Annual Report RECREATION COMPETITION EXPERIENCES EDUCATION

Transcription

1 Annual Report COMPETITION RECREATION EDUCATION EXPERIENCES

2 Contents Acknowledgements 2 Affiliated Clubs 2 Membership 2 Office Bearers 3 President s Report 4 Finance Report 5 Executive Officer s Report 6 Marathon Report 12 Slalom Report 15 Polo Report 16 Sprint Report 18 Wildwater Report 20 Audited Financial Statements 21 Acknowledgments Canoeing Victoria would like to acknowledge the support provided by the following organisations: Major Supporters Victorian Government, Sport and Recreation Victoria, Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure. VicHealth Australian Government, Office for Sport, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Supporters Australian Canoeing Vicsport Parks Victoria We would also like to acknowledge the support of the hundreds of volunteers across our canoeing community. Membership Full Adult Recreation Adult Life 6 15 Full Student (18-24 years) Full Junior (under 18 years) Limited Youth Social/Non Paddling Total Front cover photos: Competition: Malcolm Scott Recreation: Avenel Casson Affiliated Clubs Ballarat Amateur Canoe Club Bendigo Canoe Club Canoe Factory Club Canoes Plus Racing Team Cobram-Barooga Canoe Club Echuca Moama Canoe Club Eltham College Canoe Club Essendon Canoe Club Fairfield Canoe Club Footscray Canoe Club Geelong Canoe Club Gippsland Kayak Club Ivanhoe Northcote Canoe Club Kananook Creek Canoe Club Kirinari Kayak Klub Melbourne University Mountaineering Club Melbourne Canoe Club Mercantile Kayak Club Mildura District Canoe Club Mitta Mitta Canoe Club Monash University Bushwalking and Outdoor Club North East Canoe Club Patterson Lakes Canoe Club Shepparton Canoe Club Sherbrooke Knox Canoe Club Swan Hill Canoe Club Tarwin River Canoe Club Templestowe Canoe Club Victorian Canoe Club Warrnambool Kayak Club Whitehorse Canoe Club Yarrawonga Mulwala Canoeing Club P a g e 2

3 Office Bearers Board President & Interested Director Chair & Interested Director Interested Director Interested Director Interested Director Independent Director Independent Director Independent Director Discipline Technical Committees Marathon Chair Vice Chair Treasurer Secretary Trophy Officer Polo Chair Vice Chair Treasurer Secretary Melbourne Competition Director Equipment Manager State Teams Coordinator Slalom Chair Treasurer Event Director Facilities Director Committee Member Sprint Manager Event Coordinator Wildwater Event Managers Gary Flanigan Tom Hirrschoff Steve Chamberlain Ward (appointed Mar. 2014) Richard Lawrence Connie Todaro Lawrie Chenoweth Tony Coventry Catherine Gardner Gaskin (resigned Aug. 2013) Joseph Alia Graeme Bowes John Young Alan Opie Terri Hynes Michael Wilson David Pillekers Brooke Honeyman Brooke Honeyman Megan Bishop Larry Robb Matthew Farrington Mike Lau Gooey Chris Wharton Dean Tonkin Warwick Draper Jane Haddon Andrea Boothroyd Jennifer Stevens Matthew French Chris Wharton Administration Staff Executive Officer Finance Officer Membership & Club Administration Officer Client Relationship Manager Education Delivery Manager Education Administration Equipment Maintenance Development Coordinator - Paddlepower Youth Participation Manager Development Coordinator Women in Canoeing Project Manager Women in Canoeing Women s Social Paddling Network Coordinator Female Coach Professional Development & Mentoring Coordinator Coach Accreditation Administrator Communications Officer Representatives Victorian Olympic Committee Andrea Boothroyd Sandra Reaburn Roz Manester Norsiyah Mokak John Moore Roz Manester John Shields Greg Andrews (resigned Nov. 2013) Warwick Draper (appointed Dec. 2013) Paige Macdonald (resigned Nov. 2013) Sharon Swoboda (appointed Dec. 2013) Jennifer Stevens (appointed Mar. 2014) Lauren Ljiljak (appointed Jan. 2014) Jennifer Stevens (appointed Mar. 2014) Victoria Langley (appointed May 2014) Warwick Draper P a g e 3

4 President s Report Gary Flanigan President Firstly, whilst it traditional to welcome our club delegates to our Annual General Meeting and to thank them for giving of their valuable time, it is also with sincerity that we do so! We, the Board of Canoeing Victoria collectively, do appreciate your input over the year, your giving of your valuable time to attend the 2014 Annual General Meeting; thank you! First, I would like to introduce two new Directors who were appointed by the Board during the year. Steve Chamberlain-Ward was appointed as an Interested Director in March, and John McMorrow was appointed as an Independent Director in June The new appointments will add sought after skills in marketing (Steve) and human resource management (John) to the Board. This year, Canoeing Victoria joined the Leadership Victoria Great Connections program which has given the Board access to a wealth of training and resources developed specifically for not for profit boards. As President, I have been active attending forums and networking opportunities to represent the interests of the Victorian canoeing community in the broader sport and recreation sector, and to bring best practice knowledge back to the Board. I attended a two day course on Effective Directors (an excellent course conducted by Leadership Victoria), participated in a Panel Discussion Gender Equality and Resistance to Change (also organised by Leadership Victoria), and attended a President s Breakfast meeting hosted by VicSport. Canoeing Victoria has had, under Andrea Boothroyd s guidance as Executive Officer, a very successful and interesting year! Due in part to three major factors; one being the very strong financial support we have received from the Victorian Government for designated projects, the second being the continued support we receive from our member base, and the other being Andrea s very good managerial skills! Whilst our accounts, as detailed in the Financial Report, indicate that we have more than achieved our anticipated budgeted result, I hasten to add that that or even anything like that outcome, is not forecast to be achieved in the current financial year! To repeat that which I think I have stated each year during my Presidency, we need, we must, develop our own independent, untied income streams. To that end, the financial result Andrea has managed to deliver for the year, allows us a rare opportunity to invest in that very vital objective! In , we will be investing much of our current surplus in several key revenue generating initiatives for the future including our Paddlepower youth participation scheme and our education programs for the outdoor recreation sector. I refer you to the Executive Officer and Technical Committee Reports for a detailed briefing on the various projects, initiatives and outcomes of the year. I thank, on behalf of my Board and our membership in general; our administration staff, our coaches, guides and instructors, our club delegates, our discipline technical committee members, our volunteers and all who have assisted Canoeing Victoria over the past year! And of course, I thank my Board members individually for their input and involvement in all matters concerning CV! Being a Director on the Board of Canoeing Victoria is a very rewarding experience. Whilst I would encourage each and every one of our current directors to offer themselves for re-election, we do need to aim for gender equality and we need new fresh faces which allows for the introduction of new ideas, new initiatives, new energies. Think of the future needs of Canoeing Victoria when making your decision! Finally, my heartfelt thanks to all our members who collectively make up Canoeing Victoria for simply being members, and to those others who actively run the clubs and infrastructure, for their time, their devotion to our association, their knowledge and their collective experience. I hope you continue to have faith in Canoeing Victoria, to value the contribution which Canoeing Victoria makes on your behalf to the sport and to continue to offer your individual and collective services and support to CV in the future! Thank you all! Keep paddling and may we all have a great and prosperous time over the balance of the year. Gary Flanigan P a g e 4

5 Finance Report Gary Flanigan President Canoeing Victoria, as a whole, posted an operating surplus of $44,837 for the financial year, up from $41,601 in This surplus brings the association s retained surplus to $242,876. To better understand this achievement, members might compare this figure with the balance of $62,471 that existed in when our current Constitution was introduced. It also goes without saying that this healthy result was only achieved by very, very strong financial management by our Executive Officer(s) over that period and, by the strong and appreciated support that our association, has received from a number of Government departments and from VicHealth over the last decade. This financial year, Canoeing Victoria continued to receive strong financial support from our supporters, in particular from the Victorian Government through Sport and Recreation Victoria, VicHealth, and the Australian Government through the Office for Sport. As highlighted in the Executive Officer s report, this support has been critical to the implementation of a number of growth initiatives for our association. Administration: Administration posted a surplus from ordinary activities of $68,802. After deducting an abnormal expense of $33,923 for accumulated long service leave, Administration s net surplus was $34,879, up from $28,073 in Administration s closing retained surplus was $109,333 which places Administration in a sound financial position to invest in key initiatives to both support our existing members and clubs, to broaden our membership base, and to generate revenue. The initiatives planned for are included in the Executive Officer s Report. Several factors contributed to the higher than forecast Administration surplus during : Membership income was $16,000 over forecast. Australian Canoeing, through the ANPHA anti-binge drinking sponsorship, contributed $6,000. Bunnings BBQs organized by our President and staffed by our Directors (and the Flanigan family and friends), raised $6,000 over the budgeted figure. The surplus enabled Administration to invest in areas such as subsidized coach training for club members and in financially supporting our Sprint discipline. Marathon: Marathon had a very successful year financially posting a surplus of $9,417. Two key events have contributed the majority of this surplus the Australian Canoe Marathon Championships (which were supported by Sport and Recreation Victoria through Significant Sporting Events Program), and the Victorian Marathon Championships. The surplus enabled Marathon to invest in areas such as subsidized officials training for event volunteers, and in individual financial contributions to Victorian athletes representing Australia at international championship events. The surplus will also enable Marathon to purchase a new powered rescue boat, motor and trailer planned for early in the next financial year. Polo: This year Polo posted a slight deficit of $180. This was significantly less than the surplus generated in ($10,890) when Polo hosted the Australian Canoe Polo Championships. During the year current year, Polo invested in a number of events aimed at increasing its regular participation base including come and try nights, a 6 week cocktail competition specifically to include new players, and a number of rolling nights. Polo also made individual financial contributions to Victorian athletes representing Australia at international events. Slalom: Slalom posted a surplus of $1,209 this financial year. Gross income was significantly less for Slalom this year ($6,678) compared to ($30,374) when the discipline hosted the Australian Slalom Championships. Sprint: Sprint posted a deficit of $160, however, this does not take into account the financial assistance of $3,982 received from Canoeing Victoria Administration. The main expense for sprint is payment of wages for event coordination. Sprint has been subsidized by Administration for several years at levels that are not sustainable. If the discipline is to continue, in the short term, it must recruit new volunteers to manage the event coordination and in the medium term, it must increase its participation base. Touring: The Touring discipline of Canoeing Victoria did not operate during Wildwater: There has been little financial activity for Wildwater this year with the only income being $200 in competition fees. The deficit of $323 posted by the discipline was mainly to cover the discipline s contribution to administration, equipment insurance and audit fees. Gary Flanigan P a g e 5

6 Executive Officer s Report Andrea Boothroyd Executive Officer What an exciting and inspiring year has been for Canoeing Victoria! I am delighted to be able to highlight the successful results of a broad range of initiatives that have been in development for several years. I am also pleased to acknowledge another busy year for our competitive disciplines who, despite the challenges of an overall decline in volunteer numbers, again delivered a comprehensive calendar of events. The breadth and quality of the initiatives and the event calendar has only been possible to achieve with the widespread support Canoeing Victoria has received from across the canoeing community and from our major supporters Initiatives Youth Participation Initiatives Supported by Sport and Recreation Victoria through the Victorians More Active program. Our Paddlepower youth participation and award scheme is up and running and is demonstrating outstanding results to date! The scheme, aimed at the 8-14 year old market, was developed by the British Canoe Union and purchased in 2011 by Canoeing Victoria to tailor and market the scheme in Australia. The first club-based pilot program took place from February to April this year and the results have far exceeded our expectations. 194 young paddlers participated in the pilot through Melbourne, Yarrawonga Mulwala and Eltham College canoe clubs. The clubs delivered the flexible scheme in a variety of formats including as an in-school program, as an Active Afterschool Communities program, as an after-school and weekend club program, and as a club holiday program. Both the Melbourne and Yarrawonga Mulwala programs were oversubscribed leading to additional sessions being offered. After less than three months, we gained 36 new members through the pilot, (which included parents also interested in paddling), and there is evidence of an emerging pathway from Paddlepower to our Slalom Yarra Series races. The pilot confirmed our vision for the Paddlepower scheme to create stronger, more financially viable clubs, disciplines and association through increased participation and membership; to provide a grassroots talent pool for our discipline development programs; and to reinvigorate our vital parent volunteer base. The pilot also highlighted an additional benefit employment and development opportunities for some of our younger coaches, helping to keep them in engaged with our sport. We look forward to the formal launch and rollout of Paddlepower in the coming year. P a g e 6

