“What truly sets our approach apart is the seamless integration of modern sports science into daily practice. We offer four pathways: performance GPS sport for elite competition, GPS sport for those who love the game, a high performance academy for non-GPS athletes striving for excellence and a dedicated wellbeing and lifelong health pathway for developing those healthy habits.”Mr Kabe Cicolini, Head of Sport
In the competitive world of school sports, Toowoomba Grammar School has quietly revolutionised the approach to student-athlete development.
Our Athletic Development Program represents a paradigm shift in how schools nurture sporting talent—combining cutting-edge technology, evidence-based practices and a whole-person philosophy that prepares young men for success beyond the scoreboard.
The program isn't simply about creating better athletes; it's about developing resilient, adaptable young men who understand that true performance excellence requires both scientific precision and character development. By implementing age-appropriate training methodologies and sport-specific pathways, we ensure each student receives the right intervention at the right time in their athletic journey.
Our performance testing protocols, sophisticated load management systems and comprehensive wellbeing tracking create a data ecosystem that allows for truly individualised athletic development. Through athlete management software, GPS tracking during training and competition and interactive wellbeing dashboards, we've created an environment where decisions are driven by evidence rather than intuition alone.
Beyond our work with students, the department serves as a center for professional development and community engagement. Our partnerships with universities like UniSQ have established internship pathways, while our coach education workshops elevate sporting expertise throughout the region. These initiatives create a virtuous cycle of knowledge exchange that benefits our School community while building meaningful career pathways for the sports professionals of tomorrow.
At its core, our Athletic Development Program embodies TGS's commitment to excellence with purpose. By balancing high-performance aspirations with character building and long-term development principles, we prepare our students to represent themselves, their teams and their School with distinction wherever life takes them.
We're excited to share the story of one of the key team members behind this vision—a past student who has returned to lead our Athletic Development Program and whose journey exemplifies the very values we seek to instill in our students.
Feels like a homecoming
Coming back to Toowoomba Grammar School felt like a calling. I knew I could make a difference to the athletes coming through the ranks, driven by the deep-seated passion for sport that has defined my career.
With a lifelong commitment to sport, five years at university studying exercise science and experience working in a range of professional sports, from the NRL to combat sports, I believed I had a real opportunity to impact the athletes of tomorrow. After honing my youth development skills at schools in Brisbane, I saw an opportunity to return home and invest my time in the institution that moulded me into the man I am today.
Since returning to TGS in 2023, I’ve viewed this role as an opportunity to enhance athletic development within the School. Sport and cocurricular activities are the lifeblood of a student’s time at TGS and their impact on character and wellbeing is immeasurable. The chance to contribute to this environment has been both a privilege and a profound responsibility.
My experience as a GPS athlete taught me many lessons, primarily about resilience and the process of achieving at any level. Although I never tasted gold at the GPS level or later in my athletic life, I’ve had the opportunity to rub shoulders with former Olympians like Debbie Wells (1976, 1980 and 1984), current Olympians like Matthew Denny (2016, 2020 and 2024) and a range of international and national level athletes.
These experiences gave me insight into the hardships of being elite in any endeavour, how to be resilient through challenges and how to bask in glory on the other side.
Since entering the athletic development field almost 10 years ago, my ethos has evolved significantly. As my experience as a coach and mentor grew, so did my understanding of the importance of fostering individuality and helping athletes grow as individuals rather than being carbon copies of someone else. This supported my growing philosophy of holistic development for athletes and, ultimately, the young men of TGS.
The Athletic Development Department aims to build on the concepts outlined in the Strategic Plan, giving boys the skills to access wellbeing for life. While my bias is towards physical wellbeing, I also wanted to invest in the boys’ mental and pastoral development. In order to achieve this, the four pillars of the Athletic Development Department were created:
- Strength and Conditioning: Developing the boys physically to excel at sport and have physical literacy for life.
- Sport Science: Monitoring students’ development and training to make them the best possible versions of themselves.
- Injury Management: Assisting boys in transitioning from injury back onto the field or court as smoothly as possible.
- Nutrition: Educating boys and families on how to best fuel themselves for success.
Although still early in my TGS career, I have had some incredible highlights. The capacity to work not only with the boys but also to help shape the direction of their development Schoolwide from Prep to Year 12 has made this role the most impactful of my career. Some examples include:
- P–12 Athletic Development Strategy: One of my first tasks at the School was to guide the physical development of TGS men through an overarching strategy. This led to the creation of the TGS Long Term Athletic Development Model, which focuses on building physical literacy throughout a student’s Junior School tenure and then builds on this to allow them to excel in their sporting lives.
- Student Athlete Management System (SAMS): I was passionate about developing a system that allowed Heads of Sport, myself and other key stakeholders to monitor and guide students throughout their athletic journeys. SAMS was born out of my own passion for preventing students from burning out through sport, as I had when I graduated from TGS. It enables TGS to collect, store and analyse student training, wellbeing, pastoral and performance data to reward, intervene and assist students where needed.
Ultimately, my goal is to make a difference in the lives of young men, giving them the tools to build their own wellbeing framework. Whether as members of a high-performance team or weekend warriors flying around the Noosa Triathlon, I hope my influence on TGS boys allows them to be physically active and confident in any physical activity they pursue.
“Reflecting on my journey, I am reminded of the profound impact that dedicated mentorship and a supportive environment can have on young athletes. It is my hope that through my work at TGS, I can inspire the next generation to not only achieve their athletic goals but also develop the resilience, character and lifelong love for physical activity that will serve them well beyond their school years.”— Mr Jackson Stone, Head of Athletic Development
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