St Stephen’s School students are working on becoming the sporting stars of the future. Aspiring athletes from the school’s Carramar camp tested their balance, flexibility, strength and agility at the launch of the Athlete Development Program last week. More than 25 students from years 7 and 8 were selected for the new program, with sporting backgrounds ranging from soccer, gymnastics, Aussie rules football, netball and athletics.

Their initial session included a functional movement screening with program partners, Athletic Institute, where they were put through a series of activities and measurements to form a tailored movement plan according to their individual needs, goals and capabilities. Head of health and physical education, Craig Thomas said the program would equip students with skills to support them in their chosen sport and further in the sporting industry.

“The program is unique in that it does not focus on one particular sport but instead aims to provide training and education that will complement each student’s sports training program,” he said.

He said the program’s aims included enhancing knowledge of what drives performance, physical literacy, specialised training in areas of physiology and sports psychology and how to achieve a balance between demanding training schedules and success at school.

“The course focuses on movement principles and wellbeing. Over the course of the year, students will have the opportunity to experience sessions that consolidate crucial functional movement skills, explore healthy nutrition, engage in mental skills training and increase their speed and agility,” he said.