Sports Science Academy

Year 9 & 10 Soccer

The Grange P-12 College Soccer stream within the Sports Science Academy has strong partnerships with Football Federation Vic and Futsal Vic to facilitate high level coaching sessions and industry related theory through elective subjects.

Student Athletes will become faster, more skilled and tactically advanced players through specialised training programs specific to their needs.

Head coach of the Soccer Academy is Rocco Giovanniello who has expansive knowledge and experience in the soccer industry through a variety of roles. Currently holding an AFC ‘C’ Licence and coaching out of Yarraville Glory, Mr Giovanniello is able to develop advanced skills, self-discipline and teamwork through training sessions. Specific soccer training is performed weekly as well as strength and conditioning to increase coordination, muscular power and endurance to enhance performance on field. Student athletes accepted into this program receive individualised training programs and feedback to ensure each person is challenges and progresses to their full potential.

A typical training week is as follows for a Soccer student.

• 3.14-4.15pm Wednesday – Soccer skills training
• 12.40-1.20pm Thursday – Strength and Conditioning

Academic elective subjects on offer.

• Year 9 – Sport Science (4 sessions)
• Year 9 – Careers in Sport (4 sessions)
• Year 9 – Fitness (4 sessions)
• Year 10 – Fitness and Physiology (5 sessions)
• Year 10 – Health and Physical Education (5 sessions)
• Year 10 – Healthy Lifestyles (5 sessions)
• Unit 1/2 VET Sport and Rec. (5 sessions)

For more information on subjects, please see our Course Handbook

Sample timetable of Year 9 Soccer Student:

Sample timetable of Year 10 Soccer Student:

Year 9 & 10 Volleyball

The Grange P-12 College Volleyball stream within the Sports Science Academy has a strong partnership with Volleyball Victoria to facilitate high level coaching sessions and industry related theory.

Student Athletes will become more technically and tactically advanced players through specialised training programs.

Head Coach of the Volleyball Academy, Trish O’Neill has lead a number of teams through to State Championships with her comprehensive knowledge of tactics and team cohesion in pressure situations. Ms. O’Neill tailors training sessions to specifically focus on whole body power for high vertical jump, spike and block movements whilst improving coordination and reaction time through a variety of weightlifting, plyometric, gymnastic and cardiovascular movements. Sessions are designed to both engage and challenge students as they are pushed outside their comfort zone.

A typical training week is as follows for a Volleyball student.

• 3.14-4.15pm Wednesday – Volleyball skills training
• 12.40-1.20pm Friday – Strength and Conditioning

Academic elective subjects on offer.

• Year 9 – Sport Science (4 sessions)
• Year 9 – Careers in Sport (4 sessions)
• Year 9 – Fitness (4 sessions)
• Year 10 – Fitness and Physiology (5 sessions)
• Year 10 – Health and Physical Education (5 sessions)
• Year 10 – Healthy Lifestyles (5 sessions)
• Unit 1/2 VET Sport and Rec. (5 sessions)

For more information on subjects, please see our Course Handbook

Sample timetable of Year 9 Volleyball Student:

Sample timetable of Year 10 Volleyball Student:

Year 9 & 10 Netball

The Grange P-12 College Netball stream within the Sport Science Academy delivers netball focussed skill progressions along with specialised strength and conditioning training to become faster, stronger more powerful athletes with a focus on weight lifting and cardiovascular training to build both strength and endurance for the netball court.

Head Coach, Kendall Clarke has extensive playing and coaching knowledge surrounding netball to develop student athlete’s technical and tactical gameplay. Training sessions combine both netball skills and strength and conditioning to target efficiency in specific movement patterns, incorporating speed, agility, strength and power. Strength and conditioning sessions combine weightlifting, gymnastics, plyometric and cardiovascular training that is specifically tailored to the students’ abilities to a challenging yet achievable level to develop overall netball athletes.

A typical training week is as follows for a Netball student.

• 7.30-8.30am Tuesday – Volleyball skills training
• 7.30-8.30am Thursday – Strength and Conditioning

Academic elective subjects on offer.

• Year 9 – Sport Science (4 sessions)
• Year 9 – Careers in Sport (4 sessions)
• Year 9 – Fitness (4 sessions)
• Year 10 – Fitness and Physiology (5 sessions)
• Year 10 – Health and Physical Education (5 sessions)
• Year 10 – Healthy Lifestyles (5 sessions)
• Unit 1/2 VET Sport and Rec. (5 sessions)

For more information on subjects, please see our Course Handbook

Sample timetable of Year 9 Netball Student:

Sample timetable of Year 10 Netball Student:

Year 9-12 Athlete Development Program

The Grange P-12 College Athlete Development Program within the Sports Science Academy is designed to build the overall physical capacities of athletes.

Student Athletes participate in specialised strength and conditioning training to become faster, stronger more powerful athletes with a focus on weight lifting and cardiovascular training to build both strength and endurance.

Training sessions specifically start with a strength or technique focussed element where weightlifting or gymnastic movements such as clean and jerk, deadlift, toes to bar and pull ups are targeted. Following this, aerobic capacity is improved through a ‘sweat session’ where student athletes work individually or in partnerships to develop teamwork, communication and physical capabilities in a challenging situation. In doing this, core, upper and lower body movements are performed to improve the overall athlete in their chosen domain.

