2008-09 - Tasmanian Institute of Sport

• Success and Setbacks workshop
Goal-setting can sometimes be a very dry topic to get
athletes interested in. A version of the classic snakes
and ladders board game has allowed athletes to
understand more about goal-setting, the obstacles
they may face along the way and possible strategies
to allow them to reach their targets.
This new version of snakes and ladders, referred to as
‘success and setbacks’, has been greeted enthusiastically
by the majority of team sports including women’s
football, basketball, netball, AFL football and the
national mountain bike group.
• Mock job interviews workshop
This is a vital area for our athletes. Selected athletes
were taken through the complete job interview
process. Initially this entailed talking to the athletes
about what to write in an application and how to structure
their résumé.
We then sent the athletes a job advertisement. Each
athlete had to complete their résumé, address the
selection criteria and prepare a covering letter and
return them to us by the specified date.
Athletes were then interviewed for approximately 15
minutes on a variety of topics from ‘tell us about yourself’
to role-play situations. Each athlete received individual
feedback as well as group feedback on their
performance and their paperwork.
Thank you goes to Shari Rieder who assisted us in our
interview sessions and feedback to all the athletes. To
date, men’s football, basketball, netball and national
mountain bike have participated in the program.
Other workshops held during the reporting period
have included media skills, time management, ‘The
Apprentice’, and financial implications for athletes.
Induction programs for netball and basketball have
also taken place.
Athlete in Schools Program
At the start of 2009 more than 70 primary and high
schools across the state expressed their interest in
this program, in which TIS athletes visit schools and
conduct a verbal and practical session on their sport,
discussing with the pupils the benefits of a healthy
lifestyle, promoting their sport and themselves. The
Kate Schwatrz conducts a practical session
during a school visit.
sessions also provide the athletes with an opportunity
to develop their own presentation skills.
This year we were able to meet 46 requests. The following
athletes undertook the majority of the sessions
– Rebecca Quail (lawn bowls), Jessie Humphries
(basketball), Kate Schwartz (netball), Sam Croswell
and Donna MacFarlane (athletics), Scott Brennan and
Kate Hornsey (rowing), Eddie Ockenden (hockey),
Ella Bourchier and Nina Khoury (tennis), Stephanie
Grant (judo) and Mark Jamieson (cycling).
Relationships Australia
Once again in 2008-09 Relationships Australia offered
our athletes and families access to counselling as and
when required. Thank you.
The ACE program has gained momentum in 2008-09
and the challenge will be for the program to continue
this in 2009-10. The success of the program is built
around our athletes as well as that of our hard-working
coaches who have embraced the ACE program
throughout this year. Thank you to all of our coaches
and support staff and stakeholders in making this year
a successful year.
Stewart Pither
Athlete Career and Education Consultant
19