New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) Gen32 Athletics coach Debbi Schulstad described her appointment to the 66-strong Australian team of student athletes competing at 2025 FISU World University Games as an opportunity to help the athletes perform at their best.

Schulstad, who competed in the 100m hurdles event at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games (under her maiden name, Edwards), is thriving in the AIS National Generation 2032 Coach Program, an intensive coach development program for aspiring pathway and early career high performance coaches.

“Being with the team in Germany is an opportunity to show how I can operate in these kind of environments as a coach,” she said of being a member of the UniRoos’ coaching staff that’s in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany.

“It’s a chance for me to bring the skills and the experience I have into a high performance environment, and to also help the athletes to perform at their best.

“My role in this team is to be a conduit between the athlete and their personal coach because there’s just not the space to accommodate all of them. So, my role is to be in contact with the coach and ensure a continuity of training into competition.

 “I’m not there to change anything. I’ve spoken to the coaches about different cues that they use and what they want worked on with the athletes leading into competition. It’s just a matter of bringing that through – as well as making it an easy comp for the athletes; one where they don’t have to worry about anything.

“Ideally, they’ll just turn up and train, compete, and do their best without any stress.”

Among the Uniroos Athletics squad are NSWIS scholarship holders: Delta Amidzovski  (Long Jump & 100m Hurdles), Isaac Beacroft (20km Walk), Luke Boyes (800m), Sam Dale (Long Jump), Lianna Davidson (Javelin), Kristie Edwards (200m), Chris Ius (200m), Hayley Kitching (800m), Alex Kolesnikoff (Shot Put), Connor Murphy (Triple Jump), Desleigh Owusu (Triple Jump), Allanah Pitcher (20km Walk), Erin Shaw (High Jump).

Schulstad, who was a NSWIS scholarship holder in the 1990s, said being in the Gen32 program – which aims to develop world-class coaches in the leadup to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games – allows her to explore coaching opportunities she’d only dreamt of.

“It’s a great job because this role allows me to focus my attention on developing as a coach, a person and into the coach I want to become,” said Schulstad, who’s ultimate aims to one day coach a high performance hurdle squad along with a development squad.

Schulstad (pictured above), who is a firm believer in the impact the ‘little things’ can have on an athlete’s performances – and career – is a source of tremendous advice that athletes could benefit from, including:

1. If I had my time over again as a hurdler?

“I’d change things around the prehab/rehab. I was often injured and it’s interesting to have been in the performance support area for quite a long time [as a soft tissue therapist] and now, in coaching, to see how those areas have changed. The areas of testing strength and prehab and ensuring athletes are physically capable of performing the task that’s required of them is an area where I would’ve benefited.

“The mental side has also improved. When my career ended it came suddenly and it hit me very hard. Having some kind of preparation – conversations even – about post-career whether through choice or not, would’ve made a big difference to my life after athletics.”  

2. Is what you’re doing a sacrifice or choice?

“It’s an interesting question because I don’t necessarily view it as ‘sacrifices’. I think if this is something the athlete truly wants to do; they’re not necessarily sacrifices but choices.

“I believe athletes choose to go down a certain path. But, I also see athletes as ‘whole’ people, and I want to coach the person, not just the athlete. It’s because of that I think it’s important to take into consideration what other things they have going on. However, if athletes view it as sacrifice, then I believe there’s an element of: ‘I’m missing out on something else’ rather than a case of being all in.”

3. Mum was right – ‘everything does happen for a reason!’

“I hated hearing it in the time – ‘everything happens for a reason’.  That’s because it was hard to hear because when you’re injured you feel so low and don’t want to hear there’s some big plan. But I believe it 100 percent now! 

“As a therapist I acknowledge sometimes when an athlete is injured, something has caused that injury and the time you’re sidelined allows you to correct or fix whatever it was. No time is a good time for an injury, but it can be an opportunity to work on something that will potentially prolong your career and perhaps give you great results in the future.” 