7 Women s Participation Initiatives Supported by Sport and Recreation Victoria through the Women in Sport and Active Recreation program. Following the research undertaken in into how and why women participate in canoeing, a number of initiatives aimed at increasing women s participation were piloted. Female Coach Professional Development & Mentoring Program: Six women from the disciplines of sprint, marathon, slalom and whitewater participated in the coach development and mentoring program, and an additional six experienced coaches engaged in the program as their mentors. The program piloted a number of new initiatives that challenged Canoeing Victoria on how coaching courses and mentoring programs could best be delivered to meet the specific needs of women. In addition to the formal training program, Canoeing Victoria appointed a coordinator to follow up and support female coaches who have previously participated in coach training but who have not completed their accreditation requirements. We anticipate that by the end of the pilot program early in the new financial year, there will be around a 75% increase in the number of female coaches (level 1) in our club community as a result of this initiative. River Rambles Social Paddles for Women: Through River Rambles, we aim to provide an environment that encourages female members to achieve industry recognized canoeing leader qualifications, and to broaden opportunities for our female members to participate in social, non-competitive paddling activities. Six clubs participated in the River Rambles pilot Essendon, Fairfield, Footscray, Kirinari, Mildura, Tarwin River. Victoria has six newly accredited female Flatwater Guides (a 13% increase overall, and a 75% increase in qualified female Flatwater Guides within our clubs). Cross-club River Rambles are now being held about once a month. I encourage other clubs to consider joining the River Rambles network in the coming year it s a great way to offer both leadership and participation opportunities to your current and potential new female members. Women s Social Canoe Polo: The concept of social canoe polo sessions for women on a Sunday morning was piloted through a six week program. The program aimed to overcome the barriers of participation due to time constraints of current late mid week competitions, and to provide a more social environment for women. The pilot confirmed the importance of including social participation options in our service offering. Gender Equity in Governance: As a result of a Good Governance review during , and following the lead set by Australian Canoeing, the Canoeing Victoria Board continued its focus on gender balance in our governance structure. At its June 2014 meeting, the Board agreed to recommend changes to our constitution to set a target for gender equity which will be proposed to delegates at our next AGM. Photo: Avenel Casson P a g e 7

8 Community Participation Initiatives Supported by VicHealth through the State Sporting Association Participation Program, the Australian Government through the Indigenous Sport and Active Recreation Program of the Office for Sport, and the Victorian Government through the Indigenous Sport and Recreation Program of Sport and Recreation Victoria. We continued to support Aboriginal communities in Mildura, East Gippsland and northern Melbourne to develop locally managed, safe and sustainable opportunities to participate in canoeing. This was achieved through upskilling nominated community members to achieve canoeing leader accreditation under the Australian Canoeing Award Scheme. Again this year, we thank the Mildura Canoe Club for the fantastic support they have provided to Canoeing Victoria as our key partner in the Mallee region. Photo: Norsiyah Mokak Performance Pathways Initiatives This year we welcomed the performance pathway initiatives being introduced by Australian Canoeing to support our Victorian athletes in the disciplines of Sprint and Slalom. We look forward to working closely with our national body to support these exciting initiatives in the coming year. Through the Elite Athlete Travel Grants program, Sport and Recreation Victoria assisted nine elite Victorian athletes from the disciplines of marathon, polo, slalom and sprint to travel to international championship events as part of the Australian team. We thank the Victorian Government for this much appreciated support. To bring a focus to performance pathways in Victoria, the position of High Performance Representative was created within the Canoeing Victoria office, with triple Olympian Warwick Draper accepting the role. Initially the representative will provide a coordinating point of contact between Australian Canoeing High Performance, the Victorian Sprint and Slalom Technical Committees, and Canoeing Victoria Administration. We hope to expand the role in the future to embrace our non-olympic disciplines. Photo: Dean Tonkin P a g e 8

9 Strategic Facilities Plan & Westerfolds Park Master Plan Supported by the Victorian Government through Sport and Recreation Victoria Work with our Consultant to develop our Strategic Facilities Plan continued throughout the year. The plan will set the priorities for the development of canoeing facilities in Victoria beyond the next decade, and will provide much needed evidence based business cases to support their realization. Following on from the Facilities Plan, a Master Plan for a Regional Paddle Sports Centre at Westerfolds Park is also underway. The key features of the centre at Westerfolds Park include: Significantly improved in-water and riverbank infrastructure for training and competition of our slalom, whitewater, sprint and polo disciplines, and for moving water skill development. Multi-purpose community learning spaces for education in coaching and officiating, event management and outdoor recreation. Integrated on and off-water education facilities and amenities. Quality built accommodation for the storage of Canoeing Victoria and canoe club paddling equipment. Photo: Dean Tonkin Education As a registered National Training Provider of the Australian Canoeing Award Scheme, Canoeing Victoria continued to deliver quality skill and professional development courses to the outdoor recreation industry, schools and the general community. This year, our education arm also focused on piloting some innovative new methods to deliver coach training programs and to better support our trainee coaches completing their accreditation requirements. A review of our education area was undertaken which will result in a restructuring early in the coming year to expand this important side of our business to better serve our members and the outdoor recreation industry. We expect the final plans to be completed early in the new financial year. P a g e 9

