For emerging athletes who dream of pursuing sport at an elite level, Meriden’s Olympus Program is an essential part of the journey to success. The program provides personalised support to each participant, helping them fulfil their academic and sporting potential.
Since the inception of Meriden’s Olympus Program, the School has supported girls competing at the highest levels in a range of sports, including at the Olympics and other international competitions.
Olympus Program staff members have a thorough understanding of the challenges that face student-athletes as well as years of experience helping them navigate these challenges. Meriden’s sports staff, some of whom are former elite athletes themselves, act as mentors who assist girls in maintaining their physical and mental wellness, managing their schedules, negotiating academic flexibility around periods with intense sporting commitments and supporting students in their academic planning to ensure they are reaching their goals in the classroom.
Junior Olympus
The Junior Olympus program is accessible to students in Years 5 and 6 who are at an emerging level in their sport and committed to a busy training schedule.
The criteria for entry into the program requires students to have gained either PSSA or NSW CIS selection and/or IPSHA selection in two or more sports.
The program includes pastoral and academic care for girls who have regular, intensive sporting commitments outside school. Program coordinators also organise lunchtime workshops with guest speakers who provide age-appropriate, practical seminars about staying healthy in mind and body.
Senior Olympus
At Meriden, we believe in the synergy between sporting and academic excellence, understanding that one does not preclude the other.
The Senior School’s Olympus Program provides comprehensive services tailored to nurture sporting excellence while simultaneously fostering academic progress.
Olympus participants in Years 7 – 12 have access to different levels of academic support, depending on their training needs.
A special elective available to Olympus participants allows them time during school hours to work on core subjects under the supervision of specialist teachers or to utilise the school’s strength and conditioning services. This helps free up valuable training time outside school hours. For those students with intensive sporting commitments, flexible academic plans and assessment schedules can be negotiated to ensure they meet the requirements of their schoolwork to the best of their abilities.
Olympus participants have access to leading-edge strength and conditioning services, with sessions tailored to the individual needs of each student based on her sport and training cycles. These services also encompass recovery sessions aimed at facilitating recuperation when needed.
The program’s training-load monitoring system empowers students to track their weekly training regimen alongside their wellness indicators. This enables them to identify performance peaks and signs of fatigue, with data monitored by Olympus staff who collaborate with coaches to develop tailored solutions for managing training loads and schedules.
The Olympus Program prioritises holistic development by offering regular workshops on topics such as nutrition, media management, training load and recovery, understanding the menstrual cycle, insights into professional athlete journeys, and more. These workshops, led by experts in their respective fields, provide a well-rounded approach to the development of young sportswomen.
Olympus Futures
Indie Halligan
Olympus Futures helps student-athletes navigate their post-school options and sporting journeys.
Meriden has formed associations with a number of renowned overseas universities to facilitate a smooth transition for Meriden graduates into that institution’s tertiary sporting and academic environment.
The Olympus Futures program provides advice and guidance in selecting a suitable tertiary institution and identifying and applying for international university/collegiate scholarships. It also assists girls to accelerate development in their sport for national and international representation. The guidance is tailored to the individual needs and goals of each student.
The Olympus Futures program’s core principle is to support its participants in securing scholarships at higher education institutions that align with the student’s academic standard, tertiary interests and sporting achievement level.
Meriden girls have been offered places and scholarships at leading international universities, including Harvard, Yale, the University of California at Berkeley, Rice University and the University of the Fraser Valley, Canada.
Find out more by emailing olympusfutures@meriden.nsw.edu.au
Olympus Program News
