Sport Program 2015
Dear students, staff and families of Ambrose Treacy College In 2015 we will realise our dream of opening Ambrose Treacy College, and the world of new opportunities that will be available for the boys of ATC. This new beginning will see the start of a sporting program that by necessity as well as desire will step outside the traditional boys school sporting structures and will offer the boys of ATC the chance to realise their own personal excellence in their chosen areas of sport at ATC. Boys by their nature are very competitive and a good sporting program needs to provide opportunity for boys to compete in authentic and challenging environments. We will offer competition in school, club and community contexts, with each playing an integral role in a holistic and comprehensive sporting program that allows boys to pursue their own sporting dreams whilst developing a tribal culture of school pride and an engagement in lifelong physical activity. For school sport competition, we will be playing full seasons of invitational games against a variety of Colleges, ranging from those whom we have traditionally played against and a number of other Colleges who share our values and passion for boys sport. It is important that our community understands that as we grow over the next 5 years to become a Year 4 12 school we do not fit comfortably into an existing competition. However, over the past 12 months we have been engaged in conversations with individual schools who are excited about the opportunity to engage with Ambrose Treacy College across a variety of sporting contexts. In Cricket, Football and Rugby in particular we are currently finalising draws during Term 1, Term 2 and Term 3 respectively, which include full school rounds against our EREA counterparts Gregory Terrace and Nudgee College as well as a number of other Colleges to develop full nine round school sport seasons. In many existing competitions in the greater Brisbane area, disparities exist in terms of numbers of teams entered into different sports by schools within a competition. In these instances, opportunities are available for fixtures to be scheduled in what is known as a supplementary draw and can include schools across a number of competitions. We are excited about these opportunities and are confident that they will provide a quality competitive environment for the boys of Ambrose Treacy College. Whilst we are not officially part of a competition, this aspect of our sporting program will not be dissimilar to our current structure, in terms of draws, competition format and organizational structures. The traditional championship sports of Swimming, Cross Country and Athletics will be more representative of a team sport season; rather than build for a single championship event, we have identified a number of quality opportunities throughout each season where boys will be able to compete in an environment that is commensurate with their age and ability. Regular quality competition will provide feedback that will inform training programs for both individuals and whole squads creating a specified rather than a generalised approach to training. One of these key opportunities will be an EREA Invitational in each sport with fellow Edmund Rice schools. With a strong emphasis on participation, the EREA Invitational events will provide a great competitive opportunity as well as a genuine and healthy connection between Edmund Rice schools. We believe that the successes of our program will be in the partnerships that we create and maintain as we grow and prosper and the people who we recruit to facilitate our sporting program. Not only will these people and partnerships bring new knowledge, skills and enthusiasm to our sporting program; they will open the door to their own sports bringing contacts and opportunities that may have otherwise been inaccessible for our boys. As you will see from the framework included in this booklet, we will be offering sport at Recreational, Competitive, Advanced and Elite levels. Each boy can seek to engage in sport at the level and in the context which suits their own personal goals. A combination of school and club representative pathways across team sports, cross country, athletics and swimming will mean boys wishing to pursue a higher level of sport will have increased opportunity and the coaching and support systems in place to do so. As we grow a program across school, club and community contexts, we hope your sons will find themselves engaged, motivated and supported in all aspects of sport at ATC. We have an opportunity to do things differently and to look outside the traditional structures of school sport. We have a proud history of sport at the College, we have found the people, built the partnerships, written the programs and established the processes that we need to offer a great sporting product to our boys. Thank you for choosing to believe in our College and the many great opportunities that your son will have in the future. I look forward to standing next to you on the sidelines as our boys take the field wearing the blue, white and green of the ATC Irish Warriors to realise their own sporting dreams and to achieve their very own personal excellence. Yours in ATC Sport Dave Capra Head of Sport and Activities caprad@atc.qld.edu.au
ATC Sport Philosophy ATC Sport Department Staff Mr Dave Capra Head of Sport and Activities Mr Luke Donatini Athletic Performance Coordinator Mr Paul Jones Aquatics Coordinator Mr Brett Henschell Cricket Coordinator Mrs Fiona Hannan Basketball Coordinator
ATC Sport Framework and Continuum
A sport for every boy Australian Football ATC Juniors will continue in their second year in the AFLBJ Competition with teams from Under 9 to Under 14 in 2015. With 5 teams in our inaugural season in 2014 we are looking to build in 2015. Boys can play ATC Juniors AFL as well as school soccer and rugby to get the most out of the winter football codes! Pre-season February to March Fixtures April to August Athletics The ATC Athletics program will encapsulate Track and Field and Cross Country and will involve specialised training across running, jumping and throwing events. A combination of regular interschool and club competition and representative opportunities will allow all boys to achieve personal excellence. Athletics and Cross country are very popular sports at our College and will continue to be a major aspect of our sporting program into the future. Season March to October Basketball 3 on 3 is the fastest growing form of basketball in the world and will be the cornerstone of the game at ATC. Our recreational and competitive level basketball players will enjoy playing in the ATC 3 on 3 Basketball Competition, with our advanced and elite players using the 3 on 3 as a pre-season for the school season in Term 3 and the Brisbane Club Basketball season in Term 3 and 4. Season March to October Canoe Polo Canoe Polo is a very popular niche sport in our community and with a new fleet of boats designed specifically for the younger boys, participation will no doubt continue to grow. Year 4 Paddle Play will be held on Saturday mornings and Year 5 8 competitions will be held on Wednesday evenings through the year. Specialist coaches from Brothers Canoe Polo will be facilitating the program with assistance from ATC Staff. Canoe Polo runs all year round.
