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The NSW Regional Academies of Sport have welcomed federal and state investment into a National High-Performance Sport Strategy.

The Academy Network covers each of the points of the compass in NSW, and is a unique body representing the 9 Regional Academies operating across the state. Member Academies include Central Coast Academy of Sport, Hunter Academy of Sport, Illawarra Academy of Sport, North Coast Academy of Sport, Northern Inland Academy of Sport, Southern Sports Academy, South West Sydney Academy of Sport, Western Region Academy of Sport and Western Sydney Academy of Sport – each providing an essential delivery arm for the support of sub-elite athletes in NSW.

It is a proven pathway as 34 athletes who represented Australia at the Rio and Pyeong Chang Olympics were previously part of the Regional Academies.

Collectively the Academies provide $59.1 million in economic benefit to NSW, a financial return of 24:1 on NSW government spend, 187 jobs, and have 2360 athletes, 337 coaches and 470 volunteers engaged across the board.

“Congratulations to the state institutes and Academies for their collaboration in building a robust national strategy aimed at achieving results at the very top end of the pathway for athlete development, that being the Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games outcomes,” Hunter Academy of Sport Chief Executive officer Brett O’Farrell said.

“While we believe that the absolute elite end of sport needs the national strategy to be successful, we also believe it is extremely important and essential to be developing and nurturing talent to progress from the foundation organisations that underpin the development of effective athlete pathways. The work of the Regional Academies of Sport clearly supports the national strategy through our ongoing commitment to helping our local athletes make the step to higher order performance.”