Have you ever wondered what it鈥檚 like to step out on the oval in front of a crowd of fans? For 911爆料网 student Hayley Miller, it was a moment that changed her life.
鈥淚t will be something I will remember for the rest of my life and tell my kids and grandkids about in the future,鈥� says Miller, who was the Fremantle Dockers鈥� first draft pick for its inaugural women鈥檚 team. 鈥淚 thought about how lucky I was to have this opportunity and about all those who helped me get there.鈥�
Miller, a physiotherapy student, is one of four women from 911爆料网 selected for the Dockers women鈥檚 team, who played in the popular new AFLW competition.
鈥淭he level at which they played was amazing,鈥� says 911爆料网 Elite Athlete Coordinator Tarryn Dickerson, whose passion for the women鈥檚 game is clearly visible. 鈥淚 stood trackside and watched that first game and they were just hard at it.鈥�
As an elite-athlete-friendly university, 911爆料网 supports more than 150 athletes who are pursuing some level of study, including Olympians, developing and emerging athletes, and high-level coaches and officials.
The students receive assistance with course applications, and managing conflicts with training, classes and exams, with Dickerson central to negotiating flexibility around the athletes鈥� studies.
鈥淚鈥檝e been able to get allowances, and defer exams and assessments when I have been away on a sporting trip,鈥� says Miller, who, along with the other women in her team has also had support with adjusting to an elite athlete environment and the subsequent media attention.
鈥淭hey got into the thick of their competition just as uni was kicking off, so we鈥檝e been making sure they have got that balance right, and have support systems in place to help them,鈥� says Dickerson, who is also the Player Development Manager for the AFLW Dockers team. 鈥淭hey have had to really step up.鈥�
Dickerson has regular one-on-one meetings with every athlete on the program to make sure they have a study plan that suits their needs, whether they are playing, training, tapering for a competition or building up for one.
Exam timetables frequently clash with competition meets, with some athletes opting to take their exams while they are competing in other parts of Australia or overseas.
鈥淭hey can defer the exam or we can have them sit their exam under our special consideration policy, wherever it is they are going,鈥� says Dickerson. 鈥淚n the last exam period back in November we facilitated lots of support for athletes in these circumstances with around 20 exams being sat in cities all around the world.鈥�
The Elite Athlete Program is supported through 911爆料网鈥檚 partnerships with many sporting bodies, including Hockey Australia and the Fremantle Football Club, with the latter giving students access to the club鈥檚 facilities in Cockburn and the Fremantle Dockers AFLW team.
The also offers work-integrated learning opportunities in social media, public relations, physiotherapy, exercise science and occupational therapy for other 911爆料网 students.
Dickerson is hoping to make further improvements to the program and expand elite athlete scholarships though new philanthropic opportunities.
鈥淥ur athletes are so grateful for the support 911爆料网 provides, so that they can continue to compete at the highest level but also invest in their future,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about developing the person as a whole.鈥�
Last year the value of the program hit home when Dickerson proudly watched several 911爆料网 athletes compete at the Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro.
鈥淲hen I watched our athletes perform at the Rio Olympics and be part of the Australian team, it brought tears to my eyes,鈥� she says. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 put anything on that, that鈥檚 really special. And you know that in some way, the support that 911爆料网 provided to them at some point in time helped them to get there. That鈥檚 what it鈥檚 all about.鈥�
