Regional Academies of Sport has made the difficult decision to place the Limestone Coast Academy of Sport (LCAS) into recess following ongoing uncertainty around state government funding.
The decision comes after months of advocacy and discussions aimed at securing the support required to establish a sustainable Academy model in the Limestone Coast. While those discussions have been positive and constructive, funding certainty has not been achieved, leaving Regional Academies of Sport unable to continue investing resources into the Academy without a clear pathway forward.
Regional Academies of Sport CEO Brett O’Farrell said the decision was not one that had been taken lightly.
“The Limestone Coast deserves an Academy of Sport. Throughout this process, we’ve had overwhelming support from athletes, families, sporting organisations, local councils and community leaders who understand the value these programs can provide,” Mr O’Farrell said.
“Unfortunately, we have reached a point where we can no longer continue to commit resources to a program that does not have the funding required to operate sustainably.”
The Academy was established to help address the significant gap that exists between community sport and high-performance sport in regional South Australia, providing talented young athletes with access to development opportunities that are often readily available in metropolitan areas.
Mr O’Farrell said the need for the Academy had never been in question.
“Every conversation we’ve had has reinforced just how important these pathways are for young athletes in the Limestone Coast. The challenge has never been demonstrating the need. The challenge has been securing the support required to deliver it.”
While LCAS moves into recess, Regional Academies of Sport remains firmly committed to South Australia. Our strategic focus is on building a systematic, best practice pathway for regional athletes across targeted areas of the state, developing a model that is sustainable, scalable and genuinely connected to the national high-performance pipeline.
“We are not stepping back from South Australia. We are being deliberate about how we build something that lasts,” Mr O’Farrell said.
“Our approach is to work across multiple regional areas in a coordinated way, so that talented young athletes regardless of where they live have access to the development opportunities they deserve. The Limestone Coast is part of that vision.”
Regional Academies of Sport will continue to engage with government and performance pathway stakeholders to advocate for greater investment in regional athlete pathways across South Australia, and remains committed to building the case for this essential service.
“We still believe strongly in what an Academy model can create for young people in regional South Australia,” Mr O’Farrell said. “Should the funding environment change, we would welcome the opportunity to revisit what delivery in the Limestone Coast could look like as part of that broader approach.”
Regional Academies of Sport thanked the athletes, families, councils, sporting organisations and supporters who have backed the Academy and its vision, and looks forward to continuing to work alongside government and performance pathway partners to make regional sport pathways a priority across South Australia.
