Meet Nick Bennett, an exceptional coach from the Sunshine Coast, whose passion for sports and athletics ignited his journey towards coaching excellence.

We recently had the opportunity to catch up with Nick Bennett and delve into his journey thus far.

Nick's love for athletics began during his school days, where he actively participated in a diverse range of sports, including track and field events. Eager to share his knowledge and guide aspiring athletes, he pursued his passion by obtaining his first coaching certificate while studying for his Diploma of Fitness at TAFE. For the past 15 years, Nick has dedicated his time and expertise as a volunteer at the USC Little Athletics Centre, leaving an indelible impact on young athletes' lives and fostering a spirit of passion and perseverance within the community.

"It is great to support athletes at all levels to progress their development and enjoy playing sport," Nick said.

Continuing his educational journey, Nick Bennett pursued higher studies and achieved a Bachelor's degree in Sport and Exercise Science from UniSC. Fueling his thirst for knowledge, he also pursued an Honours degree in Biomechanics. Building upon his academic foundation, Nick ventured into various roles in strength and conditioning, as well as sports science, to broaden his experience and expertise. In 2015, he took a significant leap by establishing his own sports performance coaching business, where he channels his extensive knowledge and passion to empower athletes to reach new heights of success.

"I was recently awarded a Coaches Award from Sunshine Coast Sports for Q1 this year," Nick said.

"We had great success this season with a large number of state and national medallists in the squad, as well as our latest Australian representative who is also a current UniSC student, Amelita Case – who is competing in Europe with the Australian Under 20 Athletics Team."

"It is always fun to help people to go after their goals and learn new things, that could be in sport when I am coaching, or at UniSC when I am tutoring students and passing on knowledge, skills and experience."

"I would like to express my gratitude to the exceptional teaching staff at UniSC, who have consistently served as invaluable mentors throughout my journey. Their guidance and support continue to be instrumental in my professional growth. Additionally, I am incredibly thankful to the team at UniSC Health and Fitness for granting us access to state-of-the-art facilities, enabling us to deliver world-class coaching experiences."

"If there was one thing I would say to current and future UniSC students who want a career in Sport, get out there and volunteer your time to help a coach/team."

"I can honestly say that if it wasn’t for years of volunteering to grow my skills and network, the chances of me coaching and managing state teams, international tours and at the Commonwealth Games would have been very low."

We thank Nick for generously sharing his time and insights – we wish Nick and his team a successful year ahead.

For more information on Nick's coaching:
Nick Bennett Performance Coaching
P: 0405 699 716
E: team@nbpc.online