10 Events The Discipline Technical Committee reports highlight the breadth of competitive paddling opportunities offered at all levels by Canoeing Victoria with the support of our clubs. The 2014 calendar includes more than 100 competitive paddling opportunities across the state. In addition, Canoeing Victoria hosted or supported several significant events during Australian Canoe Marathon Championships: Canoeing Victoria, through our Marathon Technical Committee, hosted a very successful national championship event in April at Lake Wendouree in Ballarat. Over 200 athletes participated in the event. We thank the Victorian Government for supporting the event through the Significant Sporting Event Program. Australian Masters Games: The Canoeing Victoria Sprint and Marathon Committees hosted events in October at the 2013 Masters Games held in Geelong. A great deal of work goes into preparing for such an event, particularly to meet the Games administration and reporting requirements. This is challenging for our volunteer based organisation. Never the less, we were pleased to be a part of this national celebration of masters participation, and pleased to witness the achievements of our Victorian masters athletes. Photo: Malcolm Scott Murray Quad: I m delight to report that the Murray Quad was held on 14 May 2014 at Yarrawonga. The Quad, a concept of Yarrawonga Mulwala Canoe Club member Tim Roadley, was initially developed as a Canoeing Victoria event to raise the profile of canoeing and to support our multisport members. However, during the year, the event was transferred to the Save the Children Australia organisation that was able to dedicate the broad range of resources required to deliver the challenging event. YMCA Murray Marathon: Canoeing Victoria continues to support the YMCA Murray Marathon through representation on the event Management Committee. Photo: Malcolm Scott P a g e 10

11 Communication and Promotion Promotion, Promotion, Promotion during was a key element of my report last year. Unfortunately, we did not achieve this to the level anticipated but we are on the way. In May, we appointed a Consultant to develop a Marketing and Communications Plan for Canoeing Victoria, embracing our disciplines. The plan will focus on defining a coordinated, consistent, manageable and sustainable marketing and communications strategy. We anticipate starting implementation of the plan in early In May, we also appointed a Communications Officer to work within the Canoeing Victoria office and to support our disciplines, with an initial focus on updating and maintaining our web based communications, and shortly to be expanded to make better use of social media. Representation and Advocacy The Board and executive continued to represent the interests of our Victorian canoeing community to a number of State Government and regulatory bodies, our national body, and the sport and recreation sector. The paddling industry in Victoria is facing pressures of regulatory control over a number of aspects that can impact paddler experiences and event management logistics, including water releases, access control and requirements for use of personal safety equipment. This year, the executive continued to seek, through Transport Safety Victoria, a streamlining of the application processes and clarification of criteria for exemptions to mandatory PFD wearing at select Canoeing Victoria flatwater events, and for flatwater performance athlete training squads. This is an issue that remains unresolved. What s ahead in ? will be a busy year for events starting with the Australian Canoe Slalom Championships in January on the Goulburn at Eildon, followed by the Australian Canoe Polo Championships in April at Nagambie both hosted by Canoeing Victoria through our Technical Committees. Also in April, Canoeing Victoria will be supporting Australian Canoeing to host the Oceania Canoe Polo Championships also at Nagambie. Canoeing Victoria will continue our investment in several key areas: Youth participation through the rollout of the Paddlepower scheme. Women s participation through support to the River Ramblers social paddling network. Advocating for improved access to facilities in Victoria as identified in our Strategic Facilities Plan. In particular, a pumped whitewater facility. Defining then implementing a consistent, manageable and sustainable marketing and communications strategy. Our initial focus will be on improving regular communication with our members, clubs and disciplines, optimizing social media and updating our website. Restructuring of the education area commencing with the appointment of an Education Business Manager. Acknowledgements I thank our clubs, our individual members and the volunteers on our Board, discipline committees and event teams, and our staff for your participation, your passion, and your dedication to strengthen and grow canoeing in Victoria. I thank our major supporters, particularly the Victorian Government through Sport and Recreation Victoria and VicHealth, for investing in our initiatives over many years to help canoeing prosper. Andrea Boothroyd P a g e 11

12 Marathon Report Photo: Malcolm Scott The Marathon Committee aims to provide a standard of competition that caters for all levels of paddlers, from elite to novice and also junior paddlers. Events Joseph Alia Marathon Chair As always the main goal of the committee has been to provide marathon events over the year. The Canoeing Victoria online entry system has now become the norm for entering races Victorian Championships: The premier event held by the Marathon Technical Committee in was the Victorian Marathon Championships. This year the championships were held prior to the 2014 Australian Marathon Championships and were the selection event for the Victorian Marathon Team. This event was held over two days and two separate locations Essendon Canoe Club and Footscray Canoe Club. The event was well attended and congratulations to both clubs for hosting the event Winter Series: There were seven winter series races held this year of which three were held in regional Victoria - Nagambie, Ballarat and Geelong. Participation in the winter series has dropped this year and is almost at a critical level. The committee is currently looking at ways it can increase participation numbers at these events. This year, the racing calendar made better provision for accommodating school holidays and other events that may impact on our events, but we still need to do more to encourage paddlers to compete. We believe that for marathon events to continue to be successful, we require a greater input from clubs Australian Marathon Championships: The 2014 Australian Marathon Championships were held at Lake Wendouree Ballarat in April this year. This is the same venue where the 1956 Olympic Games were held. The weather proved to be challenging at times but the event proceeded. Victorian medallists at the championships are noted overpage. We thank the Victorian Government for funding support through the Significant Events Sporting Program which enabled us to hire infrastructure and equipment to run a professional and successful event. The Canoeing Victoria President, Gary Flanigan opened the championships and read a message from the Victorian Minister for Sport and Recreation, the Hon. Damian Drum. The event concluded with a Championships Dinner held at the Ballarat & District Trotting Club. The dinner was well attended and in attendance was Australian Canoeing President Danielle Woodward, and the Federal Member for Corangamite Sarah Henderson MP who read a message from the Prime Minister Tony Abbott. The committee would like to thank Ballarat Canoe Club and in particular Graeme Bowes, the Organising Committee and volunteers who gave up their time to assist with the championships. Marathon Officials Training: A Marathon Officials training course was held and attended by 12 people. High Performance International Events Victorians were well represented in the 2013 Australian Canoe Marathon Teams for the World Games in Columbia (Michael Leverett, Kate McGrath), and the ICF World Canoe Marathon Championships in Denmark (Marlena Ahrens, Logan Dutton, Casey Haynes, Michael Leverett, Kate McGrath, Kayla Whinray). Eleven of the 16 members selected to the Australian Marathon team in 2014 were Victorians. Marlena Ahrens, Logan Dutton, Oliver James, Casey Haynes, Michael Leverett, Edward Lovick, Kate McGrath, Alexander Neilson, Brea Roadley, Kayla Whinray and Penny Young will represent Australia at the ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships in September 2014 in Oklahoma City, USA. Photo: Malcolm Scott P a g e 12

