Specialist Sport
In 1997 we introduced our Specialist Sport Program. The ability of sport to provide opportunities, to encourage the pursuit of excellence and to help students connect, both within our school community, and with the broader community, were the drivers of creating this first-class program.
This program caters for students who have been identified by sporting associations as talented sports people, with both potential and application to be successful at an elite level.
Ballarat High School’s program enables students to continue their education while also receiving specialist sporting coaching in their field. The program also includes specialist camps, excursions, parent evenings and a focus on developing both the students’ sporting talents and abilities but also their leadership skills. The program is delivered at a junior and senior levels:
Sports included in this program are:
- Netball
- Football
- Basketball
- Soccer
- Strength & Conditioning
Junior Specialist Sport Program (JSSP): Year 7 & 8
Selected students undertake two years of athlete development training. Over and above the Physical Education curriculum their classmates participate in, these students also have access to broader experiences such as professional gymnastic coaching, professional level sprint, jump and throw work, exposure to elite facilities at the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) and Federation University, and workshops in nutrition, recovery and mindfulness.
Senior Specialist Sport Program (SSSP): Year 9, 10 & 11
In our senior program, participating students select their specialised sport and undergo intense weekly training in this discipline during Term 2 and 3. Students who have not previously taken part can also apply to join the program in these years.
An additional opportunity for sport-focussed students is the option to undertake Certificate III in Sport and Recreation during Year 10 and 11, which also integrates their training modules.
Successful alumni that have been a part of the Specialist Sport Program include:
Jared Tallent
Athletics
Jared was one of the earliest Specialist Sport students, graduating in 2002. Jared has represented Australia at 3 Olympic games, winning 1 Gold, 2 Silver and 1 Bronze medals in the 20 and 50 kilometer race walk.
Kyra Cooney-Cross
Association Football
Kyra Cooney-Cross was a member of the Ballarat High School Specialist Sport Program in 2014 and 2015.
In 2019 she was named as a standby player for the Matildas Womens World Cup squad
Maighan Fogas
Australian Rules
Maighan made her debut for the Geelong AFLW team at GMHBA stadium on Saturday 2nd of Feb in front of over 18,000 fans. It was a tough hard low scoring affair with Geelong just getting the win by just 1 point! A very memorable match for all involved. Maighan played 35 game time as a mid-field rotation gathering 6 disposals, 2 tackles and 2 marks.
Graduating Ballarat High School in 2013, Maighan has gone on to achieve some big things in football! After an outstanding season in 2018, Maighan nominated for the draft and ended up being selected with pick number 47 to Geelong AFLW team. Maighan becomes Ballarat High Schools 2nd AFLW player behind Laura Bailey who played for the Western Bulldogs for 2 seasons.
Brad Sewell
Australian Rules