Partnerships with Melbourne Rebels, Rugby Vic, and NRL also run specific high performance strength and conditioning sessions with Student Athletes within the Academy to work 1 on 1 and provide individualised feedback and programming to ensure maximal development can occur.

Dietitian Georgia Fassoulidis from Nutrition Prescription is available by appointment to provide student athletes with additional advice and education surrounding a healthy diet for performance and meeting personal goals.

Please see Pathways for detailed mapping of students subject choices in Years 11 and 12.

Year 7 & 8 Athlete Development Program

The Grange P-12 College Athlete Development Program within the Sports Science Academy is designed to build the overall physical capacities of athletes.

Student Athletes participate in specialised strength and conditioning training to become faster, stronger more powerful athletes.

They will work with Sport Scientists to develop individualised training programs that specifically target and build upon their strengths and weaknesses.

In 2019, student athletes will be involved in a specialised learning program whereby theoretical and practical sessions will be embedded in their day-to-day schooling.

This is a highly specialised mini-school program. Students will combine an academic program together with key studies and training within the sports environment. This program will be supported by its own teacher leaders and its own wellbeing support, utilising Iron Armour where highly individualised mentoring, coaching, life skills and psychology associated with a sports mindset will develop.

Sample timetable of Year 7/8 Academy Student:

5 Academy classes are explicitly broken down in the following ways:

• 2 x practical Strength and Conditioning sessions with high performance guests from partnership programs such as Melbourne Rebels, Melbourne Storm and Again Faster athletes
• 3 x theoretical sessions.
  • This is where NRL programs such as ‘Backyard League’, ‘One Community’ and ‘In League In Harmony’ as well as Sport Science discovery programs are run. Sport Science units utilise state of the art facilities at the new Wyndham Tech School. Sports Technology is discovered in greater detail investigating video imagery in sport using GoPros, drones and handheld devices, sports clothing and prosthetic devices.

At the commencement of the year, the student’s physical capabilities are measured and individualised progression plans are tailored to enable them to achieve to their best ability throughout the year. Development is monitored during the year with specialised testing also occurring mid year and at the completion of the year.

Practical components are complimented by theory, which is designed to engage and push student athletes to question process and design in the sporting industry. Food technology sessions are tailored to suit student athlete needs, focussing on nutrition required to fuel growing athletic bodies for optimal performance and enhancement of performance.

Year 5 & 6 Athlete Development Program

The Grange P-12 College Sport Science Academy starts at Grade 5, where students are identified who are highly motivated in both sporting and academic studies are embedded in the growing program through physical and theoretical classes.

At Grade 5 and 6, the program is designed around the acquisition of skills and conditioning training to develop young motivated prospective athletes, with specialised classes occurring each week in the Strength and Conditioning Facility at the Senior Campus. In addition to this, Student Athletes receive two hours of specialised rugby coaching in one hour blocks of Union (Rugby Vic) and League (NRL Vic).

Theory classes are tailored to athlete nutrition and knowledge required for safe training and injury prevention in the sporting industry.

From Grades 5 and 6, students will be able to elect to join one of our four pillar sports, Rugby, Volleyball, Soccer or Netball (depending on demand, Cricket may be introduced in 2019).  All programs will receive specialised skills coaching in addition to strength and conditioning training. Each of the sports has a strong relationship to State and National bodies.

The Sports Science Academy develops pathways of study into the senior years and has a partnership with Victoria University. These programs are based upon Sports Science, Biomechanics, VET Sport and Recreation and may also lead into broader health related areas of study.

Sample timetable of Year 5/6 Academy Student:

Pathways

The Sports Science Academy is a discrete program that runs from Grade 5 to Year 12 at The Grange P-12 College whereby students are encouraged to select from the specified pathways below.

There are a number of options that Student Athletes may select to enhance their understanding and help them to advance in their area of interest within the Sports Science Industry.

From Year 11, students can elect either of the VCE or VCAL streams to suit their career aspirations. If students aim to go to University, the VCE pathway will specifically move students into studies in Sports and Exercise Science, Human Movement, Sports Psychology and Physiotherapy. The VCAL pathway is utilised by students who wish to join the sporting industry immediately after Year 12, in roles such as Sport and Recreation Management, Personal Training, Professional Coaching or Team Management and Promotion.

Student Athletes who are apart of the Academy are encouraged to follow the prescribed pathway as listed below. Please see the Course Handbook for more information.

Our Sport Science Academy program is strongly linked to science via research and projects into biomechanics, physiology, human movement, nutrition and performance enhancement. Project based work will take place in collaboration with Wyndham Technical Hub located at Victoria University.

Wellbeing

The school places high expectations on students involved in pillar programs. It is therefore very important that all students involved in the Sport Science Academy represent the College accordingly both during and outside class time.

It is integral to the program’s aims that students remember they are a student first and an athlete second. All Sport Science Academy staff monitor students’ effort, classwork, behaviour/attitude and attendance, with poor performance, putting their place in the program at risk of probation, as per the probation policy.

The College is very pro-active in its support of students by offering Homework club sessions on Tuesday from 3.30 to 4.30pm and we also have a fantastic group of Student Managers, Welfare staff and also outside organisations such as Iron Armour Academy that deal with any student issues that may arise.

Iron Armour Academy specifically deal with student athlete wellbeing issues, giving one-on-one time for athletes mental and emotional health and wellbeing to ensure they can play their game both on and off the field to the best of their ability.