A meeting of the ASPC Oceania took place in New Zealand with all the Australian State Institutes & Academies of Sport (except WAIS) in attendance, the AIS, High Performance Sport New Zealand and High Performance Papua New Guinea and included a visit to the Training Centres of Rowing/Canoeing and Cycling, along with meetings with the high performance staff of those National Federations.
Objectives:
For ASPC Oceania participants to experience various components of the New Zealand high performance sport environment.
For participants to share perspectives and potential strategies to address common emerging trends in high performance sport:
o How can we demonstrate the value proposition that elite sport provides to society?
o Balancing the demands of HP sport with athlete / coach / support staff wellbeing;
o Explore the pros and cons of high performance sport medal targets;
o Other focus areas based on themes coming out of introductions session.
The program also included “a great debate” on the merit or otherwise of medal targets. This was entered into in the spirit of competitiveness you would expect from a group of high performance sport leaders
Following the meeting a short survey was completed to ascertain “what topics/approach would you like to see at future ASPC Oceania meetings”? The following feedback was received which will shape the agenda for future meetings:
Align with Olympic cycle – Tokyo could be an obvious next engagement – focus on Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028 strategic considerations
Continue to focus on key challenges in HP environment
E.g. Funding models, HP/participation/health balance, integrity in HP sport, models for integration of performance support providers in sports, diversity & inclusion
o Could consider a session focused on professional development for our types of roles
Thanks are expressed to our colleagues in HPSNZ hosting a most positive and valuable exchange.
Oceania News from Anne Marie Harrison