Canoeing Victoria Annual Report 20010/2011

Transcription

1 Annual Report 2010/2011

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3 Table of Contents Office Bearers 2010/ Acknowledgments 5 Office Staff 5 Affiliated Clubs 2010/ Membership for 2010/ Membership Breakdown 6 High Performance Results 7 Sprint 7 Marathon 8 Slalom 9 Victorian representatives on National Teams 9 Presidents Report 11 Finance Report 12 Canoeing Victoria Overview 13 High Performance 13 Rapid Recruits Slalom NTID program Melbourne 13 Victorian Sprint NTID Programs 13 Coaching 14 Education, training and safety 14 Competition Development 14 Membership services 15 Club Development 15 Marketing and Communications 15 Community Development 16 Governance / Advocacy 17 Canoe Polo Report 18 Marathon Report 20 Canoe Sprint Report 21 Wildwater Report 22 Canoe Slalom 22 Financial Statements 24 Front cover photographs sourced from the Australian Canoeing Website, the Bendigo Advertiser and Sharon Swoboda

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5 Office Bearers 2010/2011 Office Staff June 10 June 11 Executive Officer(s) Andrea Boothroyd & Sharon Swoboda President Chair Interested Director Interested Director Interested Director Independent Director Independent Director Independent Director Gary Flanigan Tom Hirrschoff Connie Todaro Vacant Vacant Richard Howard Tony Coventry Laurie Chenoweth Education Manager Education Development Manager Equipment Manager Membership Officer Book Keeper Sharon Swoboda John Moore John Shields Carmel Cook / Roz Manester Sandra Reaburn Chair Canoe Polo Mike Wilson Chair Marathon Joe Alia Chair Sprint N/A Chair Slalom Matt Webster / Sharon Swoboda Chair Wildwater N/A Project Officer Vichealth Indigenous Project SRV Future Directions Project Officer SRV Organisational Support Andrea Boothroyd Sharon Swoboda Acknowledgments Canoeing Victoria would also like to acknowledge the strong support provided by the following organisations: Major Supporters Sport and Recreation Victoria Department for Victorian Communities VicHealth Australian Government (Department of Health and Ageing) Victorian Institute of Sport Other Supporters: Parks Victoria, CKEA, Canoes Plus, Liquid Life, Richmond Recreation Centre, YMCA Victoria, Paddling forever page 5

6 Affiliated Clubs 2010/2011 Ballarat Amateur Canoe Club Bendigo Canoe Club Canoe Factory Club Canoes Plus Racing Team Cobram-Barooga Canoe Club Deniliquin Canoe Club Echuca-Moama Club Eltham College Canoe Club Essendon Canoe Club Fairfield Canoe Club Footscray Amateur Canoe Geelong Canoe Club Gippsland Kayak Club Gippsland Waters Canoe Club Ivanhoe-Northcote Canoe Club Kananook Creek Canoe Club Kirinari Kayak Klub Mercantile Kayak Club Melbourne University Mountaineering Club Mildura District Canoe Club Mitta Mitta Canoe Club Melbourne Canoe Club Newstead Paddle and Canoe Club Patterson Lakes Canoe.Club Shepparton Canoe Club Sherbrook 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 Canoe Club Membership for 2010/2011 Membership Breakdown 2010/ /2010 Adult Junior Life 6 7 Lifetime 1 1 Rec Adult Rec Junior School Social Adults 1 63 Social Juniors 78 4 Volunteers 3 Total Paddling forever page 6

