Starting as Superstars

Daniel Thorsen seems like an ordinary, 20 year old university student. That is, until you manage to get a glimpse of his trophy cabinet.

Three Commonwealth Youth Games gold medals, as well as two silvers and two bronze from the Junior World Championships adorn his bedroom which, along with 10 national titles, stem from a dedicated junior cycling career.

Daniel began competitive cycling in 1996, concentrating mainly on sprint cycling until switching in 2006 to long distance endurance races, and this year competed in and finished the arduous 750km Tour de Taiwan.

“I competed in cycling for 10 years - starting when I was 10 - and probably started to train and race seriously at 14, when I started to realise I had some talent and could go places if I put my mind to it,” Daniel says.

“When I first started getting serious about cycling, it started to take over my life. I lived and breathed it and schooling just became something I had to do because my parents told me.”

As the required skill levels and professionalism of sport continues to rise, so do the levels of dedication required in order for athletes to reach the highest level – which means Daniel’s half-hearted attitude towards school is a common one among aspiring athletes.

As talent identification technology and scouting improves, the age at which potential athletes are singled out from the bunch becomes lower – seeing children at primary school age take up heavy training schedules.

A report by the West Australian Institute of Sport in 1999 claims that potential champion swimmers are able to be identified as young as 10 and a recent review by the Scottish sporting body, SportScotland says that if the specific movement skills for swimming aren’t developed by 13, success in the sport is not possible.

As training sportspeople become younger, sporting bodies and teams are forced to understand they have more of a responsibility to their athletes than simply turning them into on-field superstars.

Issues such as career ending injuries, young athletes ‘burning out’ – both psychologically and physically, losing interest after years of competing and heavy training, and aspiring athletes failing to reach their potential makes having options outside of sport vital.

In track and field, roughly half the athletes who represent Australia at junior level fail to continue on to compete at senior international level.

Daniel is one of those young athletes who had had enough of his sport by the age of 20, having competed for more than half his life.

“I just didn’t want to ride any more and wanted to do other things in life like work and travel,” he says.

“Cycling is such a huge commitment and I wasn’t prepared to put the time in any more.”

When short careers are the norm, says Gillian Tan, Career and Education Manager for the AFL Players Association, sporting bodies need to keep the athlete’s best interests in mind, not just their playing interest.

“The career of a footballer can often be short, with an average career length of 3.9 years, but by pursuing education or work experience, players can ensure that they develop a balanced approach to their football careers, as well as beginning to develop skills and experiences for their careers after football,” she says.

“The numbers of AFL players pursuing education is increasing, and there has been a substantial increase in the numbers of players pursuing work experience programs. More and more players and clubs are recognizing the benefits of players having a balanced lifestyle both during their careers and after.”

Daniel says that if it wasn’t for his cycling team, Drapac Porsche, he would definitely have no form of career path when he chose to end his cycling career two months ago.

The Drapac Porsche team offers financial support for both its professional and scholarship riders to assist each rider with furthering their education, as well as a mentoring program and constant interaction with team management who look at how the riders are progressing with their studies, and help out with any concerns the rider might have.

Now studying a double-degree in Physical and Outdoor Education at La Trobe University, Daniel is a prime example of how much the kind of assistance offered by Drapac Porsche can help.

“Being part of the Drapac Porsche cycling team slowly but gradually taught me that there was more to life then just being a cyclist, and how important it was to develop all areas of life,” he says.

“I started turning more attention to schooling, and by year 12 put just as much effort into my VCE as I to the World Championships, so I had a dramatic attitude change in that short period, purely because of the team which rewarded every achievement in life.”

Although some newspapers often laud the occasional AFL player who achieves a 90+ ENTER score in VCE, reality stands that the average ENTER score for an AFL footballer who has completed year 12 is between 30 and 40.

This, along with a lack of workplace qualifications or job search skills can make life for a player who couldn’t make the cut a daunting experience.

Some players like ex-Melbourne forward David Schwartz turned to gambling as a way to pass time after his career ended, which cost him what he estimates to be a seven-figure sum.

However as sporting teams and bodies mature, so can their players, who no longer have to be millionaires with a year 10 education, left in the lurch as their careers come to an end.

The AFLPA now offers programs and scholarships to help players to get them job ready, as well as additionally supplying tuition fees for those players who want to complete VCE after being drafted.

