Athlete Friendly Tertiary Network

Bay of Plenty Polytechnic is now a member of the Athlete Friendly Tertiary Network (AFTN) providing support for high performance athletes looking to combine their sporting and academic aspirations.

AFTN was developed by High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ) to enable a more structured and effective system for both athletes and tertiary staff.

“We are delighted that Bay of Plenty Polytechnic have agreed to be part of the Athlete Friendly Tertiary Network,” said HPSNZ Athlete Advisor Carolyn Donaldson. “Our high performance athletes enjoy being able to study whilst campaigning to reach the highest level in their sports. Having the support of their tertiary institute makes a big impact on the success of them juggling these different elements in their lives.”

Peter Sommers, Group Leader Sport & Recreation at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, said that being part of the AFTN was important for the Polytechnic because it meant that students were in a welcoming sports-friendly environment and that services such as advocating for an extension on an assignment deadline if a student was going to be travelling to compete could be provided.

“It makes it easier for our students to succeed academically as well as in their sport,” said Mr Sommers. “We can work alongside the athlete, their parents and coach to take a holistic approach to helping them succeed in both areas of their lives.”

Creating a ‘performance lifestyle’ for high performance athletes, who are also students, is gaining support across the world by both academic and athletic fraternities, with a number of countries in Europe and Australia also providing networks. 

While high performance athletes devoted an enormous amount of time and energy to their sport, their stay at the top could be very short, according to High Performance Sport NZ. Success outside of sport is therefore of high importance too.

“There is evidence to suggest that creating a balance in athletes lives and acquiring qualifications towards a post-performance career, while certain to make them better athletes in the shorter term, will also make them better people in the longer term,” said Mrs Donaldson. “The challenge is for sports organisations and tertiary institutions to identify and implement the support structures to allow this to happen.”

Mr Sommers said there is a growing recognition in New Zealand of the valuable contributions high performance athletes made to New Zealand’s reputation as a sporting nation.

“Bay of Plenty Polytechnic is committed to supporting athletes who study with us,” he said. “As well as being part of the AFTN, we also provide High Performance Academy Sports Scholarships for up to eight students, which includes full cover of course fees, access to our sport and fitness facilities, access to a high performance manager, and up to 10 hours each year for sports support services such as sports science testing, and lifestyle support.”