SPORT GENERAL - Stops pulled for high performers

Kamo High School Year 11 student Hannah Wilkinson has her fair share of late nights.
The 15-year-old trains in Auckland twice a week with the Northern regional women's soccer team, leaving her "pretty tired" in the mornings for school as she gets back to Whangarei around midnight.
"My teachers are pretty good about letting me sleep the morning after. I get to school just after first period, but it would be nice if I didn't have to."
Hannah says it's often difficult for her to make the time to make sure her schoolwork is done, and she says several of her sporty schoolmates have cut back on their representative duties because it takes up too much of their time.
It's high-performance students like Hannah who Kamo High principal Bernie Taffs wants to encourage in a new initiative that will start at the school next year.
Students will be able to apply for a place in the high performance stream, which will mean one of their "subjects" will be guidance and support for their sport. Kamo High has received funding and approval for the course, which will promote a senior teacher to oversee it. The school will bring in dieticians, sports scientists and expert mentors to guide students, who will also have extra time and help to complete their regular schedule of five academic subjects.
Mr Taffs says this is a way of encouraging the high performance kids to stay that way.
"It's not just about helping them to succeed in their sport, it's about helping them to do well right across the board, because these kids are generally the ones who do well in academics as well."
Mr Taffs says having high-performance students stay in school, retain the relationships with their teachers and peers and continue to do regular schoolwork is a better option than the School for Emerging Talent (SET), a new academy to be set up next year in Whangarei, and the brainchild of Whangarei businesswoman Leah Goodhew.
"My concern is that students who are excelling will be removed from their regular school," Mr Taffs said.
"Why should they have to go to another school if they want to be able to have the support to continue their sport?"
However, his concerns for making sure high-performance kids get the support they need in Northland are the same as those involved with SET - too many of them are leaving for Auckland boarding schools, where there is more support for students involved in top-level sport.
Interested Kamo High School students will have to apply for a place on the programme when they are choosing their subject options for next year. A selection committee, including Mr Taffs and teacher Ian Smith, will choose students they believe will be suited for the programme. It is expected about 15 students will be involved - one of whom is likely to be Hannah Wilkinson.
"I think it's a great idea," she said.