“The AFLPA doesn’t act as a recruitment agent for football players, however, we assist players to development their job ready and job search skills, such as writing resumes and interview skills, so that they can be successful in finding employment,” Ms Tan says.

“Players are also offered the opportunity to take part in work experience placements for a period of 10 days to 30 days – experiencing a range of different industries, including banking and finance, landscape design, teaching and education, sales, fire brigade, police and many more.”

The system is still far from perfect. What happens for example to the hundreds of teenage hopefuls who miss out on draft day, and never gain access to the AFLPA’s programs? But the growing acceptance of responsibility taken by sporting teams is a vital step towards ensuring young athletes aren’t left stranded as their initial career hopes fade.

Selective Entry Schools

Creating new selective entry schools will increase the gap between high performing public schools and the rest, the Principal of a Melbourne school has said.

Clare Entwisle, Principal of Kew High School in Melbourne’s east, said the proposed introduction of two new selective schools by the State Government would mean public schools such as hers would lose talented students.

“[The selective concept] robs other schools of their cream and this has a dumbing down effect,” Ms Entwisle said.

“[Kew High] is not too bad now as we have a good crop of high achievers, but in the past it really did mean we were robbed of our best and brightest. Some schools do really suffer the effects.”

The State Government made the promise of two new coeducational selective entry schools in 2006, to complement the two Victoria already has in Melbourne High School for boys and Mac Robertson Girl’s High School for girls.

Patricia Tursi, a teacher at Box Hill Senior Secondary College says she supports the governments move to introduce the new schools.

“The schools will give many more students the chance to experience a more rounded education involving co-curricular activities they wouldn’t have had access to before, with other students who really want to there,” she said.

“Having a selection process means the schools can produce a genuine academic community, which will hugely benefit the student’s education and entire development.”

Ms Entwisle, however, believes the schools simply take the credit for the work the student’s previous school had done.

“Why should one school be able to take the best from another and then take credit for the results?” she said.

“The government has a responsibility to support all schools, not set up quasi private schools in the system to hold up as the best.”

Mac Robertson Girl’s High School has topped the state in terms of VCE results every year since 2002, and Melbourne High’s median ENTER score in 2006 was 95.35, putting half of its students in the top five per cent of the state.

With just two academically exclusive schools, Victoria lags well behind New South Wales which has a total of 17 schools requiring students to take a test prior to enrolment.

The State Government has said the new schools have been budgeted at $20 million, with one to be put in North Melbourne and the second in the outer eastern growth corridor, and will be ready within the next four years.

Breakout: Todd Herskope

Todd Herskope was just one of over 300 students accepted into the academically exclusive Melbourne High School in 2007 from thousands of applicants.

Coming from Camberwell High School where he completed years seven and eight, the 15 year old had high expectations which the school hasn’t taken long to reach.

“I have more opportunities to get involved at Melbourne High,” he said. “I am doing co-curricular activities like cross-country skiing which weren’t on offer at my old school.”

Melbourne High School has many programs and facilities that most public schools can’t offer. Thanks to its association with South Yarra Sports Centre, the students have full access to gym, basketball, tennis and hockey facilities, as well as an indoor pool.

When asked to compare his new school with his old one, Todd said there were some obvious differences.

“There are very few kids who hold back other students in their classes from achieving their full potential because they aren't trying or just want to muck around. Students are more focused and disciplined” he said.

“And we can enjoy a more balanced education, taking part in academic, sporting, musical and social activities because of the hard working and friendly environment that we work in at school”

Reports have shown that compared with other government schools, Melbourne High receives extra public funding, and Todd feels this is justified.

“As it’s a school where students take their work more seriously and want to excel more than at normal public schools, I think it’s fair that MHS receives more funding,” he said.

And while Melbourne High’s results speak for themselves, Todd understands that just being a student of the school doesn’t guarantee him the results he wants.

“I know I’m going to have to work incredibly hard to reach the standards expected by Melbourne High,” he said. “But I think just being accepted into a school labelled ‘academically exclusive’ is an inspiration that will really help.”

Male circumcision could reduce instances of HIV/AIDS in the developing world by almost 60 per cent, the UN has announced.

After international testing and expert consultation, UNAIDS and the World Heath Organisation declared male circumcision should be part of the HIV prevention package in developing nations worldwide.

