Pembroke’s bespoke Athlete Development Program is an individualised, high-performance sporting pathway in Years 9 and 10.
Athlete Development Program
The Athlete Development Program (ADP) supports talented young athletes to excel both academically and in sport.
Designed for students in Years 9 and 10, the program combines practical skills, strength and conditioning, training principles, and sports science theory to help students reach their potential.
Tailored to each athlete’s individual needs, the ADP enables students to pursue sporting excellence while maintaining academic success and exploring future pathways in sport.
The program currently supports students across a wide range of sports, including AFL, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Cricket, Dance, Equestrian, Gymnastics, Hockey, Netball, Rowing, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Triathlon, Tennis, Volleyball and Water Polo, with additional sports considered where possible.
Individualised Program
The ADP is customised to each young athlete’s needs, with specialised coaches and experts providing guidance in all areas of athlete development.
Strength and Conditioning
Students partake in individual or small group skill sessions with state and nationally accredited coaches to develop their athletic skills and knowledge. Athletes with heavy external training loads can use this time for academic studies.
High Performance Skill Sessions
Under the guidance of specialised trainers, students work through core strength and conditioning activities applicable to their chosen sport. This builds student knowledge of their musculoskeletal balance and leads to enhanced performance and injury prevention.
Long-term Athlete Development
The program empowers athletes by providing them with knowledge in training principles, nutrition, biomechanics, coaching and other essentials for careers in the sport industry.
Tactical Development
Athletes develop an understanding of game principles and technique adjustment through use of video analysis, GPS and personal reviews.
Athlete Wellbeing
Athlete wellbeing is paramount within the ADP, where students are taught the ways in which it can impact their sporting performance and how to manage it effectively.
Student athletes have access to on-site physiotherapy as well as the School’s Wellbeing Team. They harness sports psychology principles and GPS data to monitor their training loads, recovery and sleep schedules.
Parents are invited to quarterly guest presentations offering support and strategies to families of high-performing student athletes.
State and National Level Coaches
Highly regarded and specialised coaches are sought for each athlete’s chosen sport, working closely with our students to provide tailored training programs and high-level feedback to shape development.
Current coaches include Michael Knoll (Sydney Swans and Norwood Redlegs Football clubs), Lucy Sharman (2021) (Australian Hockeyroos player), Trish Adams (former Australian Lacrosse Coach) and Adriano Pellegrino (Adelaide United and other professional Soccer clubs).
I focus on showing students how the best in the world do things. I love that I get to pass this on and they can make changes to their techniques to make them better players.
— Jamie Siddons, Australian Cricketer
Athlete Development Program
Selection Requirements
Selection to the ADP is via an application process with the following considered:
- Involvement in a high-level representative sporting team (e.g. state or national)
- Demonstration of potential involvement in elite programs outside of the School
- Performance in the Health and Physical Education subject
Contact Us
To learn more about our Athlete Development Program, please contact our Admissions Department at admissions@pembroke.sa.edu.au or +61 8 8366 6217.