From the Director of High Performance
Kia ora tātou
I had the privilege of representing New Zealand and joining 11 other nations for a post Olympic and Paralympic debrief workshop earlier this month. A key take out for me was that we are certainly not alone in the challenges we face in high performance sport in this country, nor in the approach we are taking to try and maximise opportunities that lie ahead.
Post Olympic debrief workshops have been held since 2012 involving the top 12-15 nations on the Olympic and Paralympic medal tables excluding the USA and China.
This year there were many common themes among the participating nations, of which funding is among the most significant. Many countries’ budgets are static or being reduced with cost escalation impacting the real value of investment. One country reported not having an increase in its programme for 15 years.
Other common themes included:
- Prioritising is a very real focus for most, in terms of sports, campaigns, and athletes capable of winning medals in LA and investment beyond LA
- Top 8 projection is a common benchmark for investment
- Winning remains a key focus with an increased emphasis on winning well and the wellbeing of athletes – but there are still some struggling with the tension, perceived or otherwise, between winning and wellbeing
- An increasing influence of professional sports and private leagues on athletes and fans, and in creating competition to retain and develop world leading coaches and other experts
- A keen awareness that innovation/intelligence/research is critical to help gain competitive advantage but difficult to prioritise given fiscal constraints
- The importance of quality and contemporary coaching
- An increasing tendency for athletes to be more autonomous and determine their own campaigns.
An overarching observation from the workshop was the genuine willingness to share information, contemplate issues and discuss possible solutions, despite these countries being in head-to-head competition for Olympic and Paralympic success.
All participants agreed to stay in contact and several countries are very keen to build closer relationships with HPSNZ, which will provide more mutual knowledge sharing and learning opportunities in future.
Meanwhile, highlights of this HPSNZ Update include our continued build up to Milano Cortina 2026 as we put the spotlight on how new Lead Alpine Para coach Daniel Bogue is combining with veteran athletes Adam Hall and Corey Peters in their campaigns.
Our innovation focus this month is on HPSNZ’s partnership with Cub Digital, which has already had an impact on pinnacle event performances and promises more for LA and beyond. We bring you the first of a series of stories to celebrate 25 years of Prime Minister’s Scholarships. And HPSNZ Head of Psychology Dr John Sullivan provides his tips on recognising and recovering from burnout in sport.
Ngā mihi nui
Steve
Celebrating 25 years of Prime Minister’s Scholarships
In June 2000, then Minister of Sport, Fitness and Leisure, Trevor Mallard, announced a new four-year, $9 million initiative to assist New Zealand’s aspiring sports stars with education scholarships.
At the time of the announcement, Minister Mallard said the scholarship fund would offer support to future sporting stars so they can reach their potential in sport while still gaining a solid education to fall back on.
A quarter of a century later, the Prime Minister’s Scholarship programme, unique to New Zealand, continues to assist high performance athletes with their education goals. And in the intervening years, coaches, officials and support staff have been added to the high performance group eligible for support.
To mark the milestone over the next few months, in a new series HPSNZ Update will talk with a range of high performance athletes, from 2000 to 2025, to hear their PM’s Scholarship experience and the role it played in shaping life after sport for them.
But first, a little history of the programme.
Milano Cortina 2026 – Paralympic alpine coach with big plans
With two of New Zealand’s most experienced Paralympic alpine skiers on his athlete roster, it would not be surprising if new Snow Sports NZ Lead Alpine Para coach Daniel Bogue felt he had plenty to learn to be able to take his charges to further podium success in Milano Cortina.
Appointed two years ago as the lead coach for Paralympic skiers Adam Hall and Corey Peters, interestingly Daniel says he wouldn’t have taken on the role if the two skiers weren’t so experienced.
“Between them, Adam and Corey share nine Paralympic medals – three golds, two silvers and four bronzes – and an extraordinary amount of experience, spanning five and three Paralympics respectively,” says Daniel.
“Their success and longevity are testament to not only their talent on the slope but also amazing professionalism and highly capable communication skills.”
Video Insights project has LA2028 in focus
In the last of our three-part innovation series, we take a closer look at a key technology that has been helping Kiwi athletes at pinnacle events since 2020, and now has a strong focus on LA2028.
Technological innovations are providing significant video insights for several podium sports in the training and competition space, and the work, jointly driven by HPSNZ’s Goldmine Innovation and Performance and Technique Analysis (PTA) team and innovation company Cub Digital, is about to be formalised in HPSNZ’s first ever innovation partnership.
Wellbeing and Performance Psychology forge closer alignment
Wellbeing May hui
A close alignment between HPSNZ’s Wellbeing and Psychology team is creating a new systematic approach to athlete mental wellbeing.
The alignment will provide a robust foundation to these two critical areas and enhance their individual and combined initiatives says Wellbeing and Engagement Lead, Dr Toni Minniti.
Women managing teams in black value cross-sport connections
Team Managers hui
Women managing New Zealand teams or campaigns from rugby, cricket, football, netball, hockey, through to surf life saving, softball, basketball, canoe racing and more came together recently for a rare professional development forum that focused on building quality relationships through best practice team management and authentic leadership approaches.
Borne out of a self-led team managers group, the forum was facilitated by HPSNZ’s Women in High Performance Sport team, and was one of the first in-person cross-sport learning experiences many of the group had attended as team managers.
From burnout to breakthrough: Recognising and recovering from exhaustion in sport
By Dr John Sullivan, HPSNZ Head of Performance Psychology
In the fifth of our series on specific areas of mental health and performance, John discusses how the pursuit of excellence in high performance sport often walks a fine line with exhaustion. Links to further helpful information are provided at the end of the column.
The Power of Inclusive Leadership – stories of our people part 3
The third of the four-part series of journeys which showcase the value and power of inclusive leadership features the story of Volleyball New Zealand’s Colleen Campbell, as told to Suzanne McFadden.
Behind many great leaders in sport are women who support and organise them. Colleen Campbell is one of those women – managing high performance at Volleyball New Zealand, driving organisational change and championing a people-first learning approach to performance.
HPSNZers part of sporting history
Adrian Blincoe of New Zealand during the men’s 1500m heat during the XIX Commonwealth Games at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi, India on the 11 October 2010. Photo by: Ron Gaunt/photosport.co.nz
HPSNZ Performance Team Leader and New Zealand’s 1000th Olympian Adrian Blincoe talks with RNZ’s NZ Sporting History host in this month’s podcast in the series featuring New Zealand sports stars of the past.
Adrian is the fourth HPSNZ staff featured in the series including Performance Life Coach Anna Simcic, Performance Team Leader Katherine Oberlin-Brown and Te Hāpaitanga Lead Jody Cameron.
Listen to Adrian chat about his sporting history here.