Recent trials in Kenya, Uganda and South Africa using almost 11,000 HIV-negative men found heterosexual men with circumcisions had up to a 58 per cent reduced risk of the deadly virus.

Dr Kevin De Cock, Director of the HIV/AIDS department of WHO said in a press release the findings are a significant step forward in HIV prevention.

“Countries with high rates of heterosexual HIV infection and low rates of male circumcision now have an additional intervention which can reduce the risk of HIV infection in heterosexual men,” he said.

“Scaling up male circumcision in such countries will result in immediate benefit to individuals.”

These latest trials support findings of numerous studies which have found correlations between lower HIV prevelance in areas of Africa with higher circumcision rates.

Brian Haill, the President of the Australian AIDS Fund Inc. whose website has been promoting male circumcision for a number of years, said it was important such renowned international bodies had accepted the health benefits of circumcision.

“The recognition by the world's most authoritative health body, the World Health Organisation, that male circumcision can make a critical contribution to reducing the global HIV infection rate is hugely important,” he said.

“This vital information now needs to be sent around the world, promoted, and acted upon. The war against HIV/AIDS must utilise every weapon at its disposal and male circumcision is one such valuable and effective weapon.”

UNAIDS has however suggested it may take sometime before a large-scale promotion of male circumcision occurs, and has ruled out promoting forced male circumcision to governments.

UNAIDS chief scientist, Dr Catherine Hankins, said in an interview for UNaids.org that there were many issues to be considered before going ahead with promotion.

“We have to take into account the cultural issues – within cultures and faith traditions in which male circumcision is not considered acceptable,” she said.

Already, the Luo Council of Elders of South East Africa has said no to forced male circumcision due to cultural objections, even though UNAIDS estimates 2.8 million new infections occur annually in the region, and over 60 per cent of the global HIV positive population live in the region.

In South Africa, the 2005 Children’s Act prohibits circumcision for males under 16, except for medical or religious reasons.

Other concerns include the number of qualified doctors in regions with high HIV prevelance who are able to perform the surgery, as well as the dangers of adult circumcision compared with infant.

“Adult male circumcision has a higher risk of adverse effects than infant male circumcision and should be undertaken by trained health workers in safe, adequately equipped and sanitary conditions,” Dr Hankins said.

UNAIDS and WHO have made clear that male circumcision is not a complete protection against HIV, and men who consider circumcision must also continue to use other forms of protection.

UNAIDS estimates around 30 per cent of the male population is circumcised, while between 33 and 46 million people worldwide live with HIV.

Sportsman Profile: Steve Piperno

The final game of the 2006 NAB Under 18 championships gets underway at Princes Park in about an hours time. Eighteen year old Steve Piperno gets out of his car, collects his bag and starts walking around to the rooms. Instead of his bag being filled with shorts, socks and a jumper however, Steve has packed black pants, an orange top, and, most importantly, four white flags.

In a game that is massively important to its playing participants who are desperately trying to get themselves spotted by AFL club recruiters, the same could be said about the umpires involved. For Steve, in his first year on the VFL goal umpiring panel, this is undoubtedly the most important game he has had to umpire.

“It’s hard not to get nervous before really big games like that,” Piperno said. “With such a massive crowd, the television crews, and the attention of all the AFL recruiters it’s a real buzz.”

Steve took up goal umpiring during the 2003 season, after a friend who was already involved explained how much money could be made from goal umpiring just one game. A few phone calls later, and Steve was a member of the Victorian Amateur Football Association goal umpires group.

“It was always something I’d been interested in trying, and I’d been wanting to become involved with footy again for a while,” he said. “I made a few phone calls, and a week later I was goal umpiring my first game.”

Steve said he enjoyed the experience of umpiring at a local level, including the training and social events that go with it – especially in a large local league like the Amateurs.

“Umpiring at the VAFA was great fun,” he said. “It’s a really relaxed and friendly atmosphere off the field.”

In 2005, Steve’s final year at the VAFA, he achieved a feat incredibly uncommon for someone of his age (just 17 at the time), by being awarded the A grade Grand Final over many older umpires with greater experience. Steve considers this achievement something that has helped him deal with the pressures of moving up to the next level in terms of goal umpiring.

“If I hadn’t done the A grade Grand Final last year, I probably would have gone into the VFL without any really big match experience,” he explained. “The pressure of such an important game was a great experience leading into the VFL.”

