On Tuesday of Week 8 the Year 11 Sports Studies classes headed to Adelaide for an excursion, along with Miss Robinson and Mr Leslie. The purpose of the day was for students to further explore high performance habits of athletes, which is the focus of their current assessment task in Sports Studies.  

We were lucky enough to have former KHS staff member Sam Milne take us on a tour of the Adelaide Oval, before talking about his role within SACA. Students had the opportunity to ask Sam questions about his role and the impact he has on player wellbeing and performance. The students found this highly insightful and included information such as having regular check ins and meetings with the players, working with the coaches and team psychologist to implement support plans and opportunities for players to thrive on and off the field, as well as being able to continually challenge and support players so they can achieve their professional and personal goals.  

After our Adelaide Oval tour we walked to Karen Rolen Oval, where the students were then able to interview one of the rookie players at SACA. The students found this to be a valuable interview, given the fact they are only a few years younger than some of the rookie players. They were able to gain an insight into the life of a young adult working in an elite sporting environment.  

For the final part of the day, we were able to watch a training session, where there was a clear expectation that all players train to the same intensity that they play to.  

Overall, it was a valuable experience for the students. Apart from gaining useful strategies on how they can improve their own habits around sporting performance, they also learnt how to buy a train ticket and board a train. Although, this did prove to be the most challenging part of the day for some.