⚽Football Talented Sports Program
About the Program
Football (Soccer) has always been one of the most popular sports in Western Sydney, and The Hills Sports High School is proud to continue building one of the region’s strongest development pathways. Our Football Program is designed to harness the exceptional skill and talent found across Sydney, providing opportunities for student-athletes to grow in a professional high-performance environment while receiving a quality education.
Our Football program balances technical development, tactical knowledge, physical preparation, and athlete wellbeing. Students train twice per week during school hours as part of their timetable, alongside additional games and competitions.
This program offers:
- Elite Coaching by high-level coaching staff
- Individualised Strength & Conditioning support through our professional S&C program
- Access to Sports Psychology & Nutrition Education
- Video & Data Analysis via our XPS Sideline Sports system
- Participation in elite pathways through Football NSW and CHS competitions
- Exposure to representative opportunities and higher-level pathways within football
Girls Head Coach: Sam McGowan
Sam brings extensive knowledge and practical experience in football, with a strong background in player development across both youth and senior levels. She is passionate about mentoring athletes on and off the field, instilling discipline, resilience, and tactical awareness in her players. Sam has been a driving force in shaping the program’s modern approach, blending technical skill development with strength, conditioning, and wellbeing education.
Her expertise includes:
- International experience coaching the National Afghanistan Women’s team, as well as an analyst role with the Futsalroos
- Current Women’s Head Coach at Sydney Olympic FC
- Coaching across multiple youth and senior football environments in NSW
- Player development focusing on technical mastery, positional awareness, and decision-making
- Experience working with both male and female athletes in performance settings
- Strong leadership in integrating football coaching with athlete wellbeing and education
Boys Head Coach: Pete Nowakowski
Pete brings over 15 years of experience and a wealth of coaching expertise, having worked across each tier of football from grassroots and NSW NPL to the A Leagues and National Youth Teams. His coaching journey extends further with a decade at the National Futsal Championships, guiding players from the U12 level through to senior squads. His resume also includes serving as an assistant coach and analyst during Emerging Socceroos Championships. In addition to his extensive professional background, Pete has generously devoted his time to coaching athletes in Cerebral Palsy, Deaf, and Blind football at both state and international levels.
At the heart of Pete’s coaching philosophy is a person first, athlete second approach. He is deeply committed to long term player development and overall wellbeing, recognizing that nurturing confident, healthy individuals creates stronger athletes. He champions the principle of student athletes being students first and athletes second, ensuring that education and personal growth remain central to their journey. Pete thoughtfully designs training environments that foster both mental and physical development, creating sessions that challenge, empower, and instil habits that support sustainable performance on and off the field.
Why Football at The Hills Sports High?
The Hills Sports High School is uniquely placed in Western Sydney, home to some of Australia’s most talented footballers. With football being one of the fastest-growing sports in the region, our program is designed to nurture this talent and prepare students for success in both sport and life.
Through a combination of professional coaching, access to state-of-the-art facilities, and strong partnerships with sporting bodies, our Football program continues to provide student-athletes with every opportunity to excel.
Notable students
Kyah Simon, Chloe Logarzo, Caitlin Cooper, Teigen Allen, Jessika Nash (Australia), Rhyan Grant (Australia), Zachary Duncan (Aust 23's),Nick Fitzgerald, Hagi Gilgor (A League), Jaiden Kucharski, Dean Pelekanos, Jesse Cameron.