When comparing the two organisations, Steve said that he found several distinct differences in several areas.

“The demands on umpires are much less at the VAFA, which allows for a much more relaxed and friendly environment,” he said. “The VFL is a bit more professional, promoting different goals for its umpires like commitment and success, which means that some enjoyment is lost due to their being less of a social environment.”

“Coming from a local league like the Amateurs to a bigger organisation like the VFL is a big jump, much like starting at a new school,” Steve explained. “You have to find your feet and try to prove yourself while umpiring with a more developed and experienced panel of umpires.”

Like most umpires who have made the VFL panel, Steve has aspirations of taking his umpiring to higher levels, and ultimately, the AFL, although he understands the hard work it will take in order for him to achieve such a goal.

“Umpiring is just like any sport you might play,” he explained. “It’s incredibly competitive and takes hard work, dedication, and the right attitude to succeed.”

The VFL, as such a high profile league, takes its umpiring very seriously, which includes umpires being watched and coached on match day.

“The scrutiny of match day performances of umpires is drastically more than what is experienced at local level,” Steve explained. “It’s unusual to have a game where there isn’t a coach watching, and I’ve had my games taped and reviewed three times so far.”

Surprisingly for many, another aspect of goal umpiring that can be a hurdle for some is the physical aspect of training, which at the VFL can include time trials, beep tests, and skin fold tests.

“I was really surprised at the running and training that we had to do, even at the VAFA,” Steve said. “Every week at training requires really hard efforts.”

Outside of umpiring, Steve, who finished year 12 last year with an ENTER score in the top four percent of the state, decided to defer his course at Melbourne University to accept a traineeship through the AFL Sports Ready program in the AFL administration in a role as Assistant to the Senior Accountant.

As the season draws to a close, umpires, like players, are fighting hard on and off the field to remain in the game for a chance at September action. In his first year on the VFL panel, and still in the running for the TAC Cup Grand Final, Steve Piperno is working as hard as any other.

RMIT Journalism: CommBall06 and Rosebud

Brett Herskope to Rodrigo Vargas (Melbourne Victory): "It wasn't a handball mate"
Vargas to Brett Herskope: "Ah, yes it was... [[Awkward silence]]"

"They had to change the rules for Muralitharan. Otherwise someone would get blown up"
- Michelle Ainsworth
28.08.2006

Recently, I've been wondering. Why do some people get it so great over others. Oddly enough, it was Dean Geyer of Australian Idol fame who got me thinking down this path. I thought I'd share with all three of my avid readers the amazing similarities and differences of two people whose lives crossed paths, if ever so briefly.

Dean Geyer v Michael O'Donnell
Similarities:

• Both attended Melbourne High School (Dean graduating in 2004, Michael finishing a year later)
• Both competed in the hurdles at at least two MHS sports carnivals. (Although I don't remember, I feel confident in suggesting Dean ran an astonishingly faster time)

That just about covers the similarities.

Differences

• Dean Geyer is a good looking young man. He is a black belt in some martial art which inevitably equals a good body. He has the ability to tan well, and hold onto a tan.
• Michael O'Donnell is particularly unattractive. He has failed at every sport he has played, which means he has a skinny body. He turns red in the sun, not brown.
• Dean Geyer is a talented singer and guitarist who is currently competing for the title of Australian Idol in front of the entire nation.
• Michael O'Donnell has no talents. Hidden or obvious.
• Dean Geyer is likely to make a lot of money with his singing ability
• Michael O'Donnell is trying toenter a profession which is known to provide very little money.

It's all very demoralising isn't it. Type my name into google and you get Doctors and Professors, none of which are me. Type Dean Geyer into the same search engine. He has his own wikipedia section! He has his own fan forum with hundreds of registered posters! Where are my screaming and swooning women?

We all have friends just like him though don't we? Great friends who we love catching up with. Though, isn't it always the case when you discover something ELSE he's better than you at, all you can think in your head is 'you prick' while forcing a polite smile on your face.

As I watched Australian Idol, I was sat fighting hard to think of something that I would be better than Dean Geyer at. What could I be better at than this good looking, intelligent, talented musician? Then it came to me.

Dean Geyer can't goal umpire for shit.

This website is a supporter of Dean Geyer in his quest to become Australian Idol

Vote Dean.