Athletes' Commission

What is the Athletes' Commission?

Gymnastics Australia (GA) established an Athletes' Commission with the view to providing a process to promote open communication with and feedback from, athletes. Gymnastics Australia believes, like most other sports, that athletes, present and past, can make a very valuable contribution to the sport.

The Athletes' Commission is:

A non-political group which can offer advice and assistance to GA on matters and issues of relevance to athletes
A promotional tool available for the purposes of promoting the sport to sponsors, the media and the general public
A resource for GA to enable athletes to be drawn on to provide advice and feedback on matters relevant to athletes
A group that can facilitate and promote high standards of sportsmanship and ethical performance when competing/participating at the national or international level
A group that can relate immediately to athletes competing at the highest level and establish relationships to promote feedback to GA on matters concerning elite athletes.This group will have a national focus and deal with national and international matters.

Roles and responsibilities of the Athletes' Commission

The roles and responsibilities of the Athletes' Commission are:

Establish open lines of communication with athletes to identify issues relevant to the various gymsports that need to be addressed by the Commission
Examine the GA Business Plan and give feedback to the Board on areas of improvement and/or concerns that require input from athletes
Assist in the formulation of policy for athlete support programs
To provide support for athletes to achieve their personal best
Assist athletes in their retirement from competition/participation in the sport and ensure that they receive the appropriate recognition and assistance through this stage
Ensure the Roll of Honour is maintained
Provide regular reports and recommendations to the GA Board on issues of relevance to athletes
Assist in promoting and delivering the Ambassador Program
Undertake special projects that may be relevant to the Commission and their Terms of Reference.

Note: This is not a conclusive list and roles and responsibilities may be changed from time to time as determined by the Board.

Operating guidelines

The operating guidelines of the Athletes' Commission are:

The term of office for Commission members will be four (4) years
One formal meeting per year, other meetings to be called on a needs basis
Meetings on an informal basis when the opportunity arises.

The Commission will have access to the following communication tools:

The GA website will include a special page on the Athletes' Commission with an ability for athletes to email the Commission with any of their concerns and/or view points
Commission members to receive the GA Board minutes, technical bulletins and events/team reports.