7 High Performance Results Sprint Sprint National Results K1 200, Open, Womens 2 nd Jennifer Stevens, Fairfield 3 rd Amy Peters, Mitta Mitta K1 200, U18, Womens 3 rd Eliza St Hill, Ivanhoe K1 200 U16 Women 3 rd Rebecca Mann, Bendigo K1 200 Over 45 Mens 1 st George Bradilovic Footscray 3 rd Darren Lee Mildura District K1 500, Open Womens 2 nd Amy Peters, Mitta Mitta K1 500, U23, Womens 3 rd Emily Bews, Geelong K1 500, U18, Womens 1 st Nathalie Walkington, Patterson Lakes 2 nd Madeleine Batters, Bendigo K1 500 U16, Women 2 nd Rebecca Mann, Bendigo K1 500, over 45, Mens 2 nd George Bradilovic, Footscray K1 1000, U16, Womens 2 nd Madeleine Batters, Bendigo K Over 45, Mens 1 st Darren Lee, Mildura District 3 rd George Bradilovic, Footscray K1 5000, Over 45 Mens 1 st Daren Lee, Mildura District 2 nd George Bradilovic, Footscray K2 200, U16, Women 3 rd Madeleine Batters, Bendigo 3 rd Rebecca Mann, Bendigo K2 200 Over 45, Mens 1 st George Bradilovic Footscray K2 500, U23 Womens 2 nd Jessica Silvester, Patterson Lakes K2 500, U16, Womens 3 rd Rebecca Mann, Bendigo Madeleine Batters, Bendigo K2 1000, U16, Womens 3 rd Madeleine Batters, Bendigo 3 rd Rebecca Mann, Bendigo K2, 2500, U16 Women 2 nd Madeleine Baters, Bendigo 2 nd Rebecca Mann, Bendigo K2 5000, U18, Women 1 st Madeleine Hurst, Patterson Lakes 1 st Nathalie Walkington, Patterson Lakes 2 nd Danielle Silvester, Patterson Lakes 2 nd Virginia Carlton, Geelong K4 200, Open, Womens 3 rd Catherine McArthur, Patterson Lakes 3 rd Emily Bews, Geelong 3 rd Marlena Ahrens, Fairfield 3 rd Eve Trickey, Patterson Lakes K4 200, U16 Women 2 nd, Arielle Cathcart, Patterson Lakes 2 nd Emma Kiernan, INCC 2 nd Tahni Skewes, Mildura District 2 nd Rebecca Mann, Bendigo K4 200 Over 45 1 st Darren Lee, Mildura District K4 200 U16 Mens 2 nd Lachland Stock, Patterson Lakes 2 nd Kieren Carson, Patterson Lakes 2 nd Jarrad Campbell, Patterson Lakes 2 nd Mitchell Pope, Patterson Lakes K4 500, U18, Womens 2 nd Eliza St Hill, Ivanhoe K4 500, U16, Womens 2 nd Arielle Cathcart, Patterson Lakes 2 nd Emma Kiernan, INCC 2 nd Tahni Skews, Midura District 2 nd Rebecca Mann, Bendigo K4 500 U16, Mens 3 rd Kieren Carson, Patterson Lakes Mitchell Pope, Patterson Lakes K4 1000, U18, Womens 3 rd Madeleine Hurst, Patterson Lakes 3 rd Danielle Silvester, Patterson Lakes 3 rd Nathalie Walkington, Patterson Lakes 3 rd Virginia Carlton, Geelong K U16, Womens 3 rd Arielle Cathcart, Patterson Lakes 3 rd Nathalie Walkington, Patterson Lakes 3 rd Emma Kiernan, INCC 3 rd Tahni Skewes, Mildura District K U16 Mens 3 rd Kieren Carson Patterson Lakes 3 rd Mitchell Pope, Patterson Lakes 3 rd Jakem Scira Patterson Lakes 3 rd Tomas Watson Patterson Lakes C1 500, Over 35 Mens 2 nd Steven Vegh, Patterson Lakes C1 5000, Open, Men 2 nd Steven Vegh, Patterson Lakes C4 500, Open, Mens 2 nd Predrag Bradilovic, Essendon Paddling forever page 7

