Athlete Life Programme
High Performance Sport New Zealand
SPARC’s High Performance unit is now part of High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ). To find out more about HPSNZ go to
www.hpsnz.org.nz
Athlete Life Programme
The Athlete Life Programme aims to assist athletes manage their lives effectively in order to achieve sporting excellence.
Athlete Life Advisors work with carded athletes to minimise constraints and maximise opportunities that have the potential to impact upon sport performance.
How does it work?
The Athlete Life Process:
Your Athlete Life Advisor will check your National Sport Organisation’s Athlete Life plan and contact your coach to determine what services you are entitled to. He/she will then meet with you to undertake an Athlete Life Performance Profile to establish your lifestyle needs and the basis for ongoing professional development. Follow-up services after the Athlete Life Performance Profile are based on what you, as an athlete need in order to meet your performance goals.
This could include assistance and development in the following areas:
| Services |
Examples |
| Integration of Performance and other Goals |
Elite athletes are often juggling different goals and challenges from athlete to employee, parent to student. The Athlete Life Programme provides support to athletes to manage their lives effectively in order to achieve sporting excellence. |
| Use of a Support Network |
Identifying your support network and providing links with these support personnel when necessary. |
| Support Services |
Assisting athletes to link with their sports science (eg. physical conditioner, sport psychologist,) and sports medicine (doctor, physiotherapy and muscle balance) support team based on individual athlete needs suitable times of the year for accessing services based on the NSO or individual athlete’s programme. |
| Financial |
Providing support to athletes on planning, budgeting, and financial planning. Also assisting athletes working on developing sponsorship proposals and ideas for identifying funding options. |
| Transition |
Providing athletes with support during times of voluntary or forced transition. This could include dealing with injury, retirement, changing positions or event, or transitions into coaching. |
| Living / Relocation |
Relocating due to sporting opportunities and commitments and the implication of this – housing, transport, new coach, training partners, support networks etc. |
| Career |
Assisting in planning athlete’s sporting and non-sporting careers. |
| Employment |
Decisions surrounding appropriateness of full time v part time employment. Job seeking skills, job preparation skills, as well as preparing for interviews and job applications |
| Life Skills |
Development of skills such as planning, decision-making, time management, communication, handling the media etc. |
| Education |
Guidance regarding education choices (full time, part-time, course choices). |
| Prime Minister’s Athlete Scholarships |
Opportunity for elite athletes to apply for support to assist their tertiary education through the Prime Minister's Athlete Scholarships which cover fees and a living allowance for those athletes who are eligible. |
See www.hpsnz.org.nz for more details.
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