New Hunter Sports Centre facility looks to get the most out of athletes

The newly-opened Trevor Height Athlete Testing Facility at the Hunter Sports Centre in Glendale is looking to enhance the performance of local athletes with a range of services to monitor and improve the development and performance of athletes, from beginners to elite levels.

Opened at the end of January, the new building is being operated by the University of Newcastle to operate the facility - in partnership with the Hunter Sports Centre - with student and academic sports scientists using the latest equipment and techniques to test, benchmark and improve performance.

Explaining how testing at the facility would be delivered by a team of university staff working in exercise and sports science, University of Newcastle Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alex Zelinsky advised “this is a fantastic example of how our university is not just about classrooms but is out there making a difference in the community.

“This is the kind of partnership we want. It benefits the people of Lake Macquarie and beyond and it also gives our students the chance to work in a hands-on way before they join the workforce and makes them highly employable graduates.”

Noting that the facility would seek to recruit local sports clubs, schools and other organisations hoping to learn more about their athletic performance and work out ways to improve it,

Hunter Sports Centre General Manager, Brendan Barrett stated “we will be using the latest technology and research, but this new centre isn’t just for top-echelon athletes.

“It will cater to everyone from high school students learning about human movement, physical activity and sports to professional sportspeople who want to take their performance to the next level.

“Elite-level competition nowadays often comes down to hundredths of a second or millimetres, so having the best preparation is essential.

“Athlete testing is the start-line to benchmark performance and, based on that data, design a program for improvement.”

The facility is named after Dr Trevor Height, whose association with Hunter Sports Centre spans almost 30 years as an athlete, coach, sports administrator and manager.

Dr Height, who said he was “stunned” when he found out the new facility would be named in his honour, commented “there is no comparable service available to sports people in our region, and with the University of Newcastle on board to manage this facility, we will be a key plank in allowing more athletes to pursue their dreams.”

The facility is the latest milestone in the $52 million Hunter Sports Centre expansion, which will also include a new NSW Trampoline Centre of Excellence, a sport and community centre, gym and extra car parking.

The new testing facility includes ‘VO2 max’ testing equipment that is usually difficult to access outside university environments. This is expected to be particularly useful for serious recreational athletes involved in cycling, triathlon, running and swimming.

The Centre will also provide a setting for high school students studying everything from biomechanics to anatomy and sports physiology.

Barrett added "the facility will also complement existing allied health services offered locally, such as physiotherapy and sports nutrition."

Images: Athlete testing at Trevor Height Athlete Testing Facility (top) and (below, from left) Member for the Hunter Dan Repacholi MP, Member for Wallsend Sonia Hornery MP, Lake Macquarie Mayor Kay Fraser, Dr Trevor Height and Hunter Sports Centre General Manager Brendan Barrett cutting the ribbon to mark the opening of the new building in January.