Queensland Academy of Sport
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) is an initiative of the Queensland Government aimed at supporting the state’s elite and identified developing athletes.
Officially launched in May 1991, the Academy’s goal is to ensure that Queensland remains at the forefront of domestic and international sport. To achieve this, the QAS provides assistance to Queensland’s talented athletes and coaches as they strive for excellence within their sport following a philosophy of being ‘athlete centreed, coach driven and service supported’.
The QAS has grown significantly since its initial beginnings now boasting more than 650 athletes across 21 different sports and individual scholarship places. A number of Australia’s greatest sporting icons have progressed through the QAS such as Susie O’Neill, Kieren Perkins and Vicki Wilson and the Academy continues to support top sporting heroes including Grant Hackett, Libby Lenton, Leisel Jones and Anna Meares just to name a few.
The QAS headquarters located at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre at Nathan, allows the Academy to stay at the cutting edge of athlete development and support. Allowing the QAS to centralise its operations, it provides a one-stop shop for athletes, providing access to the best training and support services the state has to offer.
Features of the headquarters include: a gym with lifting platforms, open space for stretching and stability exercises, reinforced wall and net area for throw sports and explosive medicine ball throwing and a foam pit for rehabilitation and un-loaded jumping; improved sport science laboratory equipped with the latest technology to further enhance athlete performances; and an on-site medical centre with access to a doctor, nutritionist and psychologist. It also houses the only state-based Centre of Excellence for Applied Sport Science Research of its kind in Australia.
QAS scholarship holders have access to world-class coaching and support services including sport science, strength and conditioning, medical and career and education in addition to financial support, for competition and training costs, depending on the level of their scholarship.
The QAS also operates a Regionalisation Program for Queensland's leading regional athletes. The program supports regional athletes across 12 sports through regional training programs and regional achievers scholarships. It allows elite athletes to develop their sporting potential in their home environments. Through this program the QAS is taking a whole-of-state approach to the identification and development of elite athletes.
