SSA Board
 | President, Graeme Jennings Graeme Jennings was previously the President of School Sport Australia from 2016 – 2020 and returned to the position in 2023. Graeme has been a leader in education and school sport for 30 years. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Education (PDHPE). Graeme has a successful track record as a teacher, coach, administrator and College Principal at Great Lakes College, a multi campus collegiate in Forster/Tuncurry, NSW with 1500 students. He was a professional Rugby League player in Australia and the United Kingdom. He is acutely aware of the importance of teamwork, communication, accountability, inclusivity, and transparency. His diverse background, blending expertise in education, sports, and leadership, positions him as a dynamic figure dedicated to making a positive impact on the lives of students, teachers, parents and coaches. |
 | Vice President, Paula Nielsen - South Australia Paula Nielsen was appointed to the School Sport Australia Board in 2013 - 2015 and again in 2018 as the South Australian representative. Paula is the School Sport SA Team Leader overseeing the operations of the SA Department for Education's School Sport Team. She has been working for SA School Sport since 1997. Paula was a representative on the ACARA National Consulation Forum on the H&PE Australian Curriculum - influential in ensuring that the movement and physical activity strand remained essential to this subject area. Further to this she has been a Sport SA Director advocating for the importance and value of sport in education. She currently holds the position of School Sport Australia National Netball Advisor and has been involved since 1993. Prior to this Paula coached the SA 15 and Under Netball team from 1987 - 1992. Paula became a life member of School Sport Australia in 2014 and has been a life member of School Sport Australia Netball since 1999. |
 | Treasurer, Dr Keith Graham OAM - Queensland Keith was appointed as the Queensland representative on the School Sport Australia Board in 2018 and during this time has served as Board Member, Treasurer and Vice President. As a Board Member, Keith has the current responsibilities of being Chair of the International Programs Committee and Chair of the Audit and Risks Subcommittee. In addition to his Board roles, Keith is the School Sport Australia Sports Advisor for Touch Football, a position he has held since 2013. At the state level, Keith is the current Chair of the Queensland School Sport Management Group, elected in 2018, which has oversight of the Qld school sport program, and has served on the Executive of Qld School Sport Primary Touch Football for over 20 Years. He is a Life Member of Qld School Sport and Qld Primary School Touch Football and is a recipient of a School Sport Australia 10-year service award. Keith is a Senior Principal within the Qld Department of Education, overseeing school reviews across the state. He believes sport is a vital part of the school curriculum as it can develop not only sport ability in students but also attitudes, behaviours and values which become so important in adult life. Keith has been involved in school sport at regional, state and nation level for over 30 years holding various leadership and coaching positions. In 2019 he was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for his commitment and leadership to school sport. Keith holds a Diploma of Sport Psychology, a Masters of Education, a Masters of Applied Linguistics and a Doctor of Education. He is currently undertaking a Doctor of Philosophy in the area of behavioural leadership. |
 | Jason Borton Jason is a former teacher and school principal in the ACT Education Directorate. He is an experienced Senior Executive with a demonstrated history of working in the education industry. Skilled in K-12 Education, Collaboration, stakeholder engagement, policy and service delivery. Jason has a passion for school sport and providing opportunities for young people to compete at the highest level. |
 | Darren Lang - New South Wales Darren Lang is a passionate educator who has gained many years of experience as a secondary teacher and leader in public education. Darren is passionate about supporting the wellbeing of students and teachers through the provision of high-quality opportunities in school sport. Darren also has an extensive background in sports science and coaching, having gained significant experience as a high-performance instructor in youth football. Darren currently serves as the NSW Department of Education Sport Strategy and Planning Coordinator, where he oversees a dedicated team that conducts the NSW Representative School Sport Pathway. He also consults on sports policy and oversees strategic projects and initiatives including the live streaming of state sporting events and cross educational sector selection pathway programs, which include Primary Girls Australian Football and Primary Boys Netball. |
