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Athlete and Coach Services

The Athlete and Coach Services group’s major responsibility is the delivery of integrated support services to AIS programs in the clinical and sports science areas, athlete career and education, and athlete welfare through the AIS residences program. These services were delivered as agreed in the Performance Enhancement Program planning process.

The AIS review recommended the priorisation of service delivery to AIS sport programs based on the adoption of a tier system. Acordingly, AIS sports have been categorised into two tiers. The underlying principle for determining the characteristics and criteria for each tier is that the role of the AIS is considered in part ‘to enhance the international sporting performances of Australia’s elite athletes’. Those programs with high levels of success in the international arena, and/or the greatest likelihood to achieve a successful result, are ranked higher than those that do not have the same success level. Some programs have been classified as tier 2 when individual athletes in those programs are clearly at the tier 1 performance level. In these cases, such athletes are classified as tier 1 for service provision. The categorisation of each AIS program is listed in Appendix 3.

The implementation of the recommendations of the AIS review meant that AIS staff were to provide services to national teams under negotiated commercial arrangements with national sporting organisations consistent with the adoption of the ASC policy on one-line funding of national sporting organisations. However, AIS staff will be able to take positions on the Australian Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games teams. The organisations involved will not be charged for the staff’s contribution. The provision of such services is regarded as part of the ASC’s contribution to the national effort.

Staff in the Athlete and Coach Services group were also involved in conducting research to identify best practice to support elite athlete development, and in other activities to provide innovations to the AIS and Australian elite sport network. A brief report on these activities is set out below.

• Sports Medicine - Research within the department in 2001-02 focused on the interpretation of blood test results in elite athletes and aspects of iron supplementation.

• Strength and Conditioning - The department took on a proactive coordination and quality-assurance role for all of the AIS sports located in the states. It also played a leadership role with state institutes and academies of sport personnel in the development of national protocols for testing and exercise prescription to provide consistency for elite athlete development in Australia.

• Physical Therapy (physiotherapy and soft tissues therapy - massage) - The department maintained its leadership role with substantial and progressive research programs focusing on studies in a range of sport-specific injuries.

• Sports Psychology - The department developed and implemented a number of applied research projects, a ‘critical incident’ protocol for AIS sport programs and the AIS Alcohol and Drug Awareness program. The innovative incorporation of skill acquisition continued.

• Physiology - Significant intellectual and physical resource input towards new and innovative research was provided through involvement in the Cooperative Research Centres for MicroTechnology. Work was supported by an ongoing commitment to education and research with 11 full-time PhD scholars. Areas of research focus included environmental physiology (altitude hypoxia), sleep physiology, and exercise and immune status.

• Biomechanics - The department established a cutting-edge reputation in the areas of technique, competition analysis, and feedback for the coach and athlete that assists with technique enhancement. Specialised biomechanical analysis systems were developed for a range of sports.

• Physiology - Significant intellectual and physical resource input towards new and innovative research was provided through involvement in the Cooperative Research Centres for MicroTechnology. Work was supported by an ongoing commitment to education and research with 11 full-time PhD scholars. Areas of research focus included environmental physiology (altitude hypoxia), sleep physiology, and exercise and immune status.

• Biomechanics - The department established a cutting-edge reputation in the areas of technique, competition analysis, and feedback for the coach and athlete that assists with technique enhancement. Specialised biomechanical analysis systems were developed for a range of sports.

• Nutrition - The department hosted a ‘caffeine workshop’ in December 2001, focusing on topical aspects such as anti-doping, sports law, caffeine pharmacology and exercise physiology. Innovative techniques to support elite athletes were established, such as the development of the nutrition ‘recovery bar’ program for AIS sports.

• Performance Analysis - The Performance Analysis Unit was established in May 2002. The Unit provides innovation and support to coaches and athletes by identifying new advances in the information technology and audiovisual areas.

Staff provided a high-quality and innovative career and education service, study hall program, and ongoing education assistance to both residential and non-residential athletes. Services to non-Canberra-based residential athletes were delivered on behalf of the AIS through the state institute or academy of sport networks.

• Residences Welfare - The AIS employed five live-in house parents and 15 athlete supervisors to ensure that athletes residing in the AIS Halls of Residence were provided a high standard of welfare services.

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