The new program will help female athletes to reach their full potential across a range of sports. Photos: UOW.
Young female athletes from the Illawarra are set to be empowered to excel on and off the field and achieve their sporting potential with a new specially tailored program being launched by the University of Wollongong (UOW) next year.
The Female Athlete High-Performance Program developed by UOW’s UniActive is a one-of-a-kind initiative offering tailored, expert-led training and education to enhance physical health, athletic development, and psychological growth in females aged 14 to 18.
The program, which is built off the success of a pilot hosted this year, is designed to meet the unique needs of female athletes across all sports through creating individualised training plans with a focus on areas such as strength and conditioning, mental skills, performance psychology, sports nutrition, female health education, and athlete pathway support.
“This program meets a growing demand in the Illawarra for high-performance support for female athletes,” said UniActive Sports Program Manager James Pendrigh. “It’s about enhancing their training without disrupting their schedules, helping them excel on and off the field.
“Collaboration with local schools, clubs, and sporting associations has played a key role in shaping the program to ensure it meets the needs of athletes across the region.”
Ahead of the launch, UniActive hosted a one-day workshop for around 100 students across the state’s sports high schools including Illawarra Sports High, which gave them insight into some of the elements and skills which would be developed more in-depth throughout the initiative.
“I think having strong links with the university with all their knowledge, their facilities, even just the fact that we can run workshops in fantastic classrooms, at the university is really, really important,” said Illawarra Sports High director of sport Amy Child.
“One thing I would really like to see is a lot of our students coming to the University of Wollongong, continuing in their education while they’re here.
“And while doing that, using sport as a way to connect with the university and stay connected to their sport and build lifelong healthy habits.”
The workshop was a condensed version of the full program which introduced athletes to training techniques, injury prevention strategies, and other key components, with participants coming from a range of sports such as rugby league, netball, football, basketball, athletics, softball, tennis, AFL, cricket, swimming and softball.
Illawarra Sports High director of sport Amy Child and vice-captain and cricket team captain, Cadence Waters.
Illawarra Sports High vice-captain and cricket team captain Cadence Waters said that over just one day her education around maximising athletic performance improved.
“The contributions that this workshop has made has helped me learn about menstruation, recovery, and nutrition,” she said. “Especially with menstruation; it’s not really talked about in women’s sport now.
“But with this workshop, it’s taught me how I could implement this with my cycle. And then nutrition and how I could implement these with before games and after games to maximise my sport for cricket. And I can also use recovery strategies to help me maximise my time on the field and off the field.”
But the Female Athlete High-Performance Program is not only about athletic success, it also aims to have a positive impact throughout the Illawarra and foster a healthier, more connected community.
“This program showcases our commitment to advancing female athlete health and performance,” said UOW Associate Professor in Sport and Exercise Science Dr Ric Lovell. “By integrating tailored education and evidence-based training, the program empowers female athletes to excel on and off the field, fostering both individual growth and broader community impact.”
Expressions of interest are open for the 24-week program which will start on 28 April 2025, with 40 to 60 students to be accepted.
To find out more visit the UniActive website.
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