Congratulations

WINNERS: Bill Turner Girls won 4-1 (next game 15th Aug)

Upcoming Events

• Boys Rugby 7's 7th August (Port Macquarie)
• Girls Rugby 7's 10th August Port Macquarie)
• Woolgoolga MTB 11th August
• 12/13's futsal 14th Aug (Port Macquarie)
• Girls Bill Turner Round of 16 Match 15th & 16th August
• NCIS Athletics 16th August (Coffs CEX Stadium)
• 19's Futsal 17th Aug (Port Macquarie)
• Barney Barselaar Cup 18th August  Woolgoolga

2023 Snow Sports Program

The Snow Gods produced the snow and BDC produced the great fun.

The 2023 Snow Sports program was once again a raging success. It all started with a 14hr bus trip to Snowy Mountains Motor Inn, our home away from home. This 1990’s style accommodation was ideal for school groups. Located in the small Mountain town of Berridale it had everything we needed; games room, pool tables, a group dining room, warm bedrooms and fantastic meals. But we’re all not hear to read about the accommodation, let’s talk snow.

This year's Snow Sports program we booked to use Thredbo Mountain Resort, offering a very different experience for the Snowboarders and Skiers. With the luxury of being dropped by our wonderful coach driver at the base of the Resort, students skied top to bottom, until the last lifts every day. The snow was firm and the resort had great coverage for June skiing. We were blessed. 

Students with Snow experience quickly found the Blue and Black runs of Thredbo, enjoying the steeper mountain access and faster runs. Those that didn’t have the experience settled on the Merits and Friday Flats exploring the softer turns, rolling mountains. 

The Snow Sports program wouldn’t be possible without the dedication of BDC Staff and Teachers, and the open mindedness of parents and carers who see that to be ‘Life Prepared’ extends beyond the classroom.

BDC High Performance Camp

Day 1
High Performance Camp started the day with lunch after our journey north. Then into our speed session on track with Olympic Coach Sharron Hannon who was the great Olympic gold and silver medalist Sally Pearsons coach for many years.

Our students got to engage and work with Sharron for over an hour on the Gold Coast Performance Centre Olympic Track. We worked on reaction time and explosive speed. Learning how reaction speed can be utilised across all sports.

Limb speed, reaction and anticipation.

Followed by our first water session for the week, a deep water session. Students were not concerned diving right in as the temperature was a perfect 25 degrees!

Day 2
Who could think of a better way to start the day other than a 5.15am wake-up and pool session.

Our students were all fantastic and did their required 30 minutes of swimming. (Well some did what was considered swimming ) but our elite swimmers got to get their session in.

Breakfast awaits at the Trackside Bistro, then off to Bond University for ‘Elite Athlete Experience’ which includes a 45 min group training session and then a recovery session in hot and cold plunge pools. 

Thank you to Rick and Glenn from #BondUniversity for allowing our group to use the $30 million facility and inviting us back next year to tour and utilise the new $48 million building that will be focussing on biomechanics.

Our students did our school proud, worked really hard and felt immersed in an elite training facility. Giving this experience to our students gives them an idea of what elite sports crossed with academics can achieve.

‘The best experience I have ever had, I don’t want to leave’, was a quote by one of our year 10 students Evie Martin.

We returned to the High Performance Centre for our 2-afternoon sessions.

1. Sports Psychology and functional core session.

Students in these sessions learn some skills to assist with anxiety, performance and support systems they can put in place. But most of all we learnt about gratitude and how it assists with positive self-talk and self-reflection.

2. Activity 5 for the day was a functional movement session run by PHYSIO Brock from Aikens Health Group which reside here in the High Performance Centre.

We finished the day with a little friendly competition at TOPGOLF.

90 minutes of every conceivable golf shot known to man!

Day 3

Early starts again with a 530am swim followed by a 630am Gym session. 

The students are really getting used to the immersion of life as an elite athlete.

Session 3 was a speed session run by Olympic coach Phil Hannon. Who specialised in jump events in track and field, and was also Sally Peasons (Olympic Gold Medalist - 100m Hurdles) strength and conditioning coach.

This session was more about explosive movements.

We then had some downtime with a trip to the outlets before heading back to the High Performance Centre for some beach volleyball and sand sports games. 

Tonight’s special guest speaker was Stacey Porter. Stacey is a world records game holder, having played 446 games for Australia since 2003 and last played for Australia in the Tokyo Olympics. 

Stacey is a proud Indigenous woman who grew up in Tamworth. Her longevity in the game has made her a standout Australian sportsperson. Stacey is a 3-time Olympian and 2-time Olympic medalist in the sport of softball. Also one of my teammates for 2 Olympic Games. Stacey still currently plays in Japan in the professional league and is currently in her 16th professional season. The students loved her story and got to hear some great insight and perspective of what it takes to be successful on a world stage from a regional beginning.

Thank you Stacey for your time and inspiring our student athletes.

Day 4

'Finally, a sleep in' they said for a 6am wake-up.

We pack up and head to Palm Beach Currumbin Sports School for our Football, Rugby, Basketball and Girls Touch to join in their technical training sessions. I would like to thank Neil Mackay and his staff for their time and expertise with our student/athletes. It’s a real eye-opener for our students walking into a secondary school of over 2600 students with approx 440 students at each year level from Years 7-12.

Our students enjoyed their sessions and we also got to tour their new $10.8 million dollar stadium that opened only weeks ago.

So we head back to Coffs with some new experiences and memories to help them all move forward in their chosen sports. I would personally like to thank Marty Kelleher and Lilli Smyth for the support they provided to the students and me over the past 4 days of early starts and late nights.

Until next year Gold Coast.....

Nat Titcume
High Performance/ Sports Academies Director