The Hunter Academy of Sport (HAS) Swimming Program, supported by Swimming NSW, is designed to support the development of identified competitive swimmers within the Talent phase of the FTEM pathway.
Working alongside an athlete’s existing coaching and training environment, the program provides supplementary high-performance support rather than replacing current squad training. Through a series of interactive workshops and practical performance sessions, athletes gain exposure to key areas of swimming performance, including technical skill development, video and race analysis, strength and conditioning principles, and functional movement screening. These sessions are designed to enhance understanding, improve efficiency and power in the water, and support long-term athletic development.
In addition, athletes participate in educational workshops covering important performance topics such as nutrition, sports psychology, load management, recovery, and athlete wellbeing. This holistic approach equips athletes with the knowledge and tools required to maximise performance and foster sustainable development both in and out of the pool.
The following benefits will apply to those selected in the Swimming program:
To be eligible for the 2026/27 swimming program athletes must be:
To be eligible for selection, athletes need to provide evidence of time/s at a sanctioned event or events (Event, Date and Venue).
Program Details:
The program will run from August to October 2026 and will feature specialised skill development sessions delivered approximately once per month by our High Performance coaching staff. Sessions will be held at The Forum, with a full schedule provided to selected athletes.
Designed to complement each athlete’s regular training environment, the program focuses on developing high-performance attributes and promoting best-practice training principles.
In addition, athletes will participate in a six-week group Strength & Conditioning program based in the Hunter, aimed at enhancing physical performance and supporting long-term athletic development.
Cost: TBC in welcome pack once selected
HAS Head Coach : Sander Ganzevles
Bio:
Sander is an experienced swimming coach and sports scientist with a background in competitive swimming at the international level, having competed in both European and World Championships. After earning a degree in Human Movement Sciences in Amsterdam, Sander began coaching, leading a swimmer to the European Junior Championships in 2008. By 2010, he joined the Royal Dutch Swimming Federation as an embedded scientist and transitioned into coaching, supporting teams at the European, World, and Olympic Games.
Sander is currently pursuing a PhD, which he expects to complete in November 2024. Following the 2016 Olympics, he moved to Germany to coach at the National Performance Centre in Heidelberg, where one of his athletes claimed gold at the European Junior Championships. In 2019, Sander relocated to Cairns, Australia, where he coached the Cairns Stingrays, developing 15 swimmers who competed at junior and senior national levels. Since October 2022, he has served as the head coach of the NUSport Performance Centre for Swimming New South Wales.
CCAS Head Coach – Paul Dowey
Strength & Conditioning Coach: Darren Bird
Explore a variety of scholarship opportunities available through the Hunter Academy of Sport to support athlete development and growth:
