First Batch Of Multi-Sport Student-Athletes Embark On Specialisation Sports

Feature – Multi-Sport Academy


The first cohort of student-athletes from the Multi-Sport Academy, which began in 2023, have successfully completed their broad-based Multi-Sport curriculum, designed to enhance their movement and motor skills through diverse sports experiences. After honing their skills through a variety of sports over two years, the inaugural batch has embarked on their specialisation sports, marking the next phase of their sporting journeys.

The Multi-Sport Academy is the first-of-its-kind in Sports School, where student-athletes are provided broad-based training to build their fundamental movement skills such as speed, power and strength, and motor skills such as rhythm, object control and inter-limb coordination. There are three main modules in the curriculum to hone these skills, namely Athletics, 3x3 Basketball, and Sport Climbing, which they will take in the first two years of the programme before they specialise in a sport during their upper secondary. The first batch also learnt Parkour for eight weeks and was exposed to other sports such as canoe sprint, wrestling, cycling and triathlon over a shorter period.

Through their exposure to such a wide variety of sports, the student-athletes were able to evaluate their own strengths, interests, and physical attributes, helping them identify the sport that best aligned with their capabilities and passions. This self-reflection and diverse sporting experience have played a key role in guiding them toward specialisation.

The Academy’s curriculum is structured around five to six training sessions each week, three of which are dedicated to sport-specific training, while two are focused on strength and conditioning or developing fundamental movement skills through activities such as Parkour. The student-athletes have also participated in competitions, offering them the opportunity to test their abilities and discover their strength.

Sports School has worked closely with the National Youth Sports Institute to develop the programme and is collaborating with some National Sports Associations to develop a pathway for student-athletes. One of the standout athletes from this inaugural cohort is Jessie Tan Qian Chi who has chosen to specialise in track and field. The former St Anthony’s Primary School student, who previously pursued Tchoukball as her co-curricular activity, has flourished in track and field. She displayed her potential and perseverance, coming in third for Under-14 Pentathlon in Thailand Sports School Games.

Admitting that she did not know what sport she should pursue, she joined the Multi-Sport Academy to try out different sports and build skills to find her passion. Jessie found her strength while doing the athletics module, and while it was not easy learning a new sport from scratch, she shared that training was fun and that coaches helped to guide her. Excited that she found a sport that she enjoys, Jessie is determined to work hard and make a name for herself. Her future goal is to participate in overseas youth or major competitions.

On her two-year experience with the Multi-Sport Academy, Jessie shared, “It has helped me develop into a better athlete overall in terms of mindset, character and other factors. It also helped me find a sport that I want to specialise in and work on.”

Mohamad Adam Mohamad Aidil, who previously engaged in Badminton at Endeavour Primary School, has chosen Fencing as his sport of specialisation. Adam found the diverse experiences at the Multi-Sport Academy invaluable as he was able to develop transferable skills that aided his transition to fencing.

He shared, “The Multi-Sport Academy provided me with competition experiences and teamwork opportunities. The skills I acquired are transferable, and they also built perseverance and resilience in me. Hence, despite me being new to fencing, I feel that the training I had in the Multi-Sport Academy has helped me overcome these challenges.”

Adam, who is already training at the Fencing Academy, enjoys the sport. He said, “When I first had the opportunity to try out fencing, I felt welcome and how the team members supported and guided me. I also fell in love with it as it combines the different elements of skills and challenges as we think about the tactical plan when we are facing our opponent.” He is currently focused on learning fencing techniques and skills and hopes to represent Singapore in international competitions, including the Olympic Games.

Besides track and field and fencing, wrestling and canoe sprint are the other specialisation sports chosen by student-athletes in the inaugural batch.

Ms Liza Sem, the first General Manager of the Multi-Sport Academy, who oversaw the first two batches in the Academy, has seen student-athletes grow in skill and character through their broad exposure to a variety of sports. She shared, “The standout trait among multi-sport student-athletes is their adaptability. They are adaptable in new environments, can easily transfer the skills honed in the multi-sport curriculum and are open-minded to try new sports and skills they are unfamiliar with.”