Aquinas Sports Academy

The academy was established in 2009 after extensive research and thorough consultation with the school, its sports codes and community. The ASA board has 4 over arching aims:

Set up, support and fund the infrastructure to enable Aquinas to be consistently playing in the top division and at a level to win championships.

Attract, identify, acknowledge, mentor and support students in order to produce champion teams and champion individuals. Also to support the selection, retention and ongoing up skilling of Aquinas Coaches.

Facilitate the continued development of club structures.

How will ASA benefit pupils at Aquinas?

ASA will benefit all pupils involved in sport at Aquinas. An increasing body of  research supports the view that a well rounded academic and sporting based education develops students that are better equipped  to meet the pressures of the modern world.  Our own research reinforced this viewpoint and a generic not specific sport development model for the Academy was chosen. 

How is the Academy Structured?

ASA is managed by the ASA Director, Bill Kite. He oversees two main streams of Sport development in the School. The first is a curriculum stream which develops and works with a key group of elite athletes. The second is within the infrastructure of the sports clubs and codes of the school. The Director works along side the clubs and their boards to provide resource and assistance to these hard working volunteers which make sport happen in the school.

How will ASA students be selected?

There are three ASA classes, one at Year 8, 9 and 10. Class sizes are small and have been set at about 12 pupils per class. Pupils apply for selection. The selected pupils still spend the bulk of their time in their usual classes and attend ASA classes for two periods per week with a few additional hours after school.

Widespread participation and achievement in sport is central to the mission of Aquinas College and ASA recognises this. The ASA umbrella will encompass many Aquinas sports codes. The ASA Director works with the Teachers-in-charge of various sports to support administration, sports funding, short and medium term targets and planning. ASA is also involved in sourcing and promoting the skill development of coaches.

Who is in charge of ASA?

Mr Bill Kite is the ASA Director of Sport. He has an extensive background in Secondary School teaching, having specialised in Physical Education (PE) and Mathematics for the past 20 years. He has also been heavily involved with coaching various sporting teams at all levels. His work history includes time as Sports Director and PE Head of Department at Dilworth School in Auckland.

Mr Kite’s role will encompass not only developing the ASA class programme and teaching, he will be involved in promoting the ASA and sport at Aquinas and he will oversee the provision of coach development opportunities. He will also provide leadership in sport development.

There is also an ASA Board. Those on the board are: Marg Cosgriff (chair), Bill Kite, Richard Watson, Shane Wilson, Stephen Low, Glenys Kroon, Bruce Cortesi, Ray Scott, Andrew Burn and Monique Balvert-OConnor.

Gold Sponsors of ASA

We wish to acknowledge and thank the following businesses that have become key sponsors of ASA:

If you would like to become a sponsor of ASA please  call Bill Kite 07 5432400 or email bkite@aquinas.school.nz and we will discuss how you can become part of our sporting success.