By Shalane Taciuk, Bridgette, and Emily M
The Academy for Student Athlete Development (ASAD) a program for high school student-athletes on high performance sport pathways. ASAD removes barriers and creates equitable access to sport development opportunities to unlock student-athletes’ potential and help them to achieve their personal goals in athletics, academics, and life! The ASAD program is currently available at two locations in Ontario, Durham and London.
Balance is an important part of the ASAD program, with the scheduling supporting them to fulfill both their academic and athletic priorities. ASAD works in partnership with the local school boards to provide students with the opportunity to earn academic credit while completing sport technical training and strength and conditioning during their school day. Teachers from the boards are also on-site everyday to provide instruction during the incorporated academic sessions. Student-athletes also participate in nutrition sessions to understand how to fuel their bodies, and mental-performance sessions to thrive through the challenges of their student-athlete journey.
In the Durham location, at the Abilities Centre, the ASAD program is a big presence. With just over 70 student-athletes this year, the program can be found in program rooms for our classroom environment, in the fieldhouse for our strength and conditioning sessions, and on the court for our volleyball technical training and other activities. The ASAD student-athletes love to interact with Abilities Centre members, participants in other programs, and other guests that come into the centre.
So what is it like to be a student in the ASAD program? Let’s hear from two of our current students in Durham.
Bridgette
My name is
Bridgette, I am in grade 10 and my sport is Field Hockey. This is my first year in the ASAD program.
At ASAD I have an academic period where I am currently taking science and Phys. Ed period where I complete my ASAD strength and conditioning sessions. At ASAD we do lots of activities such as nutrition and mental performance sessions. We also do things like playing volleyball as a class or other teambuilding activities. I also attend my homeschool for a half day, where I take two more academic classes which are currently history and visual arts. After school I am usually spending time coaching as a part time job before I have a second lifting session or workout before practice.
I like ASAD and think it's a great program because I have a balance of school and sports. ASAD also allows me to use my time to improve my skills as an athlete. I like training and being a part of the Abilities Centre because it is a very welcoming environment and while I'm there it doesn't just feel like a school it feels like a community and I have been able to meet people there that share the same passion as me even though it may be for a different sport.
Emily M
My name is
Emily M, and I am a grade 11 student. I have the privilege of attending ASAD, an elite sports program for growing athletes. I am in the rugby technical stream. This is my first year at ASAD and my third year playing rugby.
The rugby stream consists of me and nine others. Based on the day of the week, our routine varies. We have an academic period and then our workout or a technical session. The Rugby stream is immensely lucky to have Coach Paul Connelly lead these sessions; there is never a dull moment. Coach Con is one of the Team Canada Men’s coaches as well as a coach at the Oshawa Vikings RFC - he knows his stuff. These sessions end with us dripping buckets of sweat, walking out beet red, and wishing we’d just stayed in bed that day. But they also end with an accomplished feeling, and some knowledge that we didn’t have before. Con never fails to give us interesting periods where we can learn, demonstrate, and develop skills, and get a fair share of fitness. We train hard with passing and footwork drills, hand and eye coordination, reading plays, but especially creating plays on the spot. The other days are for strength and conditioning sessions. Here we have many coaches such as Dylan, Shalane, and Sabrina to help us out. Dylan coordinates and organizes our workouts specifically tailored to our sports. These programs are detailed down to whether we’re in season or not and if there are any injuries that have to be accommodated for. ASAD isn’t just about training as an athlete, it is also about chemistry between our teammates and growing with the community around us. Oftentimes, we switch it up, doing a variety of different types of activities. These activities also consist of learning a new type of workout challenge that we can compete for. There’s never a boring day working out.
Throughout the winter, I work at a Ski Resort as a ski instructor and spend my weekends and most weekday evenings teaching. When we are in school season, rugby practices happen after school. and we have tournaments throughout May and June. It is busy being a student-athlete!
One of my favorite things about ASAD is the academic support. Because the sizes of classes are incomparable to normal classes, teachers can offer much more support, and focus on each individual student. I think this really creates a successful learning environment for everyone, especially for those who sometimes struggle in such large group settings. I also really appreciate all the knowledge that I can transfer from my own program to my teammates at school and club teams. I can use drills and practice techniques as well as gameplay strategies not only for my own benefit but my teams’.
Lastly, on top of all the activities that ASAD offers, they also organize sessions to show us the other side of being an athlete. Being an athlete isn’t just a physical game, but a mental game. So, we talk about it, discuss it, learn about it. We also have nutrition sessions to discuss healthy eating habits and the importance of those habits, especially as we progress towards higher levels.
ASAD has given me a new perspective on being an athlete, and it’s also given me so many skills that I use inside and outside of my sport. I have had the opportunity to work with and train alongside many influential people that continue to grow my skill.
Student-athletes have many responsibilities and often competing priorities to excel academically, athletically, and personally. The ASAD program works to enhance their schedules so they can receive the support they need to progress towards their goals without having to compromise other important aspects of their lives. To learn more about ASAD check out the website:
https://abilitiescentre.org/programs/asad or find more highlights at asad_durham or asadlondon_ on Instagram.
Late applications for the program will be accepted for review if spots are available - check out
the website or email asadadmissions@abilitiescentre.org for more information.
About the authors:
Shalane Taciuk – I am in my third school year with the ASAD program. I started as the ASAD Durham supervisor and have moved into the role as senior coordinator. I have a Bachelors of Education and a Bachelors of Kinesiology. I competed on the University of Regina, Saskatchewan Track and Field team excelling at the Provincial and National levels for long Jump and high jump. I enjoy helping the student-athletes at the high school level to reach their full potential and have always had a passion for educating, coaching, and mentoring!