8 Marathon National Marathon Results K1 Open Women 1 st Amy Peters, Mitta Mitta 2 nd Tegan Fraser Bendigo K1 U18 Women 1 st Eliza St Hill INCC 3 rd Emily Bray Patterson Lakes K1 U14 Women 1 st Isabella Jenzen INCC 2 nd Rachel Levit Essendon 3 rd Stephanie Langley INCC K1 Vet 45 Women 1 st Lyndell Willcocks, Bendigo 3 rd Glenda McArthur, Patterson Lakes K1 Vet 50, Women 2 nd Julie Slattery, Patterson Lakes 3 rd Annette Scott, Footscray K1 Vet 55, Women 1 st Adele Walker, Footscray 2 nd Gayle Burke, Footscray 3 rd Lisa Newton, Fairfield K1 Open Men 2 nd Michael Leverett Mitta Mitta 3 rd David Cole Patterson Lakes K1 U16 Men 3 rd Logan Dutton, INCC K1 U14 Men 2 nd Hamish Young INCC K1, Vet 35 Mens 2 nd Ben Johnson, Warrnambool 3 rd Andrew Bray, Patterson Lakes K1 Vet 45, Mens 1 st Matthew Coulter, Mitta Mitta 2 nd Darren Lee, Mildura District 3 rd Cameron McGill, Patterson Lakes K1 Vet 50 Mens 1 st Peter Currie, Geelong 2 nd Rob Russell, INCC 3 rd Chris Runting, Fairfield K1 Vet 55 Mens 2 nd Steve Vegh, Patterson Lakes K1 Vet 60, Men 1 st Terry Poole, Geelong 3 rd Donald Pocock, Patterson Lakes K1 Vet 65, Mens 2 nd Colin Peters, Mitta Mitta K2 Open Women 1 st Amy Peters Mitta Mitta 2 nd Marlena Ahrens Fairfield 2 nd Catherine McArthur Patterson Lakes 3 rd Tegan Fraser Bendigo K2 U18 Women 1 st Eliza St Hill INCC 2 nd Emily Bray Patterson Lakes 2 nd Bridget Tribe Patterson Lakes 3 rd Lauren Fletcher INCC 3 rd Olivia Myers INCC K2 U16, Women 1 st Penny Young INCC 1 st Nell Cuthbertson, INCC 2 nd Bee Lovick, INCC 3 rd Arrabell Eyre INCC 3 rd Monika Tencic, INCC K2 Open Mens 1 st Tim Naughtin Mitta Mitta 1 st Mark Rantall Warrnambool 2 nd Angus Campbell Fairfield 2 nd Michael Leverttt Mitta Mitta 3 rd David Cole Patterson Lakes 3 rd Daniel Ryan Patterson Lakes K2 U18 Men 1 st James Campbell Fairfield 2 nd Kieran Skewes Patterson Lakes 2 nd Tim Arnold Fairfield K2 U16 Men 2rd Harry Morris-Moody, INCC Callum Ross, INCC 3 rd Edward Lovick, INCC K2 U14 Men 1 st Isaac Johnson Warnambool 1 st Hamish Young, INCC K2 Vet 35 Mixed 1 st Dominic Scarfe Footscray 1 st Annette Scott Footscray K2 Vet 40 Men 2 nd Andrew Bray Patterson Lakes 2 nd Cameron McGill Patterson Lakes 3 rd Darren Lee Mildura District K2 Vet 50 Mixed 1 st Peter Currie Geelong 1 st Tanya Beacham, Ballarat 2 nd Rob Russell INCC 2 nd Suzanne Lipe, INCC 3 rd Chris Alger Patterson Lakes 3 rd Lisa Newton, Fairfield TK2 U14, Women 1 st Isabella Jenzen INCC 1 st Stephanie Langley INCC TK1 U12 Women Alana Johnson Warrnambool TK1 Open, Mens 2 nd Joel Buckley, INCC TK1 U16 Men 1 st Aiden Brunacci K1 U16 Women 2 nd Nell Cuthbertson INCC 3 rd Penny Young, INCC TK1 Vet 50, Men 1 st John Young, INCC 2 nd Mark Chapple, INCC TK1 Vet 55, Men 1 st Gary Bell, Warrnambool TK1, Vet 50 Women 2 nd Debbie Bennett, INCC 3 rd Sally Miller, INCC TK1 Vet 60 Mens 1 st Graeme Teasdale, Bendigo 3 rd Tony McElroy, Geelong TK1 Vet 65, Men 3 rd Andrew Morrison, Patterson Lakes TK1 Vet 65 Women 1 st Terri Hynes, Footscray Paddling forever page 8

