From the Director of High Performance
Kia ora tātou,
While we are sure many of you will have been reflecting with pride on New Zealand’s success in Paris and capturing the learnings from that shortened Olympic cycle we know that your focus is now well and truly on Los Angeles 2028.
Here at HPSNZ we have been meeting with all our existing and potential NSO partners to share these learnings and reflections and to explore the detail of the plans and campaigns for the next four years and how we can best target our available investment funds and expert resources to help deliver on the exciting ambition contained in these plans.
With an understandable desire to invest in building on recent success and in the face of continuing cost pressures throughout the sector, our partners have put a huge amount of thought into their high performance strategies for this cycle, which we appreciate.
Our discussions and analysis will continue this month with the aim of having investment decisions for the Los Angeles cycle confirmed and announced before Christmas.
We also want to acknowledge the coronial inquest into the death of Olivia Podmore which is under way in Hamilton this week, and in particular Olivia’s family, friends and those who worked with her, along with Cycling New Zealand, who will be focussed on that process.
One critical initiative we have been working on over the last 12 months is updating our Athlete Mental Health approach for the New Zealand high performance sport system. We’ve taken the time to ensure careful consultation with, and input from, athletes, coaches, sports, expert health practitioners and others.
In this HPSNZ update we provide a first look at HPSNZ’s newly published Athlete Mental Health and Performance document which outlines and promotes a preventative approach.
HPSNZ Head of Goldmine Innovation Simon Briscoe reflects on the importance of innovation and technology in New Zealand’s medal winning Paris 2024 campaigns in Paris.
We update the role of the satellite group in our Te Hāpaitanga programme for the development of women coaches.
And we profile Angie Dougal, former coach of Olympic trampoline bronze medallist and 2022 world champion Dylan Schmidt, who aims to help more coaches in her new role as an HPSNZ coaching consultant.
Ngā mihi nui
Steve
Athlete Mental Health and Performance approach published
Following extensive consultation with a broad range of high performance sector stakeholders, HPSNZ has published an Athlete Mental Health and Performance approach for the New Zealand high performance sport system.
The Athlete Mental Health and Performance approach is athlete-centric and provides athletes, their family, coaches and other support people with accessible information.
The approach is linked to New Zealand’s 2032 High Performance System Strategy which highlighted the importance of a holistic approach to athletes’ development, combining wellbeing, health (mental and physical) and performance.
General Manager of Athlete Performance Support, Fiona Mather, says sporting environments have traditionally addressed athletes’ physical and mental states as separate entities, rather than two halves of a whole.
“This Athlete Mental Health and Performance approach is founded in raising awareness of the potential of the brain for performance and the need to remove barriers which impact that, in life and in sport.”
HPSNZ innovation projects stand on Paris 2024 podium
One of the unheralded contributions to New Zealand’s outstanding medal success in Paris is the work of HPSNZ’s Goldmine Innovation team, with 16 of the 20 Olympic medals involving innovation projects.
From athletics, cycling, canoe racing, rowing and yachting to several smaller sports, the Goldmine Innovation team worked on 63 projects for summer sports across the Paris cycle.
HPSNZ Head of Innovation, Simon Briscoe, says the contribution of innovation was significant and, in many respects remarkable, due to the compressed three-year cycle leading up to Paris.
“A real highlight for us is the number of cross sport projects we undertook,” says Simon. “The biggest number of projects were the 18 which impacted more than one sport, for example, an innovation with some gym equipment that benefited power-based sports across the spectrum.”
Auckland based Performance Physiotherapy team hold first open night
Jordan Salesa and Auckland physiotherapy team host first open night
HPSNZ’s Auckland based Performance Physiotherapy team hosted the inaugural Physiotherapy Open Night – which is the potential first step in their Performance Therapies’ Practitioner Pathway.
More than 30 private practice physiotherapists attended the event for a tour of the HPSNZ facilities, whakawhanaungatanga (relationship building and creating opportunities for connectedness) and a panel question and answer session.
Te Hāpaitanga satellite programme steps up a gear
Tia Winikerei
Anna Andrews-Tasola
As applications for the fifth Te Hāpaitanga group are reviewed, the satellite programme is taking on an increasingly important role as part of a continuous learning focus for women coaches.
Programme lead, Jody Cameron, says that after four years, many of the 50 Te Hāpaitanga alumni are continuing their learning via the satellite programme.
“Our women coaches are seeing the satellite programme as integral to their cross-code connections and networks, helping them stay current with coaching topics and as complementary to the Core Knowledge modules they are undertaking.”
Successful applicants for Te Hāpaitanga’s fifth group will be offered a position in the programme before the end of the year and an announcement of those who accept the offer will be made in the New Year.
In the meantime, two graduates of the third Te Hāpaitanga group share their experiences which took them from rivals on the netball court to allies in growth.
Passion the key word for new HPSNZ coaching consultant
Angie Dougal with Dylan Schmidt
As an athlete and as a coach, passion for her sport and for helping people do better is the foundation on which recently appointed HPSNZ coaching consultant Angie Dougal has built her career.
Angie’s name will be familiar to many within the high performance sector as coach of Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist and 2022 World Champion trampolinist, Dylan Schmidt.
She was the only New Zealand woman coach at Paris 2024 to have an athlete finish in the top eight.
But her love of gymnastics and trampolining in particular goes back a long way, to when she was as young as eight years old, being coached by her now 82-year-old father.
Crossroads helps athletes navigate post Paris transition
Athlete panelists Dame Sophie Pascoe, Dylan Schmidt and Jackie Gowler
Following the Paris Olympic and Paralympic cycle, some fifty athletes gathered at this month’s two-day Crossroads 2024 event organised by HPSNZ’s Performance Life Coaching team.
The two days were designed to help athletes navigate the transition from the intense focus of Olympic and Paralympic preparation and followed the successful introduction of a transition event after Rio 2016.
Insightful keynote speakers, panel discussions, workshops and a career expo were all highlights of the event.
Head of Performance Life Coaching and Olympian #400, Chris Arthur, says there were four consistent messages which ran across all aspects of the event and resonated strongly with athletes.
Key dates for 2025 PM’s Scholarships
A reminder – applications for the 2025 Prime Minister’s Athlete Scholarships close in a little over a week. Applications must be received by 12 pm, Friday 29 November 2024.
Information for the scholarships is here and applications can be made here.
Applications for the 2025 Coach, Officials and Support Team Prime Minister’s Scholarships open 1 January 2025 and close at 12 pm, Friday 31 January 2025.
Information on these scholarships is here.
