Frequently Asked Questions from Athletes, Parents & Coaches

The CombatAUS National Performance Centre (NPC) is an athlete-centred, coach-led performance environment for Australian Judo and Taekwondo athletes to further develop their skills and push their international performance to new levels. The NPC is designed to support its full-time athletes with targeted technical and support services to help them reach international success at major competitions.

Based in Melbourne, the NPC was awarded Olympic Training Centre recognition by the Australian Olympic Committee. The Olympic Training Centre status recognises the role the facility plays in preparing Australian athletes to achieve international success on the world stage and compete at the Olympic Games.

The NPC will deliver a supportive environment that develops world class athletes capable of winning medals at world leading competitions. It is an athlete-centred, coach-led program to maximise the performance potential of Australia’s best Taekwondo and Judo athletes.
The NPC’s priority is to support its full time athletes through targeted technical and performance support services in a highly competitive and performance-focussed environment.
For categorised athletes that are not engaged full-time with the NPC, there may be opportunities to access the NPC for camps or for short term training agreements negotiated with CombatAUS staff.

Yes. The intentions of the NPC are to get the best athletes together more often. However, it is recognised that a completely centralised approach is not practical and appropriate for all individuals, so being involved in the NPC will not, in any way, be forced onto athletes. It is a tool that attempts to enhance the quality of the daily training environment (DTE) for athletes whose circumstances and readiness align with the intentions of the NPC.
The need for the NPC to integrate with the Performance Pathway Programs delivered through Judo Australia and Australian Taekwondo is well recognised and will be explored as much as possible and practical.

Absolutely not. It is not mandatory for any athlete to be involved in the NPC. Selection policies for national teams will remain open and transparent and will enable anyone to be selected to these should they meet the performance requirements as set out in the respective selection policy.

For athletes to be competitive internationally and win medals at world leading competitions an environment of high training volume with high quality training partners is required. In order to thrive under this high volume and high quality training environment athletes must also be supported by integrated performance support services.

Core Support Services

CombatAUS and the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) co-invest to deliver quality assured high
performance service provision in:

- strength & conditioning
- physiotherapy
- sports medicine
- sport psychology
- sports nutrition
All of these services are provided at no direct cost to Categorised NPC athletes, but represent a significant
financial investment from CombatAUS and the VIS.

Additional Support Services

- Integrated, multidisciplinary approach to training programs with pro-active interactions between staff that support:
injury recovery
     - training load management
     - ongoing technical development
     - complex injury case management
- Athlete Wellbeing & Engagement:
     - Supporting and promoting a healthy life during and after an athletes High Performance sporting journey
     - Encourage and support athletes to invest in areas of life outside of sport (including career and education, personal and professional            .       development, and the value of contributing to community).
     - Provide athletes with information relating to available referral networks and resources available to them to best support their wellbeing              and engagement.
- Logistical support for full time athletes will at times be provided for:
     - domestic camps
     - overseas camps and competitions
     - other additional benefits provided when the NPC co-coordinate these activities may include: the provision of coaching, ground transport              and support services such as physiotherapy and strength & conditioning

Performance Impact Athlete Award

CombatAUS will also provide an annual Athlete Award to each full-time NPC athlete. The application of this Award will be individually considered and periodically reviewed through each athlete’s respective Individual Performance Plan process to ensure it is invested to have the most significant performance impact possible. The application of this Award can be flexibly applied across the calendar year but within the restriction of 50% of the Award being applied in each 6-month period. Full-time NPC Athlete Award investment allocations are as follows:

International Competition

International competition exposure is equally important, and the need for investment to support this activity is recognised. The scale at which we can invest in international program activity is defined further below and will be considerate of factors such as:

 - Available budget
 - Program priorities
 - Athlete Categorisation level
 - Member Sport pathways program activity
 - Amount and standard of competition required for your individual development

The NPC Head Coach will lead overall program design, technical & tactical development and day-today support for all full time NPC athletes. The need for athletes to remain engaged with their club and club coach is recognised. As such there will be clear expectations of engagement established between the NPC coach and the athlete’s club coach around the individual performance plan for each athlete and subsequent communication about their progress against that plan. We acknowledge that this change in coach relationship when you commit to the NPC may feel different at the beginning and does take concerted effort from the athlete, the NPC and Club coach to develop this new relationship. But the need is clear for the coach who is present in your DTE to be the primary person you work with to set your training, competition, IPP and overall program direction. Your club coach’s role will therefore evolve in various ways if you become an NPC athlete. They will be a critical friend/mentor/support, as well as a coach (but may not be the primary coach) that you choose at utilise at selection events or international competitions when not part of a national of NPC team activity.

Categorised athletes in the NPC are able to access a scholarship at the VIS, they have access to the VIS through an MOU agreement with CombatAUS. There may be athletes, who are granted a scholarship from their home state as a result of their performances reaching standards defined by each individual institute of sport, the NPC encourages athletes to retain their state institute scholarship when they become members of the NPC.

If athletes outside the AIS Categorisation Framework (Uncategorised or Categorised as Associate) are selected they are still able to engage in the NPC environment as a full time member but are unable to access the service capacity through the VIS as a scholarship holder, with the potential exception being access to the VIS gym facility

On request technical training sessions may be open to parents and partners. Club coaches of NPC athletes are able to attend training with their athletes during the technical sessions by prior discussion and arrangement with the NPC Head Coach.

At some point in time, an athletes’ time at the NPC will come to an end, through their own decision or that of the NPC Selection Committee. During this stage, they will receive recommendations and transition support from a range of people:

‘Athlete Wellbeing & Engagement’: Supporting athletes’ throughout their sporting and life progression; identifying a career outside of sport, identifying opportunities to engage in community engagement, provide access to mental health professionals, and provide support and learning opportunities to encourage and develop self-awareness to manage stress as well as they can.
VIS physiotherapy, medical review & treatment recommendations and external referral for any current injuries
VIS S&C program to assist in the transition period, in support of any rehabilitation or ongoing performance development.

For all enquires and further information relating the Australian Taekwondo National Performance Centre Program, please contact Combat Australia High Performance Director, Andrew Nolan andrew.nolan@combataus.com.au