4. Do the little things well

“Your nutrition, your treatment and strength all contribute to a greater outcome. And you can do the, the technical work, the strength work, all of that – but so does everyone else. So, it’s the so-called ‘little’ areas where athletes can gain advantages over their competitors, whether it be visualisation. It contributes to success.”

5. Enjoy the experience

“It can be hard when you’re fighting injuries, but outside of that I’d say ‘yes, I enjoyed every moment.’ I did athletics because I loved it. And I’m a big advocate that athletes should be doing it because they love it . . . being good at something is awesome.

“But if you’re not enjoying it, then getting out of bed every morning, doing the hard sessions, would be really, really tough. And, in that case, even if you were successful, the outcomes wouldn’t . . . couldn’t . . . mean as much. They might mean something different, but you’re probably not going to look back on those with fondness and think that it was a worthwhile time spent.”

Daniel Lane, NSWIS

The Baltimore Orioles are remaining confident despite a slow start to the season contributing significantly to their current place in the standings.

Mired in the cellar of the American League East, the Orioles will look to continue their slow ascent on Friday when they return from the All-Star break to open a three-game series against the host Tampa Bay Rays.

Baltimore limped out of the blocks by losing 34 of its first 50 games, a stretch that included the dismissal of manager Brandon Hyde. The Orioles, however, slowly have turned it around with interim manager Tony Mansolino at the controls.

“Right now, the biggest thing for me is to make sure this thing continues to go well,” Mansolino said.

“We were in the national media every day for all the wrong reasons the first three weeks of doing this, and now it seems like we’ve been in the national media for the right reasons because we’re playing well. We’ve got good players.”

One of those “good players” is Cedric Mullins, who leads the team in homers (13) and RBIs (41). However, he is just 3-for-25 with eight strikeouts against Tampa Bay this season.

Promising second baseman Jackson Holliday has hit safely in seven of his last eight games overall.

Baltimore’s Charlie Morton (5-7, 5.18 ERA) will take the mound against Tampa Bay’s Taj Bradley (5-6, 4.60) on Friday in a battle of right-handers.

Morton has reversed course from a dismal beginning to the season, answering a 0-7 start with a 5-0 record and 2.76 ERA over his last eight starts.

Included in the latter stretch was a strong effort versus the Rays on June 19 when the 41-year-old allowed one run on six hits with seven strikeouts in six innings of a 4-1 victory.

A two-time World Series champion, Morton sports a 5-3 record with a 2.78 ERA in 55 innings over nine career starts against Tampa Bay.

Bradley, 24, struggled in a pair of outings against Baltimore last month, permitting a total of 12 runs (11 earned) on 14 hits in 6 2/3 innings. He received a no-decision on June 18 and a loss on June 29 to drop to 1-3 with an 8.65 ERA in 26 innings over six career starts versus the Orioles.

The Rays resided 11 games above .500 before losing 11 of their last 14 contests. A tough patch to be certain, but not one that is expected to derail the season in the eyes of Tampa Bay’s All-Star first baseman Jonathan Aranda.

“We’ve had our ups and downs, but I’m still happy with the way we’ve played. The streak that we are in right now, it’s part of baseball, so that’s how I see it,” Aranda said. “I think the break is going to help just (have a) fresh mind when we come back. It is what it is right now, but I’m very confident that we can come back from that.”

Tampa Bay rookie Chandler Simpson is riding a 16-game hitting streak. He is 4-for-10 with two runs this season against Baltimore.

–Field Level Media

Top-flight water polo is set for a resurgence in SA with the kickoff of a new national franchise tournament that is set to bring more than 150 players, coaches, referees and support staff to Nelson Mandela Bay in August.

Sponsored by leading automation manufacturer Jendamark, the inaugural event of the SA Water Polo Winter Series will see 112 of the country’s elite senior players drafted into four men’s and four women’s squads that are set to churn up the water of the Newton Park Indoor Pool from August 8 to 10.

The new Winter Series is similar in concept to the SA20 cricketing format, introducing a franchise system to help level the playing field and offer an alternative to the regional dominance of Western Province and Gauteng teams in interprovincial competition.

