Petition to Reinstate Out-of-Catchment Enrolments for the Robina State High School Baseball Academy

To the Principal and the Queensland Department of Education,

We, the undersigned parents, students, alumni, coaches, and members of the baseball community, respectfully request that Robina State High School reconsider the recent decision to no longer accept out-of-catchment enrolments for students seeking entry into the Baseball Academy.

For many years, the Baseball Academy has attracted talented student-athletes from across South East Queensland and Northern New South Wales. Unlike many sports, baseball has a relatively small participation base, making it impossible for the program to survive solely on students who live within the school’s catchment area.

The academy has never simply been a school sporting program—it has become one of Australia’s most respected pathways for developing young baseball players while providing them with an excellent education. Restricting enrolments to catchment students alone would reduce future intakes to only a handful of students each year, placing the long-term viability of the academy at serious risk.

The success of the program speaks for itself.

The academy has produced players who have gone on to represent Queensland, Australia, and professional baseball. Most recently, two Robina State High School students, Reef Bevan and Luku Masuda, represented Australia at the Under-12 Baseball World Cup—an achievement that reflects the strength of the academy and brings significant recognition to the school and the wider community. Previous students have also progressed to professional opportunities, demonstrating the academy’s proven ability to develop elite athletes.

The consequences of the current policy extend well beyond future enrolments.

Without access to talented students from outside the catchment, enrolment numbers will inevitably decline. As numbers decrease, the academy’s ability to deliver a high-quality specialist program will diminish, placing its future in jeopardy. Eventually, even students who live within the catchment and wish to pursue baseball at a high level may be forced to seek education elsewhere because the program they enrolled for will no longer exist.

The impact also extends internationally.

Robina State High School has developed valuable relationships with partner schools in Japan through its Baseball Academy and Japanese Immersion Program. These partnerships provide unique cultural exchange opportunities that benefit students from both countries and strengthen the school’s international reputation. Weakening the Baseball Academy also risks undermining these important international connections.

Specialist sporting academies exist because they provide opportunities that ordinary catchment-based enrolment cannot. Baseball is a niche sport requiring students from a much larger geographical area to create a sustainable and competitive program. Treating the Baseball Academy the same as a general school program fails to recognise the realities of participation in the sport and the success the academy has achieved under its previous enrolment model.

We respectfully ask that Robina State High School and the Department of Education:

Reinstate out-of-catchment enrolments for students accepted into the Baseball Academy.
Recognise the Baseball Academy as a specialist excellence program requiring a broader enrolment catchment than the general student population.
Consult with academy staff, Baseball Queensland, families, and the broader baseball community before implementing changes that threaten the future of this highly successful program.
This decision is about far more than enrolment numbers. It is about protecting a program that has provided outstanding educational, sporting, and cultural opportunities for countless young people, while bringing pride and recognition to Robina State High School, Queensland, and Australia.

We urge the school to reconsider this decision and work collaboratively with the baseball community to ensure this outstanding program continues to thrive for future generations.

This petition relates to the decision made by Principal Rebecca McDonald and Julie Warwick  to discontinue out-of-catchment enrolments for the Robina State High School Baseball Academy. We respectfully ask that they reconsider this decision in light of its significant impact on the academy, its students, and the wider baseball community.

Sincerely,

The undersigned supporters of the Robina State High School Baseball Academy