To celebrate International Women's Day Monash Tech School collaborated with STK Education and Holmesglen to give 69 young women an opportunity to take the field at RSEA Park and explore performance management, communications and career opportunities within elite sports.
On March 8th 69 young women from five Monash Tech School partner schools travelled to RSEA Park - the home of St Kilda AFL and AFLW. Across the day, students immersed themselves in three distinct experiences designed to highlight the variety of career and study opportunities available to them in elite sports.
Students were treated to STK Education module ‘The Elite Energy’ delivered by none other than St Kilda AFLW team Captain Hannah Priest alongside fellow St Kilda AFLW player Georgia Patrikios. The module gave the girls a snapshot into all aspects of an elite sports program, focusing on a data-driven, holistic approach to managing performance and health. From hydration and sleep habits to recovery and stress management, it was easy to see how these fundamental insights could have a huge impact if incorporated into the girls’ everyday lives. STK Education Programs Coordinator Dean Ingrisciano then spoke to the girls about tertiary education opportunities St Kilda offers in partnership with Holmesglen. These included the Diploma of Sport and the Diploma of Event Management, which could lead directly to industry employment. St Kilda FC, one of 18 footy clubs in Australia, employs approximately 150 staff across varying roles, including coaching, event management, administration, health services (physio, dietetics, psychology) and media and communications. It was eye-opening for the girls to learn about the many entry-level opportunities at their favourite clubs.
The second rotation saw the girls hit the field in a friendly game of AFL 9’s. Supported by Holmesglen students, the girls participated in a warm-up, two energy-packed 15-minute halves, and a cool-down session. Wearing Catapult One devices, the girls were determined to capture data about their maximum speed, repeat efforts, energy expended, and distance travelled. After a well-deserved hydration break, Taylah Jack, the St Kilda AFLW High-Performance manager, spoke to the girls about her journey in sports management and coaching across Australia and the United States. She used practical examples and drew on her experience to demonstrate how valuable real-time, comprehensive data collection is for player performance and management.
Following lunch, with Taylah’s words still ringing in their ears, the students jumped online into the Catapult Dashboard to dissect the data they had collected on the field. It was insightful to see the girls reflect on their performance through a series of questions that had them thinking about the accuracy and usefulness of the data.
To round out the afternoon, Dave Kennedy, a lecturer from Holmesglen Institute, supported the girls as they participated in a social media activity. Using data collected from a fictional event, students created social media strategies that outlined their target audience, what information they would include and how they would share it. The girls developed very creative approaches to their social media strategies, including utilising on-field microphones, video shorts and player/athlete interviews to create engaging content.
It was an all-around fantastic way to spend International Women's Day. Surrounded by driven, dedicated and determined women, it was easy to become inspired and excited about the possible futures of our participating girls in elite sports.
Watch this space - Supersport will be back and even bigger in 2024!