It also marks the first national tournament run under the auspices of the newly formed SA Water Polo, which has successfully challenged Swimming SA in court for the rights to promote the interests of this growing sport.

Tournament director Siegfried Lokotsch, who is also the title sponsor’s director of operations, said adding a new franchise event to the national calendar would reinvigorate senior competition and extend the season beyond the traditional autumn finish.

“This franchise format creates a fresh dynamic that’s both exciting to watch and allows players to compete strength for strength.

“Our sport is not going to get stronger if only the top provinces are getting stronger.”

With the game gaining traction at top schools countrywide, Lokotsch said it was important to reignite competitive senior water polo, while also promoting grassroots development.

“For SA Water Polo, it’s really about the broader development of the game and being more inclusive. We want to create opportunities that give young athletes from all backgrounds something to strive for.”

Lokotsch said year-round development would be at the heart of SA Water Polo’s efforts, with the Nelson Mandela Bay region creating the blueprint of what this could look like.

With the help of volunteers such as Claudia Charles, a former water polo player whose eldest daughter, Jenna, now represents Eastern Province, the Learn to Polo development programme is introducing children in the northern areas and township schools to swimming and, ultimately, water polo.

“I’m so grateful to them for seeing the need to develop,” Charles said.

“Water polo has a rich history in the northern areas, and the Gelvandale pool played a big role in getting kids into the sport when I was at school. But with lack of infrastructure and systems support, it fell away.

“It’s a great privilege to be part of this, especially with that pool reopening again, it’s a light of hope, and I’m so grateful to Siegfried and his team for putting in some serious support and investing in these children.”

The after-school programme, which is already under way, started with an assessment of the children’s swimming abilities, followed by twice-weekly training sessions with a qualified swimming coach to develop fitness and strength before introducing them to the basics of water polo.

Chapman High teacher Shari Kemp said the Gelvandale school was happy to have been included in the programme.

“It means a lot to the learners. They don’t always have the opportunities or the resources.”

”

Transport to and from the heated Newton Park Indoor Pool is covered by SA Water Polo’s regional structure, with further plans to introduce a summer programme, led by a professional coach, at the Gelvandale pool.

“The idea is to identify and nurture emerging talent throughout the programme, and possibly get them into water polo-playing schools,” Lokotsch said.

“There is so much rugby talent coming from under-resourced schools, and this is where we are missing a trick.

“I believe rugby players make the best water polo players, and vice versa. Some of our Springbok stars, like Malcolm Marx, were also great at polo.

“We’re best in the world at rugby; we could also be best in the world in the water.”

A development clinic for players, coaches and referees will be an anchor element of the Winter Series schedule and proceeds from the weekend tournament will be used to fund the schools programme. — Jendamark

All eyes are on Shakira January, a distinguished water polo athlete, as she prepares to represent South Africa at the upcoming 22nd World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.

Scheduled from July 11 to August 3, January has been entrusted with the captaincy of the national women’s water polo team, a testament to the respect, trust, and admiration she has earned in the sport. “Being chosen to represent my country is not just an honour; it’s a responsibility I hold close to my heart. I’m deeply grateful for this opportunity and will give everything I have to make my team, and South Africa, proud.”

Currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Psychology at The IIE’s Varsity College Sandton, January exemplifies the modern student-athlete.

Also read: Shakira January sets her eyes on the 2025 World Aquatic Championships

While elite water polo demands rigorous training and commitment, January has managed to mirror that same level of discipline in her academic pursuits. “Balancing academics and sport is challenging, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. I’ve learned that discipline and passion can help you overcome any obstacle, and I’m excited to bring that energy to Singapore.”

As an accomplished athlete and student, January has mastered the art of juggling rigorous training schedules with academic responsibilities. Her ability to maintain focus amidst international competitions and academic deadlines highlights her resilience and strong work ethic. “Success isn’t limited to one arena; it’s about passion, perseverance, and hard work. Whether it’s early morning training, international tournaments, or late-night study sessions, I believe these experiences shape who I am, both as an athlete and a student.”

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