The Illawarra Academy of Sport program has kicked off for another year and head coach Dane Robinson has declared the association is set for another successful period.
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The Academy launched their program with an induction day on Saturday, with the majority of the 260 scholarship holders in attendance for a series of introductory seminars and initial strength and conditioning testing.
Robinson said he was greeted by a number of eager and enthusiastic athletes when he arrived on Saturday and he's looking forward to seeing what the youngsters can produce both on and off the sporting field throughout the next 12 months.
"There was a really good turnout," Robinson said.
"A significant amount of athletes, both new and returning, turned up, excited to get a better understanding of what the Academy can offer them and how we can help in their development.
"It's probably about 60-40 new to returning athletes.
"There's a lot of new, young faces and a lot of kids on the verge of taking that next step.
"They're looking for that assistance that they're receiving from the Academy."
Entering his second year in charge of the program, Robinson is looking to build on the foundations he established in 2019.
The former elite triathlete has welcomed a range of new coaches to the Academy to help assist the respective head coaches in developing the athlete's skills.
"We've tried to bolster the coaches in every program," he said.
"We're looking to get additional coaches to not only help in skill development, but also to have our head coaches mentor those assistant coaches."