13 Australian Championships Victorians were well represented on the podium at the 2014 Australian Marathon Championships. Our medalists were: GOLD Open Men C2 Open Men K1 Open Men PV1 Open Mixed C2 Open Women K1 Open Women K2 Open Women TK2 Paracanoe Men K1 Under 12 Women K1 Under 14 Men K2 Under 14 Women K1 Under 14 Women K2 Under 16 Men K1 Under 16 Women K1 Under 16 Women TK2 Under 18 Men K1 Under 18 Men K2 Under 18 Women K1 Under 18 Women K2 Under 23 Men K1 Under 23 Women K1 Veteran 35 Women K1 Veteran 40 Women K1 Veteran 45 Men K1 Veteran 45 Men K2 Veteran 45 Mixed TK2 Veteran 50 Men SS1 Veteran 55 Men TK1 Veteran 55 Men TK2 Veteran 55 Mixed K2 Veteran 55 Mixed TK2 Veteran 60 Men K1 Veteran 60 Men TK2 Veteran 65 Men TK1 Veteran 70 Men TK1 Veteran 70 Men TK2 Men SUP Women SUP Nicholas Cole/Anthony Cole Michael Leverett Tony Bond Rod Clark/Annette Scott Kate McGrath Kristy Packham/Cassandra Murphy Nicole Scullion/Emma Lawles Dean Garo Chelsea Beale Macgregor Doyle/Carter Turnbill Hannah Scott Bridget Barnes/Hannah Scott Oliver James Stephanie Langley Stephanie Langley/Isabel Neilson Oliver James Alexander Neilson/Edward Lovick Kayla Whinray Kayla Whinray Logan Dutton Marlena Ahrens Judith Arndt Anna Wilson George Bradilovic Dominic Scarfe/George Bradilovic John Young/Fiona Kimpton Peter Pelns Ian Gillies Ian Gillies/Peter Hall Peter Currie/Tanya Beacham Steven Vegh/Maggie Vegh Terry Poole Tony McElroy/Murray Donaldson Rene Vodstrcil Alan Opie Andrew Morrison/Alan Opie Steven Ferguson Jean Ringrose SILVER Open Men C1 Anthony Cole Open Men K1 David Cole Open Men K2 Michael Leverett/Kate McGrath Open Mixed C2 Terry Culbetrson/Uby Woods Open Women K2 Tess Watson (WA)/Brea Roadley Under 12 K2 Emily Strahan-Ferrie/Ellie Johnson Under 12 Women K1 Ellie Johnson Under 14 Men K1 Sean Jones Under 14 Women K1 Bridget Barnes Under 16 Men K1 Noah Cameron Under 16 Women K1 Brigitte Blood Under 16 Women TK2 Olivia Kurczycki/Brigitte Blood Under 18 Men K1 Edward Lovick Under 18 Men K2 Hamish Young/Andrew Holloway Under 18 Women K2 Megan Macko/Madeline Sloane Under 23 Men K1 Casey Haynes Under 23 Women K1 Penny Young Veteran 35 Men K1 Ben Johnson Veteran 40 Men K2 Matthew Beale/Leigh Murphy Veteran 40 Women K1 Lyndell Willcocks Veteran 50 Men K1 Dominic Scarfe Veteran 50 Women K2 Salle Miller/Debbie Bennett Veteran 55 Men K1 Peter Currie Veteran 55 Men TK1 Neil Tattersall Veteran 55 Men TK2 Rodney Gange/Gregory Parker Veteran 55 Women K1 Annette Scott Veteran 65 Men TK1 Tony McElroy Veteran 65 Women K1 Terri Hynes Veteran 70 Men TK1 Andrew Morrison Men SUP Paul Harrington Mixed 60 Sea Kayak Double Stewart Nicol/Adele Walker BRONZE Open Mixed C2 Tony Bond/Anna Wells Open Women K1 Naomi Johnson Open Women K2 Judith Arndt/Anna Wilson Under 14 Men K1 Carter Turnbull Under 14 Men K2 William Camfield/Jack Osborne Under 14 Women K2 Imogen Douglass/Brianna Jones Under 16 Women K1 Isabel Neilson Under 16 Women TK2 Samantha Ackerly/Alexandra Kay Under 18 Men K2 Lucas Teasdale/Ben McLean Under 23 Men K1 Christopher Grundy Under 23 Women K1 Rebecca Mann Veteran 45 Mixed TK2 Tony Nolan/Sarah Johnson Veteran 55 Mixed TK2 Cheryl Scott/Neil Tattersall Veteran 55 Women K1 Tanya Beacham Veteran 70 Men K1 John Lidstone Men SUP Michael Abdilla Photo: Malcolm Scott P a g e 13

14 What s ahead in Purchase of a new safety boat, boat motor and boat trailer. Publication of the events calendar 12 months in advance on the Canoeing Victoria website. An online version of the traditional Marathon Diary available for downloading. New race formats to offer a greater variation for competitors. A trial of different race days and race time. Continue reviewing our current ranking system of paddlers with a view of making it more relevant to paddler s needs and expectations. Encourage a higher participation from all levels of paddler competency by promoting marathon racing at the club and school level. Acknowledgements In conclusion, I would like to thank all the paddlers that have competed in our events and I look forward to their continued support in I would like to express a very special thank you to all the volunteers and host clubs that helped in staging the events in and we look forward to working with you in Last but not least a personal thanks to the Marathon Committee for their contributions and support in particular a special mention to Alan Opie and John Young for their patience and dedication to making marathon events successful. Joseph Alia Photo: Dean Tonkin P a g e 14

