The Academy was formed after an initial meeting on the 21st of January, 1987, between a panel of government, university, councils, community, science and sporting representatives and since its launch in 1988 the Hunter Academy of Sport has successfully developed various aspects of regional sport.

Since that historical meeting in 1987 and the functional commencement of the Academy in 1988, sports talent development programs, training camps, clinics and national congresses have highlighted a very busy and active Academy program.

Today the Hunter Academy of Sport is the largest regional Academy in Australia with some 600 talented young sports people from the region now participating in approximately 28 different talent development programs.

Many hundreds of youngsters have attended vacation development camps, which are open to both boys and girls, with the aim to provide interest opportunities which may entice some of our youth away from the street corners and onto the sporting fields.

Each year during the July winter school holidays the Academy conducts the nib Games as a part of the nib Hunter Festival of Sport. The Festival has grown enormously over the many years that it has operated and now attracts participants from interstate as well as intrastate academies and sporting groups.

The Academy is also providing advice in areas such as sports administration, coaching, refereeing/umpiring, facilities, injuries, fitness testing and training, sport psychology, dental and eye care, public speaking, ethics in sport, nutrition and personal development.

Two successful national congresses, one on “Drugs in Sport”, and one on “Sport in Schools” and various other seminars have been conducted.

Although the Hunter Academy of Sport has been very successful in assisting the development of the region’s sporting talent over the past twenty plus years, the board looks forward to further progress and development in the future.

Many of the Academy Talent Development squad members have gone on to represent at a national or state level in their chosen sports.