Australian Olympic Pathway Schools - Is this the new pathway for Olympic champions?

In a recent announcement New South Wales has scored a first with the state’s seven Sports High Schools officially becoming Australian Olympic Pathway Schools. This is the first stage of the Australian Olympic Committees (AOC) planned national rollout of this pathway program.

This is a new development in the ever-changing landscape of sports academies in secondary schools across Australia. The question we need to answer here is – will they make a difference?

Sports high schools have become increasingly popular in recent years, as they offer a unique opportunity for student-athletes to pursue their passion for sports while also receiving a high-quality education. These schools are designed to provide a supportive environment for students who are interested in pursuing a career in sports, particularly in Olympic events.

One of the primary benefits of sports high schools is the opportunity they provide for students to compete at a high level. Many of these schools have strong sports programs that regularly compete in regional, state and national events. This exposure to high-level competition can be invaluable for athletes who are looking to compete at the Olympic level. Additionally, many sports high schools have partnerships with local and national sports organizations, providing student-athletes with additional resources and support as they pursue their athletic goals.

The seven Sports High Schools in NSW receiving this recognition are Endeavour Sports High School, The Hills Sports High School, Hunter Sports High School, Illawarra Sports High School, Matraville Sports High School, Narrabeen Sports High School and Westfields Sports High School.

The NSW Minister for Sport Alister Henskens said “The students at our sports high schools today will be our heroes standing on the podium at the Brisbane 2032 Olympics, and this partnership will strengthen their opportunity for international success.”

AOC Chief Executive Officer Matt Carroll says the Australian Olympic Pathway Schools designation is an important recognition of the value of the Sports High Schools network in NSW.

“The key to sporting excellence is to align participation, pathways and high performance into the virtuous circle. To have this alignment at high school level is powerful, particularly as we look to Brisbane 2032 and beyond.

“The Australian Olympic Pathway Schools designation provides an additional motivation and validates the specialisation being undertaken within each Sports High School.

“We have seen Olympic Training Centres recognised around Australia and overseas, but never at the school level in this country.

So how will this ground-breaking program work in reality?

To be identified as an Australian Olympic Pathway School, a school must:

- Have an established high-performance program including Olympic sports;

- Have no less than five Olympic sports as part of its elite athlete development sports program(s)  which must have accredited coaches in the respective Olympic sports;

- Have a program that is recognised, endorsed and have a formal pathway with relevant State sporting or National sporting organisations;

- Have a program that has an integrated performance pathway (for each Olympic sport) towards state and national representation;

- Have a program that has nutrition education and support included as part of the programs (including sport integrity, compliance, and education);

There are also several other criteria that schools must meet and sign off on. Clearly the AOC want high standards met from these partner schools.

So, I wonder from a partner schools’ perspective- what’s in it for them?

Sports High Schools already have the ability to attract the best sporting talent from the local area because of their sporting programs and associated curriculum, coaches and facilities. Having the ability to roll out the Olympic rings is surely an added marketing advantage for these schools to lure an even larger percentage of talented youngsters through the gates.

So, is it really an advantage? Yes, it is. Many schools with associated sports academies already have far more applicants than they have places in their programs. The silver lining for these schools is surely the ability to attract a higher quality applicant to apply for the program, hence attracting the highest quality athletes into their school pathways.

This initiative is an interesting paradigm and sets a positive example of collaboration that will get international schools across the globe thinking about partnerships within their own region.

We look forward to reporting again on the national rollout of this exciting new initiative as we head rapidly towards Paris 2024 and then to Brisbane 2032.