15 Slalom Report Photo: Dean Tonkin Mike Lau Gooey Slalom Chair The purpose of the Victorian Slalom Committee is to provide an enjoyable, well-supported, well-regulated, safe competition framework. To achieve this purpose the committee seeks to increase participation in slalom activities through coordinating events and supporting training, coaching and development programs run by affiliated organisations. Events Yarra Series: The Yarra Series runs over the calendar year. During the financial year, each of the five races averaged 98 starts (including all classes). This is an increase from 91 starts in 2012/13. We have seen increasing numbers in junior men s classes and modest increases in both junior women and senior men too. The increases have come through efforts particularly in schools by Canoeing Victoria, Melbourne Canoe Club and Canoes Plus Racing Team. Victorian Championships: The end of 2013 culminated in the Victorian Schools Championships and Victorian State Championships in November. Australian Championships: Victorians performed well in the international field at the combined National Championships and Australian Open in January Victorian finalists in the Australian Open were: C1 - Christian Fabris, Warwick Draper and Jaxon Merritt; K1 Timothy Anderson, Jaxon Merritt and Warwick Draper; WC1 Margaret Webster and Eliza Singleton; WK1 Sarah Grant and Eliza Singleton. Congratulations to all paddlers. High Performance National Talent Squad Athletes in the National Training Squad are Georgie Tonkin, Tristan Carter, Ashley Hobbs, Robert Janiszewski. AIS National Centre of Excellence Tim Anderson, Warwick Draper, Christian Fabris, Sarah Grant, Jaxon Merritt and Maggie Webster both were National Centre of Excellence Scholarship holders in Victorian Institute of Sport We thank the Victorian Institute of Sport for supporting two of our slalom athletes, Sarah Grant and Jaxon Merritt, through Individual Athlete Scholarships, and Warwick Draper through a Training Agreement. International Events Victorian paddlers also are key 2014 national team representatives: Junior Team - Eliza Singleton, Tristan Carter Under 23 Team - Jaxon Merritt, Timothy Anderson Senior Team - Jaxon Merritt, Sarah Grant, Christian Fabris The Under 23 and Junior team members all competed at the 2014 ICF Canoe Slalom Junior/U23 World Championships in Penrith. Facilities A key strategy to increase participation is to develop strong junior pathways from schools into clubs and from clubs to national teams and squads. This is supported by increasing recreational participation across all ages. A key barrier to sustainable growth is a lack of easily accessible slalom canoeing facilities and infrastructure. This could be addressed through community facilities (such as a public slalom course at Westerfolds) and commercial developments. Removing some of the infrastructure barriers to will enable strong growth in the sport. Clubs The Victorian Slalom Committee is seeking to better coordinate club efforts to grow participation in direction setting and strategies for slalom. This also includes increased communication with equivalent state and national coordinating bodies. What s ahead in ? The Victorian slalom community looks forward to a busy, but rewarding 2014/15 as we get ready to host the 2015 Australian Canoe Slalom Championships in January Acknowledgements Like all community sports, our success is directly proportional to volunteer effort. The increasing number of paddlers has also brought a new pool of talented volunteers to help us run the Yarra Series and support other activities. Many thanks to all who have contributed. Mike Lau Gooey P a g e 15

16 Polo Report Events Michael Wilson Polo Chair Spring Competition: The year began with the continuation of the Spring Melbourne Competition that reached its conclusion with the finals in September. This season was followed by a Come and try night at Richmond Recreation Centre. These nights play a major roll in obtaining new players for our Melbourne competition. Junior A - GOLD Matt Anthony Chloe Rosin Ben Winter Sarah Waters James Winter Junior B - SILVER Byron Brice Brigit Doyle Kara Farrington Kal Rawson Lachlan Reekie Masters - SILVER Bernhard Knorr Frank Magee Larry Robb Mike Ryan Dale Tomlinson Ian Walbridge Youth GOLD Kara Farrington Liam Farrington Luke Halpin Callum McConnell Spencer O Brien Nick Waters James Winter Womens - SILVER Nicola Ashman Kirrilee Chaplin Pandora Hope Rebecca Jennings Lauren Ljiljak Adele Ross Jennifer Stevens Mens - BRONZE Erin Bolton Tania Dugdale Liam Farrington Callum McConnell Andrew Merrifield Matt Moore Michael Wilson Cocktail Competition: The come and try night was again followed by our informal Cocktail Summer Competition to provide a lower cost and less intimidating option to get new players involved in our competitions. The competition only ran on Wednesday nights this year with teams consisting of Novice and C grade players assisted by a mentor player. The main aims of this season are to foster interaction between players of varying standard, to improve the overall standard of our competition, and to introduce new players to the game while also having lots of fun. Autumn Competition: The Autumn Melbourne Competition was run in the first half of These competitions are still the mainstay of canoe polo in Victoria involving around 130 players over 4 grades. Victorian Interclub Series: The Victorian Interclub Series (VICS) was run over the summer months. This year, it again consisted of 5 single day competitions between October 2013 and April The clubs are continuing to take ownership of this series as has been the aim from the inception of this competition. Australian Canoe Polo Championships: The Australian Canoe Polo Championships were held over the Easter holiday period in 2014 in Canberra. A large contingent of Victorian paddlers played through very chilly conditions at very well run competition on Lake Victoria. Congratulations to all our medal winning teams: Australian Summer Series: The Victorian round of the Australian Summer Series was run at Nagambie Lakes Regatta Centre. 19 teams (6 Div1, 6 Div2, 4 Women's and 3 Junior) competed over the two days of the competition. An informal sub junior competition was also run and enjoyed again at this event. It is great to see the potential of the next generation of polo players starting to be developed and also the return of past players to the event to bring their children along to play. High Performance International Events World Games: The Australian teams travelled to the World Games in Cali, Columbia in August Victorians Rebecca Jennings, Brooke Honeyman and Lauren Ljiljak were selected into the Women's team for this event and Matt Moore in the Men's team as well as Nathan Moore as Coach of the Men's team. Both teams competed well but finished out of medal contention. ICF Canoe Polo World Championships: Selections were held for the Australian Teams for the World Championships in France in September 2014 and it was with great regret that Australia has been unable to field a women's team for the first time since the World Championships started in A men's team has been selected and I would like to congratulate Victorian Andrew Merrifield for being selected into the team and John Moore as team manager. P a g e 16

