Powerade is continuing its endeavour to support, motivate and inspire South African athletes to reach the pinnacle in performance through the Powerade Performance Academy.
The Powerade Performance Academy focuses on South African High School coaches, recognising their role as primary influencers of the next generation of South Africa’s sporting heroes. The continued evolution of sports performance includes state-of-the-art training programs, executed through high-level coaching methodologies.
To ensure that our athletes are equipped with the mindset to persevere through some of their toughest sporting moments, Powerade has teamed up with renowned sporting and mental coaching professionals as well as performance experts, to bring the Performance Academy to Johannesburg.
Former South African cricket coach and player, Paddy Upton, will lead the programme as the Ambassador of the Powerade Performance Academy. Upton has been on both ends of the spectrum – having experienced the pressure of being a coach and being coached. As a former Performance Director of the South African cricket team from 2011 to 2014, Upton is perfectly positioned as this year’s Powerade Performance Academy Ambassador.
“Powerade is thrilled to be at the forefront of inspiring coaches to motivate their athletes. Performance is something that resonates with Powerade, and we believe in creating platforms where coaches can receive the best advice and coaching tips to take back to their athletes,” says Sapna Naran, Powerade Brand Manager.
Paddy will be joined by Referee Talent Development Coach, Craig Joubert, Head of Performance Sport and Medical for Team Dimension Data, Dr Carol Austin, and Robin Banks, a world-renowned motivational speaker and expert on aspects of Mind Power and Personal Mastery.
“I’m delighted to be a part of the Powerade Performance Academy. I strongly believe that modern-day best-practice in sports performance shouldn’t only be for the top-end performers, but should also be accessible for coaches at school levels,” says Upton.
South African adventurer and motivational speaker Sibusiso Vilane will also be present as a guest speaker, while rugby and football analyst Neil Andrews will host the Academy.
“The coaching landscape in South Africa has evolved in recent times, which is something that’s really pleasing. I’m excited about what this year will bring as performance is integral in the development of young athletes,” adds Upton.
All the experts will ensure that the rising generation of born sportsmen will be taken through a series of sessions addressing the various spheres of performance. These will range from player focused coaching sessions, to dealing with pressure and overcoming the challenges that come with staying at the top of your game.
This year, the exclusive coaching sessions will be hosted in Johannesburg on 21-22 October 2017, encompassing youth coaching representatives from across the country.