9 Men C1 Open 1 st Anthony Cole, Cobram-Barooga 3 rd Nicholas Cole, Cobram-Barooga TC1 Vet 45 Men 1 st Alex James, Fairfield 2 nd Gerard Sansico, Essendon TK2 Vet 35 Women 1 st Sally Miller INCC 1 st Debbie Bennett INCC 2 nd Gayle Burke Footscray 2 nd Adele Walker Footscray 3 rd Andrea Tierney Geelong 3 rd Melissa Fitzgerald Geelong TK2 Open Men 1 st Joel Buckley INCC 1 st Malcom Bayley, Footscray 2 nd Nicholas Cole Cobram-Barooga 2 nd Anthony Cole Cobram-Barooga TK2 Vet 60 Men 1 st John Lidstone Geelong 1 st Tony McElroy Geelong 3 rd Andrew Morrion Patterson Lakes 3 rd John Lisica Patterson Lakes TK2 Mixed Open 1 st Donald Pocock Patterson Lakes 1 st Donna Urquhart Patterson Lakes 3 rd Scott Foster Bendigo 3 rd Ngaire Hawking Bendigo TK2 Vet 50 Mixed 1 st Steve Vegh Patterson Lakes 1 st Maggie Vegh Patterson Lakes 3 rd John Young INCC 3 rd Fiona Kimpton INCC Slalom Slalom National Championships K1 Open Mens 2 nd Warwick Draper MCC 3 rd Jaxon Merrit MCC C1 Open Mens 2 nd Warwick Draper MCC 3 rd Christian Fabris MCC C2 Open Mens 2 nd Christian Fabris MCC 3 rd Philip Gibbins MCC C2 U23 Mens 1 st Timothy Hobbs MCC 1 st Jaxon Merritt MCC 2 nd Benjamin Marriott MCC 2 nd Lewis Wylie MCC C2 U18 Mens 1 st Adam Rajic MCC 1 st Anton Ivkov MCC 2 nd Alan Robinson MCC 2 nd Jack Currie MCC C2 U14 Mens 2 nd Tristian Carter MCC 2 nd Ashley Hobbs MCC Victorian representatives on National Teams Australian Slalom Senior / Under 23 Team Warwick Draper K1 Leanne Guinea C1 Sarah Grant K1 Jaxon Merritt K1 Australian Slalom Junior Team Tim Anderson Jack Currie Chris Fegan Anton Ivkov Loren Kluwer Jack McCutchan Slalom NTS Tim Anderson Jack Curry Chris Fegan Anton Ivkov Ben Marriott Ben Marriott Max Myers Adam Rajic Alan Robinson Jo Robinson Maggie Webster Max Myers Adam Rajic Alan Robinson Loren Kluwer Maggie Webster 2010 Australian Marathon Team James Campbell David Ceddia Travis Dodd Michael Leverett Tim Naughtin Marcus Whittaker Marlena Ahrens Emily Bews Tegan Fraser Catherine McArthur Jennifer Stevens Eliza St Hill 2010/11 Australian Canoe Polo Team Matthew Moore Andrew Goodison (U21) Mathew Greaves (U21) VIS Scholarship holders Warwick Draper Leanne Guinea Sarah Grant Matt Perrin Andrew Merrifield (U21) Paddling forever page 9

