The High Performing Athletes Program is an enrichment program at Caloundra State High School designed to provide school-based support to student athletes to manage the demands of being both a high performing athlete and a highly successful student. If accepted into the program, Years 10, 11 and 12 students will have access to elite coaches, training program specialists, physiotherapists and nutritionists while receiving academic monitoring and mentoring.
Each student is provided with an on-going program which will map and monitor their competitive, training and academic calendars. This will identify major competitions, out-of-school events and school assessment schedules. Training cycles will be tailored to allow for peak competition performance, while allowing students to balance elite sporting commitments and meeting QCAA assessment requirements.
The coaching sessions will be implemented to monitor, test and improve the overall physical capabilities of the students in the program. The program has an overall focus on learning correct technique and controlling their own bodyweight through a range of different movement patterns. As the athletes begin to show competency with their movement capabilities, the complexity will gradually increase, as well as being tailored more towards the athlete's sport.
How does the program work within the schooling week?
HPA Program students are timetabled to three high performance coaching sessions each week, which is timetabled into their weekly school routine. For Years 11 & 12, students may be able to adjust their academic load when taking up their place in this program. Students must first meet with the Guidance Officer to complete an academic review.
Year 11 & 12 students will have periodic sessions on Wednesday mornings (8:50am – 10:00am) for educational sessions regarding training theory, nutrition, recovery and additional technique-based sessions. It is an expectation that all HPA students attend these sessions.
Partnerships
The HPA program has a partnership with the University of the Sunshine Coast's High Performing Student Athlete (HPSA) program, to expose Caloundra SHS students to opportunities in High Performance Sport after school. This comes through visits from the USC athletes to the students at Caloundra SHS, as well as the opportunity for our students to visit the facilities at USC.
Student testimonials
"The HPA program is very supportive towards my sport, it is the best subject as it allows me to succeed both academically and athletically due to the great support and great facilities"
"HPA has personally helped me with my knowledge on the food I should be consuming, recovery and preventing injuries. The structured strength and conditioning coaching has so far made me an all-around better athlete, and helped reduce my injuries."
"My daughter has, thankfully, been included in HPA this year and it is quite frankly one of the reasons she will be staying at Caloundra High for her senior years. The elevated expectations of this programme has instilled discipline & encouraged her to be more successful in all aspects of her school life. I believe the school is very fortunate to have such a talented coach / teacher who takes his students' goals & progression personally while treating them professionally. It is an appreciated opportunity for a dancer to be recognised as an athlete so I also commend Mr Jones for being innovative as well as inclusive. He is a credit to the school and should be fully supported in this quality program. I have high regard for HPA & hope it is valued plus fully supported."
"My son has been involved in the Caloundra State High School's HPA program for the last 2 years. I've been very impressed by the coaching and mentoring that he has received during this time. The program directors have been incredibly supportive when he has sustained injuries and have helped with his recovery. He has also been shown and learned many skills needed to perform at an elite level. I feel that he has also been helped along by the camaraderie of the team environment that has been created. The program is a credit to the school and the teachers running it. As a parent, I am thrilled that his school has this program and that my son is a part of it."
For further information, please contact:
Mr Ashford McKenzie
HPA Coordinator
axmck10@eq.edu.au