Significant changes within the IAS have been made to ensure the Illawarra’s athletes received the support they deserve to excel. And those athletes have excelled in 2018.

Olympic triathlete Dane Robinson came on board as athlete coach and program manager in August and he has been impressed by the results achieved in his time at the IAS.  

Women’s Australian rules football made its debut on the program schedule in 2018 and saw a squad of 18 eager 14-18-year-olds honing their handball and kicking skills.

In exciting news for the sport of rugby union, the girl’s rugby sevens program will transition to a full-format rugby union program for both boys and girls in 2019.

IAS CEO John Armstrong has a clear vision for the Academy and is building towards a big 2019.

“We’re looking forward to an exciting year of growth and strong performances from athletes across all our squads,” Armstrong said. “Strong community support, the new admin team, plus our new strength and conditioning facilities, will bolster the efforts of our talented coaching staff to set our athletes on their path to a successful sporting career.”

“The mix of sports, the increased expectation of providing ever-increasing support in psychology and physical development and the emerging need to cater to older athletes as the Australian Institute of Sport decentralises its support services, places the IAS at an exciting and challenging place.”