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11 Presidents Report The past year saw us achieve some great successes but we have also suffered some minor setbacks. The major successes include: 1. Balancing our budget! No mean achievement but one that gives all a great sense of comfort! We actually made a slight profit! Our changed financial situation resulted it must be said due in part, to the abundance of water and the related increase in membership numbers. Another reason for our improved finances was the effort by Board members to run various fundraising events and I thank those members who had the time and energy, to actively assist with those events. 2. Our continuing success in gaining government (financial) support for many projects; funding that can only be spent on specific projects and which will only be released upon our demonstrating that we have achieved the designated KPIs, 3. Investing in a junior participation program aimed at attracting younger people (under 14 years) to canoeing. 4. That our staff are continuing their good work with the Indigenous canoeing program in the Mallee and Melbourne areas in cooperation with local community groups. First and foremost amongst any setbacks we might have suffered over the year is the failure to positively resolve the on-going issue of the level of our Affiliation Fee payable to Australia Canoeing, for the year to 30 th June, CV and AC compromised our respective positions on the 2010/2011 quantum of fees and agreed the fee be set at $40,000 for the year, plus anything over an agreed operating margin. The result was that we were able to pay AC an additional $4,000 to bring the total paid to AC to some $44,000. The Affiliation Fee issue has not gone away and is likely to distract us for some years to come! AC are currently working with the state associations on designing a more equitable funding model to operate as from the end of 2011 (which they had hoped to have adopted by early in 2012) but that is still a work-in-progress and will, no doubt, require further discussion before being adopted. Eildon Challenge and to assist with running the Sprint Discipline during the season. The Sprint Discipline Technical Committee that was formed at the end of We were disappointed that the committee was not enduring mainly due to a lack of volunteers to manage and assist with the running of sprint regattas. We thank the committee and those volunteers that did support the discipline for ensuring that, despite the low numbers, key sprint events were held this year. We hope to increase the number of volunteers supporting the discipline over the coming season.. Other disciplines seem to be operating well but we would, of course, very much like to be able to offer funding to assist with their activities. We do provide limited administrative support to the disciplines but our ability to provide direct financial support is and will remain limited, until (if ever) we are able to create some profitable income producing activities. Speaking on behalf of the Board, I express our combined thank you to our excellent support staff (Sandra and Roz), our Joint CEO s (Andrea and Sharon), our Education Officer (John Moore), plus our many members who make up the various Discipline Committees, the many coaches who give of their time to run our courses and the come and trys, and finally, the members of the CV Board. My heartfelt thanks to all our members - who collectively make-up Canoeing Victoria for simply being members of CV, 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; thank you all. Keep paddling and may we all have a great and prosperous time over the balance of the year. Gary Flanigan Due to the increase in government support and our increased membership numbers, we are engaging an additional member of staff to expand our service delivery?. We are also intending to engage additional part-time staff to assist with specific projects eg, the Paddling forever page 11

12 Finance Report Canoeing Victoria has divided itself into disciplines who should break even over time and the Administration which we would like to average a small profit. Our view is that large profits show a failure to reinvest in the sport and losses mismanagement however with turnover in the order of $300k hitting the target $5k to 10k profit is increasingly difficult. We have endeavoured to ensure that the administration does not become a cost to the disciplines as much as possible leaving them free to reinvest in expanding their activities. With the exception of the polo discipline which has been profitable with or without nation events, other disciplines tend to make losses in the years they do not host national Events. Administration revenue was $303k up from last years $270k and profit was up to $9k from a small loss last year of $400. Membership fees were higher at $98k compared to last years $90K. The main driver of the improvement in profit was the reduction of Affiliation fees from an unsustainable $66K last year to $44K this year. We have assumed that affiliation fees will be constant this year and in our budget this financial year we assume that figure to be $45K although we are uncertain what it will be. Unlike normal business the association has a large proportion of its revenue from government Grants (more than 50%) as such if grants are not renewed staff numbers and or hours would need to be reduced quickly to avoid large losses being created. Conversely new grants require additional hours to be done as such part timers who are flexible in increasing and decreasing their hours become more desirable than in a normal business. In addition to having our accounts audited for reporting to you our members we have special audits for Grant providers to ensure that all money provided by grants are spent properly and accounted for properly. As such we must strongly resist any attempt to have affiliation fees based on tied grants. While some disciplines (eg. Wildwater ) have had hard times no disciplines finances are believed to be of a financial concern. No activity and cancelled events are of concern to the association where they happen but no material losses have resulted. The exception to that general comment is the Sprint discipline which posted a loss of $1.5k last year and a further loss of $1.8k this year wiping out their entire net assets. This year administration may need to financially support this discipline to ensure events are run. At this stage we are unsure how much financial assistance would be involved but expect that it may wipe out our budgeted small profit. In summary we are financially better than we have been for many years but there is no guarantee to government grants and as such our prosperity could evaporate over night. The only true indication of lasting financial health is growing numbers of participants at events, growing numbers of members and growing numbers of clubs. While all these figures are not accumulated and reported to the board my view is that they seem reasonable constant that is neither good nor bad. We must focus on activities that will expand these key success indicators to the limited extent our free cash flow will allow. As an aside the committee is unpaid, and its Chairman has personally donated $5000 last year and $4000 this year financed by running Bunning s sausage sales. This untied money has made a difference to the bottom line and I would like to express my thanks on behalf of the association. Ric Howard Paddling forever page 12