17 Facilities Nagambie Lakes Regatta Centre: This year, at the Summer Series event, we had the opportunity to test out the new field equipment that the centre had purchased via the grant they secured, with the aid of Strathbogie Shire, from the Victorian Government s Community Facility Funding Program. At the regatta centre s suggestion, the Summer Series event was held on the main regatta course in front of the regatta centre building. An impromptu camping area set up next to the building created a carnival like atmosphere that was enjoyed by all and added significantly to the competitors enjoyment of the event. The new field infrastructure was great and there is fantastic potential to make this a first class event venue. I would like to give personal thanks to the regatta centre management and especially to Brett, their maintenance officer, for all his effort and assistance in making the event a great success. This venue will host the 2015 Australian Championships and the 2015 Oceania Championships next year. Junior Development Junior development has continued to be split between two locations. Firstly a group coordinated by Matt and Louise Farrington along with Andy Waters which have been training at Yarra Bend and a second group being developed by Geelong Canoe Club via its contacts at a couple of schools in their local area. Both groups are still developing but would greatly appreciate greater input from other parents or individuals to continue their work in producing the next generation of canoe polo players. Clubs It is of vital importance to the long term viability and vitality of canoe polo that a strong sense club identity be developed within our player base. We need to give players more than just aims as individuals or there will always be retention issues with players. If players become more involved in their club they will be more likely and have more reason to stay around and help develop other players and the sport in general than if they are just competing for themselves. Volunteer Support Through the Canoeing Victoria initiative presented by Lauren Ljiljak, the Canoe Polo Technical Committee is continuing to take steps to improve our volunteer base. The roles that have been defined and documented within our current structures and now need to be rolled out and implemented. This is going to be extremely important over the next 12 months as a large portion of the current technical committee will not be re-standing for their positions next year. Thus a new group of people will be required to manage this great sport in Victoria. Acknowledgements Victorian Canoe Polo is pleased to acknowledge the contributions of the following organisations: Richmond Recreation Centre, Essendon Canoe Club, Canoes Plus Racing Team, Geelong Canoe Club, Nagambie Lakes Regatta Centre, Strathbogie Shire, and Parks Victoria. Finally, as this will be my last report as chairperson, I would like to say that it has been an honour and a pleasure to work and play with so many fantastically dedicated, talented and wonderful people in my six years as Chairperson. I wish every success to those who follow me in organising canoe polo in Victoria. I would like to thank and acknowledge the Canoeing Victoria staff, especially Andrea Boothroyd, for their continued support and for the greatly improved relationship that has been developed between us. I would like to especially thank Dave Pillikers, Brooke Honeyman, Megan Bishop, Larry Robb, Matt and Louise Farrington for all their support, effort and dedication and without whom I would have been unable to do this job. Photo: Darcy Clissold I have enjoyed my tenure as Chairperson but it is definitely time for change in the committee to reinvigorate the continued development of our fantastic sport. Mike Wilson P a g e 17

18 Sprint Report Andrea Boothroyd Sprint Manager The highlights of this year s Victorian sprint season were: Victorian athletes were well represented on the podium at Australian Championships once again. Seven Victorians represented Australia at international events. The Victorian Sprint Championships was held again this year after being cancelled in Canoeing Victoria hosted a successful sprint racing event during the Australian Masters Games in Geelong. The Victorian School Sprint Championships maintained its participation numbers again this year. The Patterson Lakes Canoe Club paracanoe squad under coach Steve Vegh continued to grow. However, after several years of investment in sprint, neither participation nor volunteer numbers have reached adequate levels for sprint to be financially viable. Although this year the sprint profit and loss shows a deficit of only $160 this year, this includes financial assistance from Canoeing Victoria Administration of $3,982. Addressing these two issues will be priorities for sprint during the next season. Events The sprint racing season began in October 2012 with the Bendigo Canoe Club s Bendigo Cup sprint regatta and was followed by a season of Canoeing Victoria run regattas: Sprint Regatta 1 (500m & 200m), Nagambie, 24/11/13, cancelled due to insufficient entries. Sprint Regatta 2 (200m), Essendon, 18/01/14, 31 participants. Victorian Sprint Championships, Nagambie, 23/02/14, 85 participants. Victorian School Championships, Essendon, 15/03/13, 98 participants. Australian Masters Games, 06/10/13, Geelong, 58 participants. Australian Championships 25 Victorian athletes participated in the Australian Sprint Championships at West Lakes, South Australia in March Our Victorian medalists are included overpage. P a g e 18 High Performance NEDP Victorian Squad Victorians in Australian Canoeing s National Elite Development Program were Madeline Batters, Jarrad Campbell, Kieran Carson, Olivia Keppell, Rebecca Mann, Catherine McArthur, Amy Peters, Nathalie Walkington and Kayla Whinray. International Events Victorian athletes who represented Australia at international events during were: Amanda Drennan Australian Senior Canoe Sprint Team (Paracanoe Women) at ICF Sprint World Championships in August/September 2013, Germany. Catherine McArthur Australian U23 Canoe Sprint Team at ICF U23 World Championships in August 2013, Canada. Kieran Carsons, Jarrad Campbell, Rebecca Mann Australian Junior Canoe Sprint Team at ICF Sprint Junior World Championships in August 2013, Canada. Luke Buckthorpe, Olivia Keppel, Chris Martin, Samantha Silvester, Nathalie Walkington, Kayla Whinray Australian Olympic Hopes Sprint Team at Olympic Hopes Regatta in Sept. 2013, Czech Republic. During the season, four Victorians were selected to teams to represent Australia at championships in 2014: Rebecca Mann was selected to the 2014 U23 Canoe Kayak Sprint Team. Amanda Reynolds was selected to the 2014 Australian Senior Canoe Sprint Team (paracanoe). Samantha Silvester and Oliver James were selected to the Olympic Hopes Sprint Team. What s Ahead in ? A new volunteer-based Technical Committee will take on responsibility for managing the discipline. The committee is looking for new volunteers with fresh ideas to reinvigorate sprint racing in Victoria. Acknowledgements I thank Essendon Canoe Club for not only opening their facilities to sprint yet again, but also for organizing volunteers to assist with running the regatta. My heartfelt thanks to all our event volunteers with special thanks to those who assist at most, if not all regattas Joe Alia, Sharyn Alger, Graeme Bowes, Predrag Bradilovic, Terri Hynes, Connie Todaro, Kieran Dews, Gary Flanigan. Your support was very much appreciated.

