Program while the academy has entered into agreements to provide scholarships to athletes from the ACT in its Golf, Lawn Bowls and Snowsports Programs.

Workshops and presentations over the weekend included: injury management and prevention by Phil Newman a senior physiotherapy lecturer from UC; sports nutrition by Vicki Deakin from UC and the ACT Academy of Sport; principles of training and recovery from exercise by SERAS senior intern student Joe Northey; media skills with Cathy Reid; and public speaking with Graeme Northey.