13 Canoeing Victoria Overview It was nothing but a surprising year for the organization with the initial predictions of another year of drought with memberships suffering. By the end of December however it was obvious that the drought had definitely broken and dams, lakes and river courses were filling fast. Programs were being cancelled and events were being modified due to the river levels. At an Executive level, we have been focused on developing the strategic and operations plans for the next 3-5 years. With a focus squarely on members and membership services, we have undertaken to ensure the future will deliver to relevant services to members and clubs, for all levels of participation from the weekend paddler with the family to the dedicated world champion. We look forward to the challenges that no doubt will be faced with enthusiasm and dedication. High Performance Victoria was in the position to have 2 NTID (National Talent Identification and Development) programs in 2010/2011. Warwick Draper headed up the Slalom program and Peter Gargiulo heading up the Sprint program. Rapid Recruits Slalom NTID program Melbourne The Rapid Recruits was a 2 year program funded by the Australian Sports Commission NTID Program and aimed at identifying and developing the talent of kids aged years who had no, or less than 6 months experience in the sport of Canoe Slalom. This program is currently winding up with the last training camp due to take place at Eildon on 5/6 th November. These talented kids entered the program in October of 2009 and trained 3 times a week on the Yarra during school terms, and also attended a number of focussed weekend training camps on the more challenging rapids of the Goulburn River (2 hours drive from Melbourne). The program has consisted of 3 phases: Phase 1 began in October 2009, and was an intense introduction to Canoeing and Canoe Slalom for around 40 kids with all kayaking equipment provided by the program. With 2 Selection days, 7 weeks of coaching, 2 training weekends at Eildon, Rolling practice in the Ivanhoe Grammar pool, the MCC Lactic Fantastic, Pipe to Pipe sessions, attendance at the Canoes Plus Slalom, the Victorian Championships in December 2009, and also 25 athletes attending the National Schools Championships in January 2010, and many going on to compete at the 2010 National Championships. Phase 2 consisted of 3 terms of coaching in 2010 with a squad of around 30 athletes focusing on perfecting basic technique and more specific Canoe Slalom training, with a high attendance at the local Yarra Series races through the winter and many paddlers making the jump to the more difficult King River and Big River Country slaloms, and around 10 paddlers also making the trip to Penrith Whitewater Stadium. Phase 3 covered the second year of the program, further developing the skills of these athletes and encouraging them into more focussed training for the sport of Canoe Slalom. The 2010/2011 summer was a busy summer of racing with 13 of the Rapid Recruits making the 16 hour drive to the 2011 National Schools and National Championships in Nymboida, NSW in January. A small number of them then went on to compete at the Australian Open (international race) in Penrith in February, with 8 Rapid Recruits being selected for the National Talent Squad for The 2011 Yarra Series has been well attended by these athletes and there are currently 26 athletes still involved in the sport who took part in the Rapid Recruits Program. Victorian Sprint NTID Programs Canoeing Victoria s partnership with the Australian Sports Commission s National Talent Identification and Development program continued under the guidance of NTID Victorian Sprint Squad Coach, Peter Gargiulo. For the first time, the squad attended national races including the National Championships and both Grand Prix results are very promising. Two squad members were selected to represent Australia at the Olympic hopefuls regatta held in September 2011 in Poland. The squad is settling well into its home base at the National Water Sports Centre in Carrum and has established positive relationships with the other sporting tenants. With the experience of their first season behind them, the squad is very enthusiastic about the upcoming season Paddling forever page 13

