High Performance Sport NZ strength and conditioning trainer Michael Jacobs, left, with Master of Science candidate Charlie Beaglehole.
Students from the School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences are getting a front-row seat to elite training as they work alongside High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ) athletes and coaches at Smithells Gym.
With their usual training facility next to Forsyth Barr Stadium undergoing renovations, HPSNZ has turned to the University of Otago gym for early morning sessions, giving students invaluable hands-on experience in strength and conditioning within the world of elite sport.
Technical Team Leader and Electronics Technician Nigel Barrett says students taking either SPEX316 or SPEX416 strength and conditioning papers can book themselves into the training sessions, which then count as part of their required contact time.
Students getting to work with HPSNZ in this manner is a “one-off opportunity” that will prove very useful for those students looking to work in this field in the future,” he adds.
HPSNZ strength and conditioning trainer Michael Jacobs says about 35 athletes will be making use of Smithells multiple times a week until January.
The athletes - some of whom are Olympians and Paralympians partake in a wide range of sports including swimming, athletics, motocross, triathlon, netball, canoe, speed skating, surf lifesaving, rowing, basketball, and hockey.
“High Performance Sport New Zealand and the School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences are collaborating with students working alongside athletes to complete physical assessments which are part of their course work while athletes are obtaining crucial data which helps with their preparation,” Michael says.
So far, the benefits of using Smithells are outweighing any of the restrictions; support staff are having valuable, informal collaborative conversations with world leading academic professionals, and the athletes have enjoyed the change of environment, he says.
“As they grow and progress in their chosen sports, they will often experience many changes to training and environments, so it’s beneficial for them to develop the qualities of adaptability and resilience in a controlled setting.
“My hope is we can continue to foster the relationship, with Otago University creating, advancing, sharing and applying their knowledge to help high performance athletes inspire performance every day and excel on the world stage.”
Some specialised equipment has been brought along to Smithells such as 1080 sprint motion II, Keisers, VALD force plates, contact matts and gym wares.
Master of Science candidate Charlie Beaglehole says he has enjoyed spending time with the HPSNZ athletes and coaches. He is taking the SPEX416 paper alongside his masters.
“It’s been awesome getting a feel of the camaraderie that the coaches can build with their athletes and how that reflects in the training.”
Charlie has spent roughly three hours a week during semester two learning from HPSNZ. He is also now making a start on his third season with the Highlanders.
“It’s been awesome… I’m very appreciative of being given these opportunities.”
Charlie is halfway through his masters, and once he is done, he would love to head overseas.
“Travel will probably be on the cards at some point, and you can never rule out further study!”