Bulletin's weekly Junior Sport column with former Olympian Glynis Nunn
In this week’s Junior Sport column, former Olympian Glynis Nunn discusses the dilemma for Aussie-raised sprinter Sasha Zhoya and the issue it highlights for rising athletes.
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I WROTE an article last year about respect and how I saw the good with the bad at the 2019 national under-age track and field championships.
I highlighted one young man, a West Australian athlete who had some outstanding performances and won multiple events, but in saying this, he was also the first athlete on finishing his event to go to other athletes and shake hands and wish them well.
Sasha Zhoya is 17 and there is a real chance that he will be the next big thing in the sport with world No.1 performances in the 110m hurdles and the pole vault.
He is Australian by birth but his parents have other citizenships. Under World Athletics regulations, an athlete with multiple citizenships from birth has to declare for which country they will compete at an international level.
With the under-20 championships this year, he has made a choice – which flag he will compete under – France, his mother’s passport.
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In a multicultural nation such as Australia, there is a high proportion of the population who have citizenship of more than one nation (something our politicians discovered was a problem).
Sasha has trained and competed most of his life in Australia. It wasn’t until last year that France extended an invitation to him to compete in France and attend coaching sessions with some of Europe’s top mentors.
He was also invited to be on French television, lunched with Prince Albert of Monaco and attended many VIP sports events. All special things that were meant to “woo’’ him.
Well, you could say it worked. He made his choice and to this day it is yet to be outlined if Australian Athletics did anything to convince him otherwise.
If we look what is on the radar ahead for Sasha there will be the world under-20 championships this year in Nairobi, Kenya.
He will also have the opportunity to compete at the European championships and then ultimately, the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024, which is his aim.
This is the ultimate – to be able to compete in front of your national capital.
By choosing France, he will miss the Commonwealth Games but I am sure he will get many more opportunities to compete at an international level.
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My reason for highlighting Sasha’s situation is that as an aspiring young athlete, you need to look at every possibility open to your development and future to make sure you choose what is best.
It is a given that you are only an athlete for a short period of time, so it is important to make “smart choices’’.
Representative opportunities, financial backing, educational possibilities, equipment and gear sponsorship, training and development possibilities and finally but by no means the least, future possibilities for when you might finish your sport to ensure you have a livelihood.
There are many athletes from a large range of sports who have taken the opportunity to accept scholarships with US colleges and universities.
This gives them the chance to undertake educational pursuits as well as furthering their sport development.
I have seen this first-hand with my own son who has been in the US for four years and is completing his masters.
I have also seen other athletes who I have coached as well as athletes who have been involved with GCAS programs, such as Regan Hackett (ice hockey) and Tianah List (track and field, and softball).
They have the chance to gain an education while still pursuing their love in sport without finishing with large HECS fees.
In sports such as cricket, rugby union, rugby league, football, basketball and baseball, we have seen many talented athletes take the opportunity to travel and live in another part of the world after being invited to play for a representative team for good money.
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As I said before, you are only an athlete for a short time so it is understandable when an offer is made that they take it.
In track and field, last year we saw sprint sensation Trae Williams leave the sport to pursue a career in rugby sevens.
He represented Australia in the world relays championships but there was never going to be a future as an individual athlete on the world stage in the 100m – there are just too many FAST athletes.
Williams had dabbled in rugby league prior to running on the track at school so it was a natural transition to go to rugby sevens where being fast is an advantage.
With the opportunity to be part of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo with a real medal chance, the attraction was just too great.
There have been many other athletes who have also taken the leap to rugby sevens and AFL with the prospect of an income for the efforts they apply.
So what is there on offer to young aspiring athletes on the Gold Coast?
The Gold Coast Academy of Sport along with the Carbine Club can offer a scholarship of $5000 to help with the costs involved with pursuing their sport.
Don’t have a sponsor or any other support?
I can only encourage you to apply for this bursary which will help parents to overcome the costs of coaching, travel, equipment and other expenses of sport.
Parents should also look at what is on offer from local and state government grants.
How do you apply?
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Simply go on to the website goldsport.com.au or contact via email or phone to inquire about the application form.
The successful applicant will be announced in April so please do not hesitate to contact us.
Next week the Academy’s rugby union program starts with training at RACV Royal Pines.
Forty-two young boys will be involved in skill development and life-skill sessions twice a week until the end of March.
All are excited and along with the coaching team, we look forward to seeing some rewarding results.
A development program has commenced in women’s golf with young players pursuing their love of striking that little white ball.
They will have the opportunity to play on different courses around the Gold Coast and learn more about how they can improve mentally and physically in their game.
The Academy is also involved in developing a hockey program, taking advantage of the facility left to the sport by the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
The Gold Coast has a large number of players who are keen to not only represent their region but their state and country.
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If you are interested, inquire with your club.
The BMX program that ended late last year will have follow-up practical and educational sessions at Nerang and Ashmore leading into the national championships in March.
The UCI world titles will be held in Houston in late May and there will be a large contingent from the Gold Coast attending.
GCAS will endeavour to help riders prepare mentally and physically for these.
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