 | Jane Slater - Northern Territory Jane Slater arrived in Australia in July 2003 and in Darwin in 2004. Jane’s School Sport NT journey began three weeks later with an inter-state hockey coaching appointment and has continued ever since in a variety of roles. Jane trained as a Physical Education teacher and has taught in England, The USA, Belgium and Botswana before arriving in Australia. She joined the Department of Education in the Northern Territory in 2006 as the Senior School Sport Coordinator. She is currently the Assistant Principal for the School of Sport Education NT. Jane is an School Sport Australia ten year Service Award recipient having coached 12 years girls’ football (soccer) 12 years and 16 years girls’ hockey and managed 12 years girls and boys cricket teams. She believes strongly in the great value sport adds to the education of our young people. |
 | Courtney Laskey - Tasmania Courtney has a rich background in sports coaching, management, and administration, currently holding the position of Community Liaison - Sport within the Department for Education, Children and Young People in Tasmania. With extensive experience spanning from grassroots to elite levels, Courtney brings a comprehensive understanding of the sports landscape to the board of School Sport Australia. Courtney is committed to making grassroots sport and representative pathways accessible for all. Her work is driven by a passion for participation and a steadfast dedication to supporting women and girls in sport. Courtney and the Tasmanian Government place great importance on the engagement in and provision of sporting opportunities for Tasmanian children and young people, including access to national events. As a board member of School Sport Australia, Courtney aims to continue her advocacy for equitable sports programs and to contribute to the development and promotion of sporting environments that empower young athletes across the country |
 | Rayoni Nelson OLY - Victoria Rayoni is currently the Chief Executive Officer of School Sport Victoria, as part of the Department of Education, where she leads a team to provide an extensive school sport program to primary and secondary schools across Victoria. She was previously the Head of Program Strategy and Research at the Office for Women in Sport and Recreation, where she led the design and delivery of Change Our Game program and research initiatives, to level the playing field for women and girls across all roles in sport and active recreation. With over 20 years’ experience working across government, sport, health, education and transport sectors, Rayoni’s career has included management roles in a broad range of areas including sport, physical activity, active transport, road safety and customer service and communications, including a focus on strategy development and implementation. Rayoni currently holds Board positions with Vicsport, the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth), Badminton Australia and School Sport Australia, has a Bachelor of Management and a Masters in Sport Management. She has represented Australia in badminton at the Olympic and Commonwealth Games and understands the range of benefits that school sport provides students, both now and into the future. |
 | Geoff Hayes - Western Australia Geoff Hayes has been a dedicated educator in Western Australia since 1986. A passionate advocate for female participation in Australian Football, Geoff co-founded the Schoolgirls Football Advisory Committee in 1995 alongside three fellow teachers and the Western Australian Football Commission (WAFC). This committee, which he still actively supports, continues to guide the development of football opportunities for school-aged girls in WA. What began with just four school teams in 1995 has grown significantly—by 2019, a WAFC audit revealed that more than 30,000 female students were participating in football competitions across the state. In 2007, Geoff was appointed Chair of the Schoolgirls Football Advisory Committee and took on the role of Sport Coordinator for Schoolgirls Football with School Sport Western Australia (SSWA). His national vision saw him approach School Sport Australia (SSA) to expand opportunities for girls, resulting in the inaugural Schoolgirls National Championship being held in 2009 alongside the 15 Years and Under Boys Championship in Maroochydore. Geoff served as Tour Leader for that event and has attended every 15 Years and Under Championship since. Recognised for his longstanding contribution, Geoff received a SSA Service Award in 2018. Later that year, he was appointed as SSA’s National Sport Advisor for Australian Football. His continued advocacy with both SSA and the Australian Football League (AFL) helped launch the inaugural 12 Years and Under Schoolgirls Championships in 2022, coinciding with the return of national events after the COVID-19 pandemic. Beyond school sport, Geoff has been a long-serving WAFLW coach with Peel Thunder. He retired from his most recent coaching tenure in 2023 after seven successful years, which included four premierships and countless memorable moments. In 2024, Geoff was awarded Life Membership of SSWA in recognition of his exceptional service. He joined the SSA Board in 2025. Based in Mandurah, Geoff enjoys a busy family life with his partner Sarah—who now chairs the Schoolgirls Football Advisory Committee and teaches Physical Education at a local high school—he has two high-school-aged stepchildren and his own daughter and son, both on the verge of graduating as teachers themselves. |