Uni joins national search for next sports stars
Published on 29 August, 2008
As part of a unique initiative by the National Talent Identification and Development (NTID) program, CQUniversity is working with the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) to support establishment of a network of testing centres.
This effort is to help fast-track talented athletes from around Australia into selected Olympic Games and World Championship sports.
Aaron Scanlan's ready for testing
The ASC's NTID program aims to find and develop new athletes and to transfer existing athletes between sports to possibly represent Australia at the 2012 London Olympics and beyond.
Australian Sports Commission, Director of National Sport Programs, Greg Nance said that through partnerships such as these the talent identification program aims to increase the number of results received and improve talent detection opportunities.
"For Australia to retain its current high ranking in world sport and become competitive at an international level across a wider range of sports, it is important that we use these already established and effective networks to seek out and fast-track talent in Australia," Nance said.
By working with CQUniversity and over 20 other universities and Academies of Sports from across the country, NTID has been able to establish in excess of 20 registered Talent Assessment Centres, which will assist in validating athletes' physical performance results generated from a revolutionary new web-based self-identification tool, eTID.
eTID is an online tool that allows athletes to enter their own results for a set of predetermined physical screening tests and then be provided with feedback on their results comparative to normative data for their age and gender. Those athletes participating in the online screening are then encouraged to attend a follow-up screening at one of the Testing Centres.
CQUniversity PhD student and regional NTID co-ordinator Aaron Scanlan said the program is a great way to advance sport in the country and gives young athletes living in regional areas a great way to assess their potential within specific sports.
"Such a program is essential in developing sporting performance within Australia, and by incorporating testing centres around the nation, it gives talented athletes with little exposure to this type of testing the opportunity to realise their ability and hopefully put them on course to becoming elite sports stars," Scanlan said.
To access eTID visit www.ausport.gov.au/etid
Aaron Scanlan 
Aaron Scanlan 
Aaron Scanlan is interviewed by WIN TV about the initiative