Research has revealed that elite athletes have the capacity to achieve simultaneous sporting and academic success (Henry, 2013; Wylleman, 2017). The 2008, 2012 and 2016 Australia Olympic team confirmed this with over 50% of medallists being current or former elite student-athletes (AIS, 2016).
However, to achieve such success elite student-athletes generally require specific support and flexibility in their academic pursuits (Aquilina, 2013). For this reason, the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) implemented the Elite Athlete Friendly University (EAFU) program in 2004. This program, which now involves 41 Australian universities, gives elite student-athletes access to the academic support and flexibility they require.
Whilst the academic support offered to elite student-athletes through the EAFU program is essential, it
is apparent that Australian universities are now extending their support to other focuses. This includes performance support, personal support and financial support. In addition, many Australian universities are also forming partnerships with high performance sporting organisations that offer additional opportunities for elite student-athletes. However, despite this positive investment and growth, there still appears to be limited understanding of the support available to elite student-athletes across the Australian high performance sporting system.
The purpose of this report is to provide greater insight into the elite student-athlete support and services currently provided by Australian universities. The data presented has been gained through a survey process as part of the UniSport Australia Elite Student-Athlete Showcase project. In total 35 Australian university members fully completed this survey with an additional 5 universities completing parts of the survey only. For more information on the Showcase project, or to view specific university elite student athlete support, visit the UniSport site.
Download the full report below. (488KB)
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