Junior Sports Academies Seek Smashing Results

You could say the ball is in their court - for student athletes, that is. Come February 2008, they will have new avenues to bring out the best of their abilities.

Take Lim Jie Han, a Pri 5 school badminton player at Henry Park Primary School, for example. Under a pilot Junior Sports Academy (JSA) programme to be launched by MOE in February 2008, Jie Han will have the opportunity to train with top coaches and spar with the best of his peers.

Part of the Ministry's Talent Development Framework (Sports), the JSA programme systematically identifies and provides talented student athletes with the means and environment to achieve their full potential. For a start, there will be four JSAs over the next two years, to serve as centres for training and athlete development for students from schools across Singapore:

1.Singapore Sports School (North Zone) - netball, swimming, table tennis, track and field
2.Chung Cheng High School (Main) (East Zone) - wushu
3.Henry Park Primary School (West Zone) - badminton
4.Singapore Table Tennis Association (South Zone) - table-tennis
The number of JSAs and sports will be adjusted after the pilot period, but the programme is already getting the thumbs up from participants. Jie Han's mother, Mrs Eliza Lim, has high hopes. "It will be good if Jie Han can go all the way and play for Singapore in the future," she remarks. "I'm happy that he can pursue his passion and bring it to the next level. Such training will help instil discipline and commitment, and help prepare him for lifelong learning."


Mathew Chin from Henry Park Primary School can look forward to new opportunities for badminton training and complementary subjects.
Mdm Wang Sheau Yng, whose son Mathew also plays badminton for Henry Park Primary School, agrees. "It has boosted his self-esteem and confidence, and has shown him that he is capable of achieving in his sport if he puts his mind to it." No longer just a mere hobby, badminton is now a serious pursuit for Mathew. "I think the JSA is a wonderful motivator for him. He's been playing almost every day during the school holidays!"

Do the two parents feel that intensive sessions on the court would affect their sons' classwork? "No, I don't think so," replies Mrs Lim. "I monitor his progress very closely. I think he has struck a good balance between sports and his homework."

"If his schoolwork suffers, it won't be because of the JSA training," laughs Mdm Wang. "I certainly won't blame the sport. With proper time management, he can cope with both school and training."

Clearing the hurdle for JSA
Admission to the JSAs follows a stringent selection process. Students are picked based on their showing at the National Schools Championship, nominations by coaches and teachers, or outstanding physical fitness test results. Students from the participating schools who are keen could also nominate themselves for the sports camp. Shortlisted pupils attend a sports camp and undergo a series of tests to determine their generic motor skills, sports-specific skills and match play to evaluate their potential and aptitude for high performance training.

The first batch of sporting talents was recruited from the top one percent of the 2007 Pri 4 cohort participating schools. Students like Mathew and Jie Han can look forward to specialised training two to four times a week with qualified coaches, as well as instruction in complementary subjects like nutrition and mental skills development.

Schools as sporting hubs
For schools, the JSA scheme offers a pathway to become a sports hub. For example, by end-2008, Henry Park Primary School will feature a new indoor multi-purpose hall with six badminton courts. Meanwhile, the courts in the school hall are open for daily evening training.

"I think the JSA is a very exciting development for the local sporting and school scene. Students who are fit and show potential, but did not play a certain sport before, can be talent-spotted through various tests, and nurtured to excel in the sport," remarks Mrs Julia Wan, Senior Head of Department for CCA, Physical Education and Aesthetics at Henry Park Primary. "They'll have the opportunity to train with qualified coaches - some of whom are ex-national players - and compete among their cohort to improve their skills."

Mr Teo Hock Hoe, Head of Department for Physical Education and CCA at Chung Cheng High School (Main), where wushu is a trophy-winning activity, is similarly enthusiastic. He believes the JSA programme will fan a greater level of interest in wushu among his students, as well as those from other schools. "It's a very good idea to bring together students who are good or show potential for the sport," he said. "The age of 10 is not too late for beginners to pick up wushu. In fact, the Wushu Federation has exponents from the age of 4 to 60!"