A sport for every boy Cricket The ATC Cricket program offers a complete package for boys of all levels of interest and ability. For the cricket tragics among us, cricket will begin in August for preseason training, followed by the ATC Club Cricket season in Term 4 in the Brisbane North Cricket Competition, followed by a full school cricket season in Term 1. Boys can also choose to play school or club cricket only depending on their interest and other commitments. Representative opportunities will include both school and club pathways. Pre-season August to September Club Season October to December Canoeing and Kayaking Canoeing and Kayaking will be offered at a recreational level at ATC in 2015 with the emphasis being on familiarising boys with key strokes and building confidence on the water. With support from Queensland Canoeing and Brothers Canoe Club, Canoeing and Kayaking will continue to evolve at ATC into competitive opportunities into the future. Indoor Cricket In 2015 we will enter our 5th Indoor Cricket Season at Brisbane West Indoor Sports Centre. Following cricket trials in Term 4 and the beginning of Term 1, boys who do not make a school cricket team or a Year 4 club team will play Indoor Cricket on Saturday mornings. Without rain interruptions and with real participation in batting, bowling and fielding, boys at a recreational level of the game will rapidly increase in skill and knowledge whilst enjoying a fast paced, high scoring version of the game.
A sport for every boy Football, Indoor Soccer and Futsal Our head coach Mr Remo Buess will be returning in 2015 to support coaches in continuing to offer a high quality football program at ATC. Pre-season will include an emphasis on football specific conditioning and massed practise of fundamental skills in preparation for the school soccer season in Term 2. Boys will also have the opportunity to play Futsal for the College in the SE QLD Futsal Championships during the football pre-season. The Year 4 Indoor Soccer Competition will also be offered during Term 2 on Friday afternoons at Brisbane West Indoor Sports, Darra. Pre-season March Fixtures April to June Rugby Union In 2015 we will be implementing our new school wide rugby program that has been developed with the QRU. In 2015, Year 4 boys will have the opportunity to represent the College through Club rugby pathways, Year 5 8 boys will have the opportunity to tour to play at the Armidale or Gold Coast Rugby Carnivals and will play a full school season in Term 3. Our pre-season will include position specific conditioning as well as individual and team skill development. Year 4 Fixtures - March to August Year 5 8 Pre-season May to June Fixtures July to September
A sport for every boy Swimming ATC will offer a comprehensive swimming program for all members of our community. Boys will have the opportunity to train as part of the recreational, competitive, advanced and elite squads throughout the school year and will compete at a variety of interschool and club meets. A focused school season will run during Term 1 in addition to the many club swimming opportunities that boys will have. Boys will have the opportunity to seek representative opportunities through school pathways and as a member of the ATC swimming club. Tennis The ATC tennis program will commence with age and open championships during Term 2 and will then follow with Saturday morning and midweek fixtures against schools in the AIC, TAS and GPS organisations. ATC teams will also travel to play tournaments in the Darling Downs, Central QLD and Northern NSW. Boys will also have the opportunity to trial for teams playing in the Brisbane International Primary Schools Tennis Challenge during Term 4 and then if successful during the Brisbane International over the New Year. Tennis will run during Term 2, 3 and 4 Triathlon In its second year the triathlon program at the College has gone from strength to strength in terms of both the number of boys participating and the quality of our competitors. Boys will train as a squad in preparation for the QLD All Schools Triathlon and Aquathlon held at Kawana in November as well as for competition in the Gatorade Tri Series. Triathlon will run during Term 3 and 4
A sport for every boy Water Polo ATC will be entering teams into the Brisbane Water Polo club competition in the Under 12 and Under 13 divisions. Water Polo has been a growth sport at the College for the past 4 years and we are looking forward to continuing that growth as we move into the future. We will also be running an internal developmental program for Water Polo during Term 3 for beginner players from all year levels. Water Polo will run during Term 1 and 2 Volleyball A small volleyball program will be developed for boys in Year 7 and 8. As a new sport at the College we will be building the profile and breadth of this program as we grow as a school and will compete in the All Schools Volleyball Cup in Toowoomba when we have students of eligible ages. Volleyball will run during Term 1 and 2 Term 4 Sport Throughout the year, but particularly during Term 4 boys have the opportunity to experience a variety of sports on a recreational and semicompetitive level. These include OzTag, Touch Football, Golf, European Handball and other sports depending on student interest. Representative Sport A key focus of the sport program at ATC is provide opportunity for boys who have talent and ambition in a particular sport to pursue representative selection. ATC is a member of the West Taylor Bridge District for Junior School Boys and Brisbane Independent Boys for Middle and Senior school boys. In addition to school representative pathways, boys will have the opportunity to seek selection through club pathways in Cricket, Basketball, Swimming, Cross country, Athletics and Australian Football.