As a TGS Old Boy (2003-14), sport has always been an integral part of my upbringing. As a young boy I discovered the joys of cricket, track and field and touch footy. This love of being active led me to studying Exercise Science at University and I was fortunate enough to work with a range of national and international level athletes, culminating in an internship at the Brisbane Broncos. This experience launched my career in the strength and conditioning space, allowing me to work with international level athletes in five sports and being a part of multiple professional title wins in combat sport. My love of athletic development was realised within my work in previous schools where I directed academies and departments to national, international and professional success.

Although my career has taken me to major cities such as Brisbane, I always had a desire to travel back to my roots in the country. When this role became available, I realised this was my opportunity to elevate athletic development opportunities not only for TGS but for the wider rural community. As an Old Boy, I understand how important the GPS system is to the students and how to navigate the stressors that it can impose. As a track and field athlete I had to train year-round to be competitive and the support that I had as a student allowed me to stay in the sport for my entire schooling. I plan on extending from this supportive base and continuing to pursue holistic excellence for all students.

As one of my first projects here at the School, I have created the Athletic Development Academy. This is a Term 4 program aimed at building on key physical literacy that is fostered throughout the sporting year. Bridging the gap between Term 3 and Term 1 allows students to continue to build on these physical literacy skills. This continuation of physical development will allow students to utilise the entire school year to benefit their sports and personal physical capacity, improving not only their performance but their holistic development. As a holistic program, the Academy will integrate educational tools, recovery sessions and physical development sessions to ensure the boys are given the correct tools to progress.

Athletic Development is in its infancy as a field, and I have been blessed to have experienced programs in a range of settings from youth development through to the professional space. This program is unique in that it attempts to integrate all key physical qualities and literacies into a long-term athlete development model. LTAD models attempt to touch all four aspects of development: physical, mental, technical, and tactical. Students will not only be taken through training sessions but be given resources and experience workshops on resilience strategies and other mental skills. This will bridge the gap across the four-aspects, making this program an emerging leader in its class. One of the keys focuses of this program is to build physical literacy across the entire performance spectrum and each of the sessions are scaled using motor learning and skill acquisition series to allow for boys of any level to participate.

Research shows that the development of all four aspects of a LTAD model improves long term wellness through improved participation rates in physical activity, self-perception and adaptability to hardship. This links in with the vision of the School, to have “boys leave with the skills to be independent, well balanced, and successful in life, responding well to challenges and achieving lifelong wellbeing.”

by Jackson Stone, TGS Head of Athletic Development