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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-02-22 Daily Xml
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SOUTH AUSTRALIAN SPORTS INSTITUTE

Mr ODENWALDER (Little Para) (16:10): My question is to the Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing.

An honourable member interjecting:

Mr ODENWALDER: Hear, hear! Can the minister tell the house what the South Australian Sports Institute is doing to support the development and pathways of talented athletes who live in regional areas in South Australia?

Mr KENYON (Newland—Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Minister Assisting the Premier with South Australia's Strategic Plan) (16:10): I thank the honourable member for his question and his deep interest in local as well as country sports. The South Australian Sports Institute identifies, develops and supports athletes with the potential to perform at the highest national and international levels of sport.

For country athletes who are given the opportunity to represent their state, the challenges of travelling great distances to training and competition can add an extra hurdle—pun intended there, I think. For the families of these talented young athletes, the cost of travel and accommodation can be an extra burden on top of uniforms and registration fees.

The Country Athlete Award Scheme was introduced to support country athletes and their development. Athletes aged 14 to 18 years who are performing at a high level and living further than 130 kilometres from the Adelaide GPO may be eligible for a share in $35,000 of funding.

I can announce today that applications for the scheme are now open and can be submitted via the Office for Recreation and Sport website. Members in country electorates should have received, or will very shortly receive, a letter to that effect.

Last year, the distribution of this funding resulted in 52 applicants from 27 sports being successfully awarded $650 each. They include sailors from Wallaroo, golfers from Port Augusta, cricketers from Kangaroo Island and equestrian competitors from Naracoorte. They all benefited from this grant and, hopefully, many will go on to represent Australia in their chosen sport.

The SASI Talent Search Program for 2011 also has a focus on reaching country athletes. Every year, the SASI Talent Search team works predominantly with high schools to undertake physical and physiological tests and identify athletes with potential to join talent development programs. Athletes identified through this talent search now make up approximately 60 per cent of members of the SASI Canoe Sprint Scholarship program, half of the rowing program and approximately one-third of the volleyball and cycling programs.

To enable more country athletes to be identified through this program, the talent search program has been extended for individuals to submit their own data from testing at their school, sporting club or at home. This can be done online via the SASI pages of the Office for Recreation and Sport website or the SASI Facebook page. Promotion of this talent search opportunity is being done in conjunction with advertising for the Country Athlete Award Scheme and through schools and sporting organisations.

The South Australian Sports Institute is harnessing both science and communication technology to bridge the gap for young athletes living in regional areas and to give them the chance to be identified and supported in their development and pursuit of their sporting dreams.

I also note that the Active Club Funding program opened last Saturday, 19 February. This program supports active recreation and sports clubs by providing funding for programs and equipment, facilities and programs to engage youth at risk. More than $1 million is being made available to support clubs at a grassroots level, which is critical in the development of young athletes, not just those who simply enjoy being active and healthy, but those who go on to excel on the national and international stage.

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