Physical performance coaches (PPC) ensure athletes in High Performance programs achieve their athletic potential. They do this using specific assessment and screening, individualised training and conditioning, required recovery and overall load management.
Highly qualified specialists
USC's PPC's are highly qualified, meeting the following strict criteria to work at USC:
- Degree in Sport and Exercise Science, S&C, Human Movement or similiar
- Current member of the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association (ASCA) Professional Coaching Accreditation Scheme (PCAS) at the Professional level (PCAS-P) *
- ASCA Level 2 Coaching Accreditation **
- Current first aid and CPR training
Younger coaches, working towards these standards, are supervised by a coach who already meets these standards.
* Refer to Professional L2 Accreditation
** Refer to ASCA Coaching Accreditation Framework
World-class facilities and teams
PPC's work with high performance squads including the USC Spartans high performance swimming team, the Sunshine Coast Lightning and the Australian Cycling Academy and support the University's High Performance Student Athlete's (HPSA's) who come from a range of sporting disciplines.
Squads and athletes have access to nationally-accredited facilities, academics and research.
High performance sporting facilities include:
- 50 metre Olympic pool
- 25 metre covered pool including a range of high-tech video cameras (underwater and overhead)
- 450 metre 2 high performance lifting facility
- SwimEx Professional Hydrotherapy Pool
- Contrast (hot and cold) therapeutic recovery plunge pools
- 400 metre tartan Olympic running track and field
- Multiple sporting fields and ovals
- Range of experts in sport science, nutrition and psychology
- Research labs for screening and testing of physical performance measures
Research in Physical Performance
Research projects are a constant part of the high-performance sport environment with the outcomes assisting to improve performance and to provide coaches with further information to develop their programs.
Many of our PPC's are completing their postgraduate studies using our high-performance squads and athletes in their research.
This includes:
USC Spartans
- Warm Up Strategies and impact on Swimming Performance
- Training Load Management for Swimming
- Post Graduate Scholar- Max McKenzie
Sunshine Coast Lightning
- Training load management in netball
- Pre-season changes in body composition and physical performance
- Do changes in strength reflect direct changes in physical performance of speed and COD
- Post Graduate Scholar- Graeme Rousseau
Australian Cycling Academy
- Training load management in cycling
- Performance measures to assist with determining athlete wellness
- Post Graduate Scholar- Aaron Turner
High Performance Student Athletes (HPSA's)
- Determining and comparing sports specific performance profiles and training loads in high performance athletes
Practical experience
USC offers practical experience for coaches in high-performance programs.
Meet the coaches
Mark McKean
Head of Physical Performance in High Performance Sport
Lead PPC Sunshine Coast Lightning Netball
Lead PPC USC Spartans Swimming (Able)
Aaron Turner
Physical Performance Coach in High Performance Sport
Lead PPC Australian Cycling Academy
Lead PPC High Performance Student Athletes
Max McKenzie
Physical Performance Coach in High Performance Sport
Lead PPC USC Spartans Swimming (Para)
Lead PPC USC Thunder Netball
Graeme Rousseau
Physical Performance Coach in High Performance Sport
Assistant PPC USC Spartans Swimming
PPC High Performance Student Athletes