"My job is more than sport, it’s about changing lives."
This year, Dilworth welcomed Nicole Jensen as its new Director of Sport. It’s a big job and a significant role within the school. Nicole oversees all extracurricular sports, every Dilworth team, as well as athlete development and strength and conditioning.
Essentially, she oversees and coordinates a broad range of summer and winter sports, organising coaches, managers, physiotherapists, and trainers – some on staff, but many volunteers.
Nicole is also Dilworth's first female Head of Sport.
We sat down with her to find out more.
Nicole brings a wealth of experience in sports management, most recently as the Sports Coordinator at One Tree Hill College.
Her decision to apply for the Dilworth role was a personal challenge in growth. She says, “I nearly didn’t go for the (Dilworth) role, as a young female in a boys’ school, I didn’t think I had what it took, but I had been talking to my students about a growth mind-set, and I thought, right, it is time to walk the talk.”
She is clearly delighted she went for the challenge, noting that Dilworth’s commitment to action resonates with her deeply. “At Dilworth, you do what you say you are going to do, and it feels so aligned with my values.”
Runs on the Board
Nicole says she arrived at the perfect time, where Dilworth was celebrating an already successful year across multiple codes, including strong seasons in basketball, Olympic weightlifting, Junior Touch, Athletics and Wrestling.
A recent personal highlight for her was having three of Dilworth’s athletes make the final cut for the College Sports Young Sportsperson of the Year award, with two Dilworth athletes, KC Ioane (Basketball) and Keanu Oliver (Wrestling), winning Sportsman of the Year in their respective categories.
Nicole says she is excited to build on this momentum:
“The potential we have here at Dilworth is enormous. I want to harness it and take it to the next level.”
One thing that is plainly obvious is that Nicole has energy in spades; her dedication is evident in everything she does. She explains that this arises from a deeply held belief that participation in sport isn’t just about the top athletes and winning; to her, it’s vital that everyone feels they have a place in sport.
She said when she started out working in schools, she quickly realised that sport is often a vital anchor for young people:
“Sport speaks differently to everyone—it can be social, an escape, a challenge. For some, it becomes their ‘safe space’ - the space where they belong. Through sport, they can find confidence they didn’t know they had and find enjoyment, which is crucial for high school students.”
As sport is compulsory at Dilworth, Nicole believes this approach is even more critical, and she is focused on ensuring every young man finds an activity they genuinely want to do. Even if it is simply walking, it can’t ever feel like a chore. She says her goal is to enable every Dilworth student to find 'a confidence they might not have known they had,’ or to find ‘their people.’
She is loving her new role. And what makes it for her again comes down to Dilworth’s values. Nicole says
“Dilworth students are special, not only do they leave everything out there, but the things I love are when I see the boys shake the ref’s hand, congratulate the other team and remain humble regardless of the result”