SASI Athlete Paxton Barr was named in the All Star team from the recently completed 16U Nationals held in Perth. Paxton was the stand out performer for the SA team, finishing sixth on the goal-scoring list out of 140 athletes in the competition. Paxton’s sister and fellow SASI athlete ChloeBarr was the stand out performer for the SA Women’s team. Chloe who is only 14 years old was South Australia’s highest goal scorer with 11 goals from 9 games. Both Paxton and Chloe are early awaiting selection of the Australian Youth Squads for the coming year.
Squad Coaches
Shaun Curtis - Elite Squad Assistant coach
Doug Cocking - National League Men 2008
Development Squad Coaches (Underpinning Programs) Nicholas Martin – Development Boys
Terril Ashton – Development Girls
Athlete Service Providers James Trotter - Physiotherapy Leigh Smith -Strength and Conditioning Greg Diment - Psychology Greg Rowsell - Physiology Alec Buttfield - Biomechanics Matt Harris - Performance Analysis Russell D'Costa - High Performance Co-ordinator Matt McGregor - ACE
The aim of the SASI Water Polo Program is to provide a year-round, high performance, training environment for both male and female athletes who are striving toward Australian Senior team selection.
Between 2002 and 2005, the emphasis of the SASI program was to provide a broad range of SASI Water Polo programs within South Australia In January 2006, the SASI Development Squads for boys and girls were moved to the control of South Australian Water Polo Inc (SAWPI). This change was a positive reflection of the growth of the Water Polo in South Australia and the increased capacity of SAWPI to develop the State’s junior athletes and provide a strong training environment for future SASI Program athletes.
Today, the SASI program is primarily focused on progressing a small group of the best male and female athletes in South Australia to the International level. This is achieved through partnership and cooperation with all the SASI Service providers, but also through innovative training and Team development strategies, as well as interstate and overseas training and competition opportunities.
In all ways the SASI Water Polo Program is aiming to give its best effort to assist those athletes striving to achieve their highest potential.
The SASI Water Polo Program is a partnership program funded and supported by the South Australian government through SASI in partnership with both National and State Sporting Organisation. A key partner in the program is Australian Water Polo Inc. who contributes funding support to the program as part of its National High Performance Plan. The NTC endorsement of the program recognises the status of the program in the sports National High Performance Pathway and also the indirect funding contribution to the SASI program by the Australian Sports Commission through Australian Water Polo Inc.
Most Water Polo athletes in South Australia begin playing the sport in the ISSSA Boys and Girls Schools Water Polo Competitions run in 4th and 1st Term each year. Increasingly, however, more and more children are being introduced to Water Polo through State run programs (State 14U Squads), Club programs (Come and Try days), or Club competitions (15U Club competitions).
From these beginnings, athletes can get involved in the SAWPI Development Squads, which are training squads for talented athletes who would like to represent South Australia at the 16U or 20U Nationals each year.
Underpinning Development Programs
The South Australian Water Polo Development Programs cater for both the 16U and 20U level, for both males and females. These squads are run on a self-sufficient basis for 6 months, between the end of Summer competition (May) and the start of the next Summer competition (October) each year. The athletes in these programs train in preparation for Youth (16U) and Junior (20U) State Teams, and for possible future SASI involvement.
SASI Water Polo Program head coach, Eddie Denis, oversees coaching of these programs.
SASI Water Polo Scholarship Application
Athletes wanting to join the SASI Water Polo program with the aim of gaining Australian Junior or Senior team selection in the future should apply for a SASI Full Scholarship. The Full Scholarship program will be coached by SASI Head Coach, Eddie Denis, over a yearly cycle, and will be tailored to producing the best performance from each athlete, in an effort to maximise their chances of being selected to major international championships. Details about the new SASI Scholarship structure and a copy of the Full Scholarship Application Form can be found below.
The 2008 uptake of new Full Scholarship holders will occur in December 2008.
February - Two athletes departed the SASI program at the end of 2006 and 5 new athletes were granted a probationary scholarship till March. All 5 athletes are fully involved all training sessions as well as formulation of the new SASI Squad Agreement for 2007.
March – Eddie Denis is Assistant coach for the Australian Senior Women that win silver at the Senior World Championships in Melbourne.
May - After a disappointing National League campaign, the SASI squad undertakes an 8 week block of intense fitness training. The full scholarship squad is now 10 athletes strong and all are undertaking individualized training programs to help them achieve specific fitness improvements much more rapidly.
July - 8 out of 10 of the SASI full scholarship athletes travel with Australian Teams to compete against International competition.
STAR ATHETES
Lisa Callahan - Named in the All Star Team from the Australian National League 2007. Member of the Australian Women’s team which finished 2 nd in the World League Finals 2007. Lisa is currently playing for Hungarian Club, Dunaujvarosi Vizilabda Egyesulet.
Patrick Harmer – Patrick was selected into the Australian Junior Men’s Team to compete at the World Junior Championships in August. As part of a 6 week tour, the Australian Junior Men will spend 3 weeks playing tournaments in Europe in preparation for the World Championships.
Luke Northcott , Josh Frost and Stephen Sloan - travellled with a Youth Boys B team to New Zealand in July. This trip was a successful first Australian representative experience for all three athletes.
Caitlin Shem and Victoria Risby - traveled to Sydney for an Australian Youth Girls International Series and training camp. The series saw a Born 89 and a Born 90 team from Australia take on the National Youth teams from USA and Canada. Victoria was diagnosed with Glandular Fever during this camp and was unable to participate in any games. Caitlin performed well and was selected into the Australian A team at the conclusion of the camp.
Luca Vezzosi - Selected as a member of the Australian Universiade (World Student Games) team to compete in Bangkok in August.
2005 16U Nationals – Caitlin Shem and Victoria Risby were selected to the Australian Squad from this competition. Both athletes participated in the Australian training camp in May.
2005 DTC Challenge for Senior Women – Sophie Ricketts and Lisa Callahan were asked to stay-on to form part of a Composite team against the strong QAS, NSWIS and WAIS teams. Lisa went on to participate in the Australian Women’s National Camp directly after this competition.
2006 20U Nationals – Patrick Harmer was the 2nd highest goal scorer at the Nationals and was selected into the National Junior Squad.
2005-6 National League – Lisa Callahan was voted MVP and was highest goal scorer for the Women’s Jets. Patrick Harmer was voted Most Improved player for the Men’s Jets.
2006 Australian Junior Men’s Tour – Patrick Harmer achieved equal fifth on the MVP rankings on the very successful tour by the Junior Australian Men. Patrick averaged 1.5 goals per game.
2006 Australian Country Women’s Team – Lisa Callahan and Joanne Bowen were both members of the Australian team which finished 2nd at the Hawaiian Invitational Tournament in August.
SENIOR AUSTRALIAN MEN
Rafael Sterk: Goalkeeper for the Australian Men's Team,
2000 and 2004 Olympic Games; Australian Senior Men's
Team 1998 - 2004
Rod Owen-Jones: Australian Men's Team, 2000 Olympic
Games; Australian Men's Team 1995 - 2000
Adam Richardson: Australian Men's Team 2001 - 2003
JUNIOR (U20) AUSTRALIAN MEN
Rafael Sterk, Adam Richardson, Grant Richardson, Matthew
Martin, Djorde Belosevic, Don Jon Ricci, Nathan Portlock.
