The program is part of the MOU with the Australian Army and AIS CEO Peter Conde said: “The Australian Army provides the ultimate mentoring example when it comes to preparing its people for performance under pressure.

“To enhance performance, we need to be constantly working to improve. It can only benefit our athletes to have this resource to provide education opportunities, mentoring, familiarisation techniques and strategies to deal with pressure.”

To help facilitate the AIS Games Team Debrief Program, experienced coaches and HP personal Bill Tait, Richard Fox, and Peter Day, as well as Olympic gold medallists Duncan Free, Scott Brennan, Kim Brennan, Danielle Woodhouse, Suzy Balogh, Juliet Haslam, and Matt Wells, travelled to Townsville to share knowledge with and learn from the Australian Army.

Over a few days in the tropical north, the group experienced a range of activities including tactical field exercises and briefing and debriefing processes at the Townsville Field Training Area.

“The visit to the Australian Army Combat Centre in Townsville provided a fantastic opportunity to explore the Australian Army’s usage of After Action Reviews (AAR),” said AIS Lead Performance Solutions Consultant Chris O’Brien.

“The AAR experience enabled us to reflect on the power of effective debriefing post a major event and draw parallels with sport. It’s an extremely useful skill and one that will be invaluable to athletes, coaches and NSOs.”

There are still opportunities for NSOs to take part in the AIS Games Team Debrief Program following the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. Learn more here.