Matthew Flinders Anglican College will benefit from the expertise of six new world-class Directors of Coaching to encourage students to participate in sport and reach their potential.
The College will provide Directors of Coaching across the sports of soccer, cricket, touch football, rugby, basketball, water polo, volleyball, netball and hockey.
The new appointments include:
- Director of Soccer, Paul Arnison (Coach of Sunshine Coast Wanderers FC - QPL Premiers) who played professional football for Newcastle United, Hartlepool United and Carlisle United
- Director of Touch Football, Peta Rogerson who is one of the all-time legends of Touch Football in Australia, having captained her country to multiple world championships.
- Flinders Director of Cricket, Rodney Davison is an A-Level 3 High Performance Coach and Cricketer who has played almost 40 First Class matches.
- Flinders Director of Basketball, Francis Donders, who hails from Holland, is a professional basketballer with many team and individual accolades, championships and national cups to her name. Francis was named Queensland Basketball League (QBL) Best 3-Point Shooter 2016 and QBL Defensive Player of the Year 2017.
- Flinders Director of Volleyball, Peter Jones has represented Australia in both Indoor and Beach Volleyball at various events between 1992 to 2007, and achieved number 3 ranking on the Australian Beach Volleyball Series in 2003. He has coached a number of National Junior Beach Volleyball champions, including Commonwealth Games champion Damian Schumann and then went on to coach Natalie Cook and Tamsin Barnett to the London Olympic Games with Gold Medal coach, Steve Anderson.
- As Director of Netball for the past seven years at Flinders, Lauren Nourse shares her extensive experience, which includes representing Australia as a member of the Diamonds from 2007 - 2011 and achieving a World Championship Gold Medal and a Commonwealth Games Silver medal. Lauren is also program director for the new Flinders Elite Athlete Program, guiding our elite student athletes to learn skills as they strive to manage their sporting and academic priorities for health and wellbeing.
The Flinders Director of Hockey, Water Polo and Rugby positions will be finalised soon.
Flinders' commitment to sporting excellence
Flinders has developed a reputation for sporting excellence, with the College having a strong presence in regional school sport representative teams.
Students at Flinders have secured a number of recent sporting honours, including reigning Sunshine Coast Premiers at A-team level for Junior, Intermediate and Senior Netball, Under15 Rugby, Senior Girls Touch Football, Intermediate Boys Volleyball, Senior Girls Soccer and Team Sailing and Independent District Champion School for Swimming and Athletics.
Principal Stuart Meade said the new and existing Directors of Coaching help to develop the College’s positive sporting culture and encourage students at all levels to participate, compete and enjoy their sports.
“Flinders’ Directors of Coaching are here to help students learn new skills and character traits as individuals and as teammates,” Mr Meade said.
“There are diverse sporting and co-curricular opportunities at Flinders and we want every student to feel supported to have a go at their chosen sports and to develop characteristics such as determination, resilience and sportsmanship,” he said.
“With world-class coaches on staff at Flinders we are providing a strong foundation for our students and College community to build healthy habits for life and to strive to be their best.”
Flinders Head of Sport Adam Ridgewell said Directors of Coaching also provide support to the many teachers-in-charge of sport and parents who volunteer as coaches and managers across the various sporting teams and affiliated clubs.
“The new Directors of Coaching have experienced incredible success in their chosen sports, and are passionate about sharing their skills, mindset and passion with young people,” Adam said.
“With world-class coaches on staff at Flinders we are providing a strong foundation for our students and College community to build healthy habits for life and to strive to be their best.”
ENDS.
