The South West Sydney Academy of Sport will expand its program in the next 12 months to include BMX and basketball.
It will help make the third largest academy of sport in NSW even bigger.
Its scholarships have gone up from 163 three years ago to 345 in the past 12 months.
More than 60 of the current scholarships are to athletes who call Liverpool home, according to a report to council on Wednesday night.
Liverpool Council voted to approve a request for more funding for the academy.
It agreed to increase its contribution to the academy from $22,000 to $26,000 a year; the first such increase since 2006.
The council also agreed to increase funding in the future based on the consumer price index (CPI).
Council was told that the academy provides a “valuable pathway for the development of local athletes within the South West region and contributes positively to the sporting culture of the region.’’
The South West Sydney Academy of Sport (SWSAS) was established in 1997 by the NSW Department of Sport and Recreation becoming an autonomous body in 2002, the report said.
It is run by its chief executive, Mr Gerry Knights and a board. Liverpool’s delegate to the board is Councillor Peter Ristevski.
The academy services the South West Sydney region which includes the Local Government Areas of Liverpool, Camden, Campbelltown and Wollondilly.
It is one of 11 academies which operate in NSW, all of which have the same principal roles:
· Facilitate the development and support of talented junior athletes in the region;
· Provide these athletes with access to specialist support services including coaching, sports science and sports medicine;
· Identify and support the development of high performance coaches at the local level; and
· Provide a clear pathway for athletes from the junior development through to State and National representation.
The current SWSAS sports program includes AFL, athletics, triathlon, rugby league, rugby union, netball, hockey, softball.
There are also Athletes with a Disability programs in athletics and basketball and “Lone Star” programs for sports such as cycling, cricket and track and field athletics, where the academy cannot support a full program.
The academy also provides Parents Sports Education and Coaches and Support Staff Education programs.
