The Newcastle Jets and Hunter Sports High School have entered into a partnership which will see the Club’s Academy undergo a major restructure in 2020.
Under the agreement, the Newcastle Jets Academy will relocate to Hunter Sports High School and players in the Academy will be encouraged to attend the school to enhance their development as both footballers and people.
The restructure will allow players in the Jets Academy to continue to train in a high-quality environment 4-5 times a week which will enhance their lives both on and off the field.
There will be opportunities for more high-quality games for the Academy players too, with the chance to play in competitions such as the Bill Turner Cup and PUMA Cup, a competition exclusively for sports high schools throughout New South Wales.
Newcastle Jets CEO, Lawrie McKinna described the move as a positive one for football in the region.
“The support our Academy boys and girls will have after making the move to Hunter Sports High will have a really positive impact on the lives of these youngsters,” McKinna said.
“It’s not just from a football perspective, but the individually tailored learning pathways for these kids will take a big picture approach to better prepare them for life as elite sportspeople.
“There’s long been a relationship between us and Hunter Sports High given just how many of our youngsters currently attend or have been through before, and it’s great to formalise that relationship.”
Newcastle Jets Academy Technical Director, Craig Deans echoed McKinna’s sentiments.
“We see this partnership as an opportunity to provide even more elite coaching to our youngsters as they progress through the ranks,” Deans said.
“Through Hunter Sports High School, our Academy kids will have access to high quality strength and conditioning programs, with state of the art facilities which will help with their development as young athletes.
“In partnership with an experienced football brain in the school’s Director of Sport, James Pascoe, we see this as a fantastic move for our Academy.”
On top of his role as the school’s Director of Sport, James Pascoe is also a former Head Coach of the Jets Youth Team. He welcomed the move.
“The more opportunities these young players have to play football, the better, and we can couple that with a specialised and individually tailored educational program,” Pascoe said.
“Given the history of Hunter Sports High School with high-performance athletes throughout the years, we see this as a win for everyone.
“Our aim is to enhance the lives of these youngsters both on and off the park, and we know we have the tools here at Hunter Sports High School to do just that.”
Training will continue at Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility until the Academy goes on their end-of-season break, and will shift to Hunter Sports High School once they return in November.
