AUT postgraduate student Cesar Meylan discusses long term athlete development
As a recognised leader in the field of sports science research, AUT University will play a vital part in the future development of high performance sport in New Zealand, propelling our top athletes onto the world stage.
Government recently announced the biggest investment ever into high performance sport, with the aim of producing more world-class sporting champions. Plans consist of a newly established High Performance Institute and a $40m injection into a new high performance National Training Centre which will be jointly run by AUT University and the Millennium Institute of Sport and Health (MISH) - a well established provider of excellent sporting facilities and coaching services. The new National Training Centre - based at AUT Millennium Campus on Auckland's North Shore - will be a training ground for champions in the lead-up to the 2012 Olympic Games in London and other major sporting events in the future.
The partnership between AUT University and the Millennium Institute enhances a collaborative approach to research and training, and will bring together the best of sports research, coaching and management expertise. AUT PhD student Cesar Meylan currently heads up the Long Term Athletic Development (LTAD) programme at the Millennium Institute and works with New Zealand's young rising sports stars, preparing them for a life in competitive sports. Cesar discusses how human potential can be unleashed through science and innovation.
"I'm responsible for growing the champions of tomorrow," he says. "I look at everything from strength and power, to running mechanics to ensure that our young athletes have the best start."
"Many young athletes get swept up into the realm of competitive sport without being prepared for the high demands placed upon them - it's my job to make sure they are."
"Appropriate training activities, positive sporting experiences and knowledge are critical for children to achieve success in sport at the elite level and also to experience an active and healthy lifestyle," says Cesar.
Cesar is also conducting a research project with AUT's Running Mechanics Clinic manager Kelly Sheerin monitoring each athletes gait so that improvements can be made to running technique.
"Research has shown that early detection and intervention can reduce an athlete's long-term injury rate, making them more frequently available for competition and bettering their
chances at a long and illustrious sporting career," he says.
"Sport can be the vehicle for so many positive experiences and assisting young athletes to reach their dreams and grow into motivated and aspiring adults is a very rewarding job."
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