Future Champions

Applications are now open

Register Your Interest
The NCAS Future Champions Program supports emerging athletes who aren’t eligible for existing Academy squads, as well as athletes who have progressed beyond the level of one of our existing programs within their sporting pathway.
The program is designed to help these athletes continue progressing toward state and national representation.

The program complements the athlete’s ongoing individual skill development and performance opportunities within their chosen sport, working alongside their individual coach, club and existing sporting pathway.

Selected athletes receive:

  • Targeted Future Champions program integrated with athletes’ home training and coaching environment
  • Sports education, strength & conditioning
  • Access to Academy testing, Functional Movement Screening, supervised gym education and sport‑specific S&C programs
  • Skill acquisition clinics and individual athlete management coaching support
  • Performance Wellbeing education including psychology, nutrition, media and sponsorship, sport integrity, financial fitness and resilience pathways

Additional NCAS benefits:

  • Access to Lumin (Academy athlete performance and management platform)
  • Support for award and scholarship nominations
  • Community engagement and corporate partner exposure
  • Promotion through NCAS media channels

Program Eligibility Criteria

Athletes must:

  • Aged 13 – 18 years in 2027
  • Not be eligible to apply for a NCAS squad based program in the same year OR athletes who have progressed beyond the level of one of our existing programs within their sporting pathway
  • Be committed to progressing to higher representation within your chosen sport
  • Be a registered member of a local club or association within the North Coast region.
  • Reside in one of the following LGAs: Tweed, Byron, Lismore, Ballina, Kyogle, Richmond River, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Bellingen, Nambucca, Kempsey and Port Macquarie-Hastings.
The athlete levy contributes towards the overall cost of delivering the Academy programs. Within our high performance programs are items including: 
 
  • Coaching*
  • Access to training facilities*
  • Strength & Conditioning assessments and programming*
  • Sports science testing*
  • Access to Academy Games* (relevant sports/age groups only)
  • Insurance
* Please note, Items marked with an Asterix are components supported through NSW Government grant funding. The grant contribution from the NSW government is limited to costs and activities identified in the approved Project Plan. The remaining portion of the athlete levy contributes towards costs associated with delivering and administering the Academy that are not covered by the NSW Government grant funding.

Program Delivery Period
October 2026 – August 2027