Endeavour Sports High notches incredible Australian representative feat after latest sporting success

Is this Australia’s best sporting school? Endeavour Sports High completed an extraordinary national feat recently to take their number of Aussie reps past 25. Here’s the secret to their success.

Telaya Blacksmith represented Australia at the Paralympic Games in Paris earlier this year. Photo: Jacquelin Magnay

Can Endeavour Sports High lay claim to being Australia’s best sporting school?

When Antonio Browne stepped out for the Australia U15s at the Oceania Cup earlier this month, he became the 26th student to either represent their country or earn selection in an Australian team throughout the calendar year.

The extraordinary feat has been made even more impressive by the fact it has come across 12 different sports, with 15 male and 11 female students earning the honours.

For principal James Kozlowski it’s an exciting time overseeing the school with so many promising young prospects walking through the doors.

“It’s certainly a record for us,” he said.

“This has been a stellar year and what excites me the most is how many of these are juniors. Each year we seem to be attracting a greater number of high quality athletes and that’s particularly evident with the girls.

Thomas Dellow helped Endeavour Sports High to the final of the Schoolboys Cup. Picture: Warren Gannon Photography

“The growth has been incredible and I like to think we’ve been ahead of the curve.”

Kozlowski began his tenure with the school a decade ago and said the development of women’s sports has been off the charts.

“When I started 10 years ago I predicted we were going to see the emergence of pathways for female athletes at the professional or semi-pro level,” he said.

“Since then we’ve seen the AFLW, NRLW and real growth in the round ball game on the back of the Matildas.

“All of our sports have girls competing. Next year for example there will be a nearly 50-50 split of girls and boys entering our Targeted Sports Program.”

The TSP surrounds students with access to elite coaches and facilities, as well as strength and conditioning programs and nutritional information.

Kozlowski said the time and dedication put into their students, and getting to know them on a personal level, is crucial to their success.

“Unlike other organisations or rep teams, schools like ours and other sports high schools see them 40 weeks a year, five days a week, six hours a day,” he said.

“We know they go through the trials and tribulations of injuries, being dropped or having interest levels waiver. We’re with them for the whole journey and don’t cut them loose, so that they can reach their potential.

“We see them as a person first and the psychological aspect of elite sport cannot be over-estimated.

“What goes on between the ears is critical. It can be the difference between being good and great, and we recognise that at an early age.

“What we’re about is developing good young people first, academic students second and athletes third. That’s how we rank our priorities.”