14 Coaching Canoeing Victoria thanks Sport & Recreation Victoria for Future Directions funding to support the development of our club coaches and discipline officials. Two Flatwater/Marathon Coaching (Level 1) courses were held one at Canoeing Victoria in Templestowe, and the other at the Mitta Mitta Canoe Club. A Canoe Polo Referee course was held at the Richmond Pool for polo teams. Canoeing Victoria continues to provide followup support to trainee coaches & officials, and remind accredited coaches & officials when their accreditation is due for renewal. This is having a positive impact on both maintaining our coach & official numbers. Education, training and safety The Education and Training area of the Association ran nearly 70 programs this year noting an increase of nearly 100% compared with last year. This great outcome is a result of streamlining administration processes and raising service delivery outcomes and providing great programs to groups such as the general public, school and local community groups, ACAS courses to upskill the industry instructors and outdoor education providers as well as fun come and try s. To strengthen this part of the business, we will be looking to employ additional staff next year to focus on business development and marketing opportunities to provide additional income to reinvest into the organization as well as upskill members and the public in safety and paddling skills. Competition Development 2010 did not see a significant growth within the competitive side of the Association in 2010/2011 based on the Victorian Championship participation numbers which is consistent with trend being exhibited of competition membership moving to recreational paddling. This re-highlights the need of raising the profile of the organization, providing more paddling opportunities for all paddlers and promoting the pathways into competition. This direction is clearly defined in the new strategic and operations plan that has been drafted for the next 3 years. Discipline Vic Champs 2010 Vic Champs 2009 Canoe Slalom Wildwater 12 DNR* N/A Marathon Sprint 59 N/A N/A Canoe Polo ** 20 ** 20 ** 20 Vic Champs 2008 *Did not run due to water levels and race volunteers ** Approx teams, based on Melbourne Autumn Competition. Participation Numbers: Schools events (Vic Champs) Discipline Vic Schools 2010 Vic Schools 2009 Vic Schools 2008 Canoe Slalom Wildwater Marathon Sprint N/A N/A N/A Canoe Polo Not Run Not Run Not Run Paddling forever page 14

15 Membership services Membership Trends It was a rocky road regarding memberships at the beginning of the year. With the long term drought peaking after 10 years, initial indications pointed towards a disastrous year for membership renewal. Then it rained and rain it did. With it came members and we actually saw a surprising increase in membership compared to previous years. Marketing and Communications However what the trend also revealed the move away from a competition to a recreation membership. Further analysis into this inclination is currently underway but it is a trend that is being experienced across the nation in other states. In line with our strategic direction both old and new, the membership review is still underway with support now from Sport and Recreation Victoria. Membership forums have begun and will pave the way to determine the membership services that the administration need to provide to not only service existing membership appropriately but prepare the way to provide additional or different services to our new members. The organization has high aspirations to increase memberships in the near future. Club Development Canoeing Victoria Certified Training Clubs In addition to the restructure of the National Talent ID programs at the National level, we are now seeing an increase interest in Clubs becoming Certified Training Clubs within the sprint discipline. Patterson Lakes and Geelong are set to join Fairfield Canoe Club as CTC s in the new year and we look forward to supporting them and seeing great results from the clubs. All other disciplines will be encouraged to participate in the program in the coming year to not only underpin existing discipline programs but also strengthen their club and membership services. Paddling forever page 15

16 Community Development Murray Marathon It was a year of challenges not only for the paddlers in the Murray Marathon. After years of drought, the organizers had to contend with flood issues which resulted in a repeat of day 5 only to have to cancel the final day due to fire conditions. It was a great testament to the organizing committee to make the call to ensure the safety of not only the participants but in particular the support crew who would have been at greater risk. Canoeing Victoria as a member of the Committee continues to participate in the development of the event as it is positioned as a cornerstone event for schools and new paddlers to enter the canoeing community. The challenge in the future is to ensure that the paddlers that participate in the Murray Marathon keep paddling the day after event finishes and into the new year whether it be marathon or any other type of paddling. The Management Committee of the event has undergone a review of the Committee, their role and the roles of those that sit on the committee. Canoeing Victoria is now positioned as a key contributor to the support of the paddlers coming into the event by providing coaching opportunities and the pathways, to find additional support and ongoing participation and training opportutntiies. Indigenous Canoeing Program: Canoeing Victoria thanks VicHealth (through its PICSAR program), and the Australian Government (through the Indigenous Sport and Recreation Program of the Department of Health and Ageing) for funding support to enable Canoeing Victoria to support local Indigenous communities to develop locally managed and sustainable opportunities to participate in canoeing. This was the fourth and final year of Canoeing Victoria s 4 year VicHealth PICSAR funded program that aims to establish opportunities for Aboriginal communities in the Mildura/Robinvale region to access and participate in community canoeing in a safe physical and social environment. The longer term PICSAR support enabled Canoeing Victoria to work with local Aboriginal community organisations to develop and pilot a model for creating sustainable community canoeing. This is achieved by linking a community to an existing canoe club; or by training members of the local community to become future canoeing guides/instructors; or a combination of both. We use the Australian Canoeing Award Scheme to guide the development pathway for upskilling both community and club members. It was also the first year we received support from the Australian Government through the Indigenous Sport and Recreation Program of the Department of Health and Ageing. This additional support enabled us not only to build on our programs in the Mildura/Robinvale region but also to include interested communities based in the Melbourne area. Mildura During the year we formed a strong partnership with the Mildura East Aboriginal Community Partnership Project (MEACPP). MEACPP is an initiative of the Department of Justice to improve the health, education and employment opportunities for Koories in east Mildura neighbourhoods. The Mildura East community participated in several Community Canoeing Fun Days which gave community members an opportunity to come and try canoeing. This was closely followed by Basic Skills Award then Flatwater Skills Award training for a core group of community members who are focused on becoming future community-based canoeing Guides/Instructors. Robinvale Working with the Robinvale Men s Group (part of the Murray Valley Aboriginal Cooperative) the Robinvale community also participated in several Community Canoeing Fun Days and 5 community members achieved their Basic Skills Award. The ongoing Murray River floods which began in October 2010 and continued over several months put a hold on canoeing in both Mildura and Robinvale. Melbourne Canoeing Victoria formed a very supportive partnership with MAYSAR (Melbourne Aboriginal Youth Sport And Recreation) to develop canoeing opportunities for Melbourne-based communities. Two extremely well attended Community Canoeing Fun Days were held which resulted in a number of Basic Skills Award and subsequent Flatwater Skills Award training days. Paddling forever page 16

17 Governance / Advocacy Horseshoe Bend in Gippsland The State Office continued to be updated with regarding discussions about the Horseshoe Bend tunnel on the Thomson River and moves to reestablish the river around the tunnel to enable fish migration back up stream above the tunnel. The tunnel was developed to mine alluvial gold found in the early 1900 s. In opposition to the tunnel closure is a group that wishes to retain the historical value of the tunnel. A number of options were defined with associated cost benefit analysis. At this stage a fish ladder of some description in line with the original river course is being taken to the next phase of concept. Whether this will be suitable for paddling is yet to be determined. Outdoor Recreation Centre As an affiliated member of the Outdoor Recreation Centre, Canoeing Victoria has been involved in a recent review of the organistion who s undertaking is to represent the position of their members to the state government of the day. Their members include both industry, sporting organisations such as Canoeing Victoria and other like minded outdoor community groups such as Scouts. Canoeing Victoria also lease their offices from the ORC at Westefolds Park. During the year, Canoeing Victoria was involved in a a review of the organisation which has found themselves in not only financial difficulty but having to redefine their position in the industry and their purpose. The current proposal on the table is the ORC and the Victorian Outdoor Education Association either join forces or dissolve to regroup as a new organistion that can represent the industry in a more relevant manner. Canoeing Victoria will continue to be involved in this discussion particularly with the membership having a stronger focus towards a more recreational involvement. State Office Staffing. The new face of membership joined the Canoeing Victoria staff in May Roz Manester has joined and taken over from Andrea / Carmel to process and provide member and club services. We welcome Roz s enthusiasm and fresh insights to the day to day activities. John Shields has also come on board as our part time equipment manager and is doing a great job managing the shed, sorting out equipment and making the shed a great place to hold education programs. Sandra Reaburn has clocked up 10 years with the Association in 2011 which is an extraordinary effort considering the tenuous financial situation the Association has been in over some of those years. It is an indication of the general attitude of all the staff, their dedication and loyalty to the organization. John Moore continues as Education Development Officer doing a great job in providing technical advice, managing the instructors for programs and providing consulting to clients and programs. The Executive Officers (Andrea and Sharon) would like to again extend our thanks to all the staff and their great effort. Board Members A consistent year with the Board Members this year with Connie Todaro joining as a Interested Director. A major focus for the Board this year was to work through the Strategic Direction of the Association for the next 3 years. This process was successfully undertaken with a Board Strategic planning day followed up by a membership strategic forum. The input from members and the Board was fantastic. The feedback now goes to form the vision and strategic goals for the organization which guides both staff, board and the disciplines when making key decisions. Follow on forums with recreational paddlