Student Horizons was delighted to be the Principal Partner of the inaugural Queensland Schools Sport Conference, Pathways to Perform, held at St Peters Lutheran College, Indooroopilly in September 2026.

The conference brought together Directors of Sport, Heads of Sport, coaches, sport coordinators, strength and conditioning professionals, educators and athlete-development specialists from across Queensland. It was an opportunity to step back from the day-to-day demands of school sport and focus on a shared purpose: creating environments in which young people can thrive in sport, at school and in life.

Congratulations to Shaun Nodwell, Director of Sport at St Peters Lutheran College, and the broader St Peters team for bringing this important event to life. The calibre of speakers, relevance of the discussions and strong participation from school-sport professionals demonstrated the value of creating a dedicated forum for the sector.

More than results and trophies

School sport has a powerful role to play in a young person’s development. While performance, competition and achievement matter, the most meaningful programs also build confidence, resilience, leadership, connection and lifelong healthy habits.

That theme was central to Pathways to Perform.

The conference explored the work required to build high-performing and sustainable sporting cultures, while recognising that success should not be measured only by results. It is also reflected in how well schools support the wellbeing, identity, development and long-term potential of every student-athlete.

Sessions covered topics including:

• Building and maintaining high-performance cultures

• Developing the whole athlete

• Mental health and wellbeing in youth sport

• Sports nutrition and athlete care

• Leadership development within school sporting programs

• Guiding leadership in young athletes

• What schools need to understand about the female teenage athlete

The program opened with an inspiring keynote from Dean Boxall, Head Coach of St Peters Western and Australian swimming coach. Across the day, attendees also heard from an exceptional group of practitioners and thought leaders, including Sharyn Donaghy, David Shillington, Professor Clare Minahan, Paul Galland, Rebecca Disher and Leigh Smith.

Why Student Horizons partnered

At Student Horizons, we see sport as one of the most meaningful pathways for young people to learn beyond the classroom.

Whether students are participating in a local competition, representing their school interstate, travelling internationally on a sports tour or simply finding their place in a team, sport can help develop character, connection and perspective. It can teach students how to prepare, adapt, lead, collaborate and respond to both success and disappointment.

That is why we were proud to support the Queensland Schools Sport Conference as Principal Partner.

For more than 14 years, Student Horizons has worked with Australian and international schools to create educational, music and sports-tour experiences. Our role goes beyond organising travel logistics. We work with schools to design purposeful experiences that connect to their educational, sporting and pastoral objectives, while ensuring student safety, quality partnerships and meaningful outcomes remain at the heart of every journey.

A shared commitment

The inaugural conference demonstrated that Queensland’s school-sport community is deeply committed to supporting students as people first and athletes second.

It was encouraging to see so many passionate professionals in one room, exchanging ideas and united by the goal of creating better experiences for young athletes. When schools invest in thoughtful coaching, strong leadership, wellbeing and inclusive sporting cultures, students gain far more than a result on the scoreboard.

Student Horizons looks forward to continuing our partnership with the Queensland Schools Sport Conference and supporting the next event in 2027.

Thank you again to Shaun Nodwell, St Peters Lutheran College, the speakers, delegates and everyone involved in delivering such a successful inaugural conference.

Student Horizons — creating experiences for life.