More than 100 Young Manx athletes, aged 13 – 16, have been selected to take part in the Isle of Man Sport Aid Academy 2021 – 2024 programme.
The Academy will provide those young athletes with support, guidance, workshops and educational events to help grow skills in their chosen sports.
The first year of the programme will see eight online events that offer education and learning opportunities for the successful candidates who were selected across a range of different sports, from equestrian to athletics.
Isle of Man Sport Aid is available for young athletes over the age of 16 who demonstrate the potential for a career in their chosen sport. The Sports Aid Academy was created to help identify and nurture those athletes aged 13 – 16 who are already showing promise.
The young athletes will be joined and supported by their parents, guardians and coaches throughout their three year journey and it’s hoped that many of them will eventually progress onto full Sport Aid support.
The programme launched at the beginning of October, hosted by Sports Performance Co-ordinator, Paul Jones.
During the evening, Sport Aid recipients Laura Kinley (swimming) and Brandon Cain (snowboarding) discussed the positives of training in the Isle of Man and held a ‘Question & Answer’ session with the participants.
Paul Jones said:
'Our main focus is to create opportunities and experiences which will improve the self-awareness of the young people involved so they, and the group as a whole, are in a better place to release their full potential in Sport.'
The Isle of Man Sport Aid Academy is sponsored by Suntera Global and Newfield in partnership with Isle of Man Sport, and was launched in 2015 as a platform to assist young athletes who are in the early stages of their sporting pathway. Isle of Man Sport Aid is extremely grateful for the continued support from Newfield and Suntera Global and wishes to thank them for maintaining their invaluable support.
Newfield CEO, Denis Mikan said:
‘Our Company takes huge pride in supporting the Isle of Man Sport Aid Academy in its 7th year. At the core of our business is the exciting world of sports and racing events and we are proud to support initiatives, causes and individuals that make the Isle of Man shine.’
‘The Isle of Man Sport Aid Academy has been integral in developing our local young athletes and enabling them to fulfil their ambitions. The Academy is proving to be truly innovative in their approach and we look forward to seeing the development of the athletes during their time at the Academy and throughout their sporting careers.’
Mark Reynolds, Managing Director at Suntera Global, added:
‘We are excited to continue our support of the Isle of Man Sport Aid Academy for a seventh consecutive year. We sponsor the Academy to empower young people on the Island to achieve excellence in their sporting careers. The team at the Academy always put huge amount of effort into ensuring the Sport Aid programme reflects the latest sporting trends and is beneficial for not only the athletes, but their parents and coaches as well.’
‘The sessions teach young athletes very important lessons about resilience, nutrition and remaining determined to achieve ambitions whatever the obstacles they face. As a company, this ethos resonates strongly with our Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) values and commitments to empower responsible ambition in our communities. We are very much aligned with the fact that the programme teaches skills which will benefit the participants in their future lives and careers however they develop.’
The Academy’s next event is focusing on ‘Understanding You – Growth, Maturation and the teenage brain’ takes place on 15 October.
