The GIANTS’ Athletic Performance Unit (APU) is scouring the globe for their next batch of Athletic Performance FastTrack Programme trainees.
The FastTrack Program, overseen by GIANTS’ Head of Athletic Performance David Joyce and Senior Athletic Performance Specialist Lachlan Wilmot, is a 10-month traineeship, which gives participants a valuable insight into the Athletic Performance Unit of a professional football club.
In 2015, the GIANTS received inaugural intake. more than 100 submissions from interested parties both nationally and internationally, however only four were chosen in the
James Clock, Jaclyn Quinn, Simone Freeman and Wes Montgomery have spread their time across the different APU departments.
Clock, who moved from Canada to join the program, said he’s loved every minute of the program and has gained a greater insight into the inner workings of an elite-sporting organisation.
“The stuff we are doing with strength and conditioning and data analysis is amazing,” he said.
“I’ve learned so many new skills and techniques that I’m going to take with me into the future.”
For all four of the trainees, the skills they’ve learned can help push them on to similar jobs in the future.
“To get a sports scientists role or a strength and conditioning role would be amazing, that’s where I see my self going in the future.” Clock said.
Head of Athletic Performance, David Joyce, said the current crop of trainees had raised the bar for the 2017 intake.
“It’s a terrific environment to learn and extend you trade but the current guys have done such a terrific job in advancing the program,” he said.
“The expectation of the new crew coming in is that they leave it in an even better place.
“It’s about creating that legacy for the football club as well as their careers.”
With the GIANTS’ performances on the field and in the Athletic Performance Centre getting stronger every week, occasionally the trainees have to take a moment to step back and appreciate where they are.
“Some days you come in and you realise how much fun you’re having with the boys around you,” Simone Freeman said.
“You take a step back sometimes and you just realise how much this is such a family based club and it’s just a really good opportunity.”
For Quinn watching the players develop on the field and win the second Sydney Derby of 2016 was a high point of her time in the FastTrack Program.
“There was a lot of things that happened through the week that built up to the day we beat the other Sydney side,” Quinn said.
“We out ran them and it was like what we are doing is pretty amazing.”
For Clock, Quinn, Freeman and Montgomery, they can’t speak any more highly of the FastTrack Programme.
“If it wasn’t hard it wouldn’t be fun,” Freeman said.
“You’ll push yourself to new levels both mentally and physically, it’s the best thing you could ever want to do to push yourself.”
Montgomery echoed Freeman’s sentiments.
“It’s been great, it’s hard work and it takes a lot of time, commitment and energy,” he said.
“But it’s definitely something that I would highly recommend to someone who was going to apply.”
For Joyce, he maintains a pretty simple, but strict, guideline for picking the prospective FastTrack Trainees.
“We are looking for people that are driven, have good experience working at community level or volunteering and people with a growth mindset who want to get better.” he said.
For more information or to apply CLICK HERE.
