ANNOUNCEMENT
Prestigious academies to partner with Sports College South Australia
Sports College South Australia (SCSA) is joining forces with two of the state’s most prestigious sports names and their programs – the Darren Lehmann Cricket Academy and the Natalie von Bertouch Academy – to help develop high school students focused on sport as a vehicle for athletic and holistic development.
SCSA will be working with both these prestigious partners in the delivery of its netball and cricket programs from this semester onwards. SCSA Principal Matthew Daly said von Bertouch, Lehmann and their support teams would work closely with students to provide more opportunities to grow not just their skills and knowledge of netball and cricket, but to further enhance their personal and athletic development.
The two new program partners will work alongside SCSA’s teaching and wellbeing staff to deliver the SACE curriculum, strongly aligning with the school’s focus to bring out the very best in young people through an inclusive approach to learning through sport.
“Both von Bertouch and Lehmann share our interests in being forward-thinking as we customise learning and ensure we prioritise our students’ goals, their wellbeing and their sporting interests as they consider their broad career pathways,” Mr Daly said. “This is a fantastic opportunity for our students and teachers alike, as both von Bertouch and Lehmann are highly respected in their fields. They have dedicated their careers since leaving the court and the cricket pitch to help young players refine their skills and become not just better athletes, but better people. We appreciate them and their teams joining SCSA and our students can’t wait to work with them.”
Lehmann is a highly respected cricket coach and former Australian player, having coached the national team and played both One Day Internationals and Tests on the world’s stage. As a member of the Australian cricket team, he has won two World Cups (scoring the winning boundary in 1999) and coached Australia to victory on the world stage and has a strong group of coaches led by Mark Harrity, a former Sheffield Shield winning fast bowler for South Australia.
Quote from Darren Lehmann:
“I’m excited by the opportunity to pass on the DLCA philosophies around the great game of cricket, and most importantly, have fun! The game has and is evolving quickly, and we look forward to helping the Sports College students develop their games accordingly. Thanks to Matt and his team, and we at the DLCA look forward to welcoming the students soon.”
Building on this philosophy, DLCA’s coaching team will be directly involved in supporting SCSA students.
Quote from Mark Harrity (Head Coach at Darren Lehmann Cricket Academy):
“Working with Sports College is a great opportunity for DLCA to have a positive impact on the lives of young people through their passion for cricket and to expand the success of our program to younger players.”
Von Bertouch is an Australian Netball Hall of Fame inductee and a former Diamonds captain, with two World Cup victories and a Commonwealth Games silver medal in the trophy cabinet. Since retiring, she has focused on coaching, running a leadership, culture, wellbeing and consultancy business for schools and corporate organisations.
Quote from Nat von Bertouch:
“The partnership with Sports College is an exciting opportunity to inspire, challenge, and empower students to reach their full potential. Through the Natalie von Bertouch Academy, I’m committed to developing not only their skills on the court, but also their self-awareness, confidence, resilience, and leadership — qualities that will serve them for a lifetime, in sport and beyond.”
The school is also looking to expand its program from years 11 and 12 students to younger year levels, and additional sports and programs in future years to cement its position as a unique sport specific learning provision unlike any other in Australia.