HPSNZ High Performance Athlete Development Manager Ken Lynch says a new Performance Pathway, which is at the heart of HPSNZ’s 2024 Strategy, will increase the focus on developing athletes to ensure they are thoroughly prepared for each stage of their high performance career.
As well including between 380-420 performance athletes, the High Performance Pathway will feature up to 500 pre-HP talent athletes from around the country. They will be supported by up to 55 new regional Talent Identification and Confirmation and have access where appropriate to a network of performance hubs and regional performance pods.
The Pre-HP section of the Performance Pathway will focus on development to ensure those athletes who have demonstrated realistic future performance capabilities against sport benchmarks can access appropriate levels of support to further develop the required attributes for international success.
“The new Performance Pathway also has a focus on effective transitions through the pathway to ensure all athletes are ready and supported through each phase of their development. This focus is not only in a sport specific sense but encompasses the holistic development of our young people better enabling them to manage the many challenges faced as they move into the high performance pathway,” Ken Lynch says.
Athletes will begin their development in the first stage of the High Performance Pathway, known as Performance Potential.
HPSNZ will also develop a network of regional training pods across New Zealand to support up to 250 pre-HP athletes in multiple locations.
To achieve this, HPSNZ will partner with other existing facilities or entities to co-locate fit-for-purpose high performance daily training environments that can enable more athletes and coaches to train closer to their home support network. To support these athletes there will be increased investment in the development of coaches, many of whom will be regionally based.
Ken says support and experiences for Pre-HP athletes and coaches will be appropriate for their age and stage, and that they will be identified for support based on individual need.
“By investing more resources and optimising future athlete development, we will develop athletes and coaches to transition into high performance, establishing a more effective pipeline of talent with the potential to succeed. This is about looking out at least eight years ahead and setting ourselves up for longer term sustainable success.”
The new Performance Pathway framework will take effect from January 2022.
Find out more about HPSNZ’s 2024 Strategy here.
