New interim structure for National Age Group Programs announced
Published Thu 25 Jun 2020
Water Polo Australia is pleased to announce a new structure and program delivery model for the National Age Group Programs (NAGP).
With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the cancellation of the National Championships that was to be used for the NAGP squad selections, Water Polo Australia, in consultation with the State Organisations and Team coaches, have revised the National Age Group Programs and developed a new Talent Identification process to overcome the impact of COVID-19 on the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
A 15-month long program has been developed, which will commence in July 2020 through to September 2021 to ensure we can prepare our NAGP squads for competition in this period, alongside a set of key characteristics that have been formulated to help guide the invovled players (click here).
Water Polo Australia National Pathways Manager, Nicola Johnson, said it was important to provide some certainty to junior athletes as pools begin to open and community sport begins to return across the country.
“Given the unprecedented circumstances, we wanted to offer certainty to our athletes and their families, and we wanted to use this time away from sport to review our pathways model,” Johnson said.
“The new interim model should give our NAGP athletes a good understanding of the process and timelines that have been set for the next 15 months but also beyond, offering them something to focus their training on and work towards,” she said.
Athletes in Cadet, Youth and Junior age groups will be selected by early August to attend the training camps in September/October that will commence a 12-month program in preparation for the respective World Championships or various international events/tours.
One of the major changes to be implemented will be that the NAGP squads will be reviewed annually.
“The program is designed to provide our athletes with the opportunity to gain some international playing experiences over the period, but we also wanted to create the opportunity for athletes that might be maturing and progressing at different stages to be considered each year.
“With much uncertainty due COVID-19, for the next 15-month period we will approach the program with the necessary flexibility and implement changes as necessary according to the health and government advice,” she said.
Details about the National Events Calendar for the 2020/21 season will be released in the coming weeks.
For more information, click below