19 Australian Championships Victorian medalists at the Australian Canoe Sprint Championships, March Marlena Ahrens, Mercantile Canoe Club 3 rd Womens Open K4 500m 3 rd Womens Open K4 200m Tony Bond, Echuca Moama Canoe Club 1 st Para Canoe Mens V1 500m Open Multi-Class George Bradilovic, Footscray Canoe Club 1 st Mens Over 45 K2 2500m 1 st Mens Over 35 K4 1000m 1 st Mens Over 35 K4 500m 1 st Mens Over 45 K2 500m 1 st Mens Over 35 K4 200m 1 st Mens Over 35 K2 200m 2 nd Mens Over 35 K2 1000m 3 rd Mens Over 35 K1 5000m Predrag Bralilovic, Essendon Canoe Club 2 nd Mens Open C4 1000m 3 rd Mens Open C4 500m Luke Buckthorpe, Patterson Lakes Canoe Club 1 st Mens U16 K4 1000m 1 st Mens U16 K4 500m 1 st Mens U16 K1 500m 1 st Mens U16 K4 200m 2 nd Mens U16 K1 200m 2 nd Mens U16 K2 200m 3 rd Mens U16 K1 1000m (B Final) Noah Cameron, Fairfield Canoe Club 2 nd Mens U16 K2 2500m 3 rd Mens U16 K1 2500m Imogen Douglass, Bendigo Canoe Club 2 nd Womens U14 K2 500m 2 nd Womens U14 K2 200m 2 nd Womens U14 K2 1000m Oliver James, Ivanhoe Northcote Canoe Club 1 st Mens U16 K1 1000m (A Final) 2 nd Mens U16 K2 1000m 2 nd Mens U16 K2 2500m 2 nd Mens U16 K1 2500m 2 nd Mens U16 K1 500m (A Final) 2 nd Mens U16 K2 500m 3 rd Under U16 K1 200m Sean Jones, Bendigo Canoe Club 1 st Mens U14 K1 2500m 1 st Mens U14 K2 2500m 2 nd Mens U14 K2 1000m 2 nd Mixed U14 K4 1000m 2 nd Mens U14 K2 200m 2 nd Mens U14 K2 500m 3 rd Mens U14 K1 1000m Chris Martin, Patterson Lakes Canoe Club 1 st Mens U16 K4 1000m 1 st Mens U16 K4 200m 2 nd Mens U16 K2 200m Rebecca Mann, Bendigo Canoe Club 2 nd Womens Open K4 500m 2 nd Womens Open K4 200m Amanda Reynolds, Sherbrooke Knox Canoe Club 1 st Para Canoe Womens K1 1000m Open Multi-Class 1 st Para Canoe Womens K1 500m Open Multi Class 1 st Para Canoe Womens k1 200m Open Multi-Class 1 st Para Canoe Womens K1 200m Trial Brea Roadley, Yarrawonga Mulwala Canoe Club 1 st Womens Open K1 5000m Dominic Scarfe, Footscray Canoe Club 1 st Mens Over 45 K2 2500m 1 st Mens Over 35 K4 1000m 1 st Mens Over 35 K4 500m 1 st Mens Over 45 K2 500m 1 st Mens Over 35 K4 200m 1 st Mens Over 35 K2 200m 2 nd Mens Over 35 K2 1000m 2 nd Mens Over 35 K1 5000m 3 rd Mens Over 45 K1 500m 3 rd Mens Over 45 K1 200m Samantha Silvester, Patterson Lakes Canoe Club 1 st Womens U18 K2 5000m 2 nd Womens U18 K4 1000m 2 nd Womens U18 K4 500m 3 rd Womens U18 K4 200m Nathalie Walkington, Patterson Lakes Canoe Club 1 st Womens U18 K4 200m 2 nd Womens U18 K1 500m (B Final) 3 rd Womens U18 K4 1000m Kayla Whinray, Yarrawonga Mulwala Canoe Club 1 st Womens U18 K2 1000m 2 nd Womens U18 K2 500m 2 nd Women U18 K2 200m Andrea Boothroyd P a g e 19

20 Wildwater Report Mathew French & Chris Wharton Wildwater Events Managers 2014 has been a successful season for wildwater racing in Victoria, nationally and internationally. The Victorian wildwater series is alive and well, the introduction of rapid sprint racing two years ago has attracted some new competitors from both the sprint and slalom racing communities. Old faces have made a reappearance this season to complement the many new people coming along to one or more races. On the national scene, Victoria was well represented with Kristy Packham and Mathew French both wining national championships. Maddie Batters, Corey and Shayannah Beck all collected national championship medals at the 2014 national championships held on the Snowy River. Maddie Batters represented Australia at world championships and on the World Cup circuit gaining a number of top 20 placings. Chris Martin, a recent convert from sprint, has continued to improve and was 112% in the recent Victorian downriver championship. Wildwater racing in Victoria is alive and well and looks set to continue its growth back towards the high numbers racing in the 90's. We are currently getting 12 to 20 paddlers to races and catering for ages from 12 to vintage. As further proof of our growth we have just had the national DR championship in Tasmania from October Victoria had 11 out of the 24 participants including 7 first time championship paddlers. The new paddlers improved dramatically over the weekend honing their skills on the Mersey. Lachlan Bassett and James O'Donohue-Hayes were U16 but competing in the U18 in both the sprint and classic and improved their percentage times from 143 to 131 and Lachlan picked up two third places. They both improved on the short course classic. Corey Beck U23 narrowly missed medaling in the sprint and got a third in the classic narrowly missing selection for the senior team. Mathew French defended his classic title and was second in the sprint. Georgie Tonkin U16, Shayannah Beck U18 and Kate Poulier U18 competed in the U18 sprint and classic. Georgie got second in the sprint and first in the classic and short classic. Georgie has made percentage for the junior team. Shayannah was third in the sprint and second in the classic. Kate Poulier improved her times. Kristy Packham defended her Australian titles in the sprint and classic and has made the Australian Senior team. Mathew French & Chris Wharton Photo: Peter McIntyre P a g e 20