Academy of Sport redesign to elevate student athlete support

For over a decade, the Academy of Sport programme has provided a dedicated framework to promote the academic and sporting success of emerging and high-performance student athletes.

A recent restructure of the programme will provide more comprehensive levels of academic, athletic and financial support to build upon the commitment made when Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University took on the mantle of being the country’s first athlete-friendly university.

The change will see the previous two-tier model move into a four-level system referred to as Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze. Each level has been designed to provide specific support and benefits in relation to the profile, performance level and commitments of the delegated student athletes.

Sport Advancement Manager Jacob Oram says the refresh will boost the overall sport environment at the university.

“Our priority is to continue to recognise and assist Massey’s high-performing sportspeople but also cast a wider net of support around more of our student athletes. The new system not only allows more tailored assistance across the board, but more movement and inclusion. Traditionally, there was no pathway into the programme unless the student had applied successfully in their first year. This change will see a way to provide a sense of belonging and community to all our student athletes by increasing ways to be involved in the multi-faceted programme.”

The total contribution to the Academy of Sport Scholarship funding for first year athletes will remain the same but has been split across the Gold and Silver levels. There are now 10 scholarships available for Gold level athletes who will receive $7500 of financial assistance and 16 scholarships of $3000 for Silver level athletes.

The number of Elite Sports Scholarships, which are designed to support Academy of Sport athletes from their second year onwards, has increased from five $5,000 scholarships to 10 $2,500 scholarships. The Elite Scholarships are awarded to athletes at Gold level.

The introduction of a new fourth level, Bronze, sees student athletes previously not involved in the Academy of Sport programme now included. This level can include regional representative level athletes, Massey representatives at University and Tertiary Sport New Zealand (UTSNZ) Championships, members of the Global Student Athlete programme and non-athlete sporting officials including coaches, managers or umpires involved at an equivalent regional level or above.

While there is no funding at Bronze level, an online resource hub and additional benefits are made available as well as the opportunity to be considered for Gold or Silver levels in subsequent years.

Additional benefits offered across Gold and Silver levels includes physical conditioning, nutrition, sports psychology, gym memberships, group topical seminars and training gear. Tailored academic support is available at each level, which can look like one-on-one staff support, assistance with time management and academic planning, career advice and assistance with scheduling conflicts.

The introduction of promotion and relegation between the levels provides a fluidity which was previously unavailable with the original framework. Movement is based on academic success, sport performance and engagement with the Academy of Sport programme.

Traditionally, once accepted, athletes would remain within the programme until their study with Massey was completed. The introduction of a re-application system at the end of each year for Gold and Silver athletes will ensure any underutilised spaces will be opened up to applications from other athletes, either moving up from Bronze level or from outside the programme.

The Platinum level, originally named Tier One, encompasses elite athletes who are Prime Minister’s Scholarship recipients, professional or franchise level players. Consideration may also be given to other elite athletes competing in High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ) invested sports.

With the changes being gradually phased in for an official rollout at the beginning of next year, current Academy of Sports recipients have been notified to reapply before November for inclusion in the 2024 programme.

For more information on the Academy of Sport programme, click here.