Guiding the Next Generation

TELL US YOUR STORY

In 2014, Lexie Joyce began her AFL SportsReady traineeship as a Sport and Recreation Trainee at Camberwell Grammar School. Today, she’s returned to the same school. Now, the Head of Junior School Sport and Physical Education is guiding a new trainee stepping into a role she once held.

I was a trainee and now I supervise a trainee.

It’s a full-circle moment that still feels pretty surreal.

Lexie’s background in tennis and her coaching experience throughout high school sparked her interest in sports education. When she finished Year 12, she knew she wanted to work in coaching or physical education. A contact from her coaching work encouraged her to apply for the traineeship at Camberwell Grammar School and that decision helped shape her entire career.

My traineeship helped me realise I wanted to teach sport. I loved being involved in school competitions and the variety that came with the role. From being in the classroom to helping run interschool sport and larger events.

After completing her traineeship, Lexie stayed on at the school for another year while starting her teaching degree at Deakin University. She later became the Netball Coordinator at Camberwell Girls Grammar, running her own program and continuing to build on the skills she’d developed during her traineeship.

Camberwell Grammar School gave me a strong foundation. It’s a great school to work at. With supportive staff, strong programs and plenty of opportunities to grow. I learned a lot about event planning and organisation, which are essential in a role like mine.

Lexie completed her degree in 2019, balancing full-time study with casual teaching and coaching. One year later, she was offered a part-time teaching role at a local primary school, before receiving a call from Camberwell Grammar School inviting her to apply for her current leadership role.

I was relatively young to step into the position, but having already worked at the school as a Trainee gave me a head start. I understood how things ran and already had relationships with staff.

Now, as a Trainee Supervisor, Lexie is mindful of how big the transition can be.

It’s a big shift going from being a student to being part of the staff. I remember what that felt like. So I try to be approachable and make space for my trainee to ask questions and learn.

Her advice for trainees is to say yes to as many opportunities as possible, even ones that sit outside your core responsibilities.

I knew I enjoyed coaching and teaching, but my traineeship also helped me realise I really enjoy the event side of school sport. Including running carnivals, planning logistics and that’s something I may not have discovered otherwise.

From coaching tennis as a teenager to leading junior school sport at one of Melbourne’s top schools, Lexie’s path shows how a traineeship can offer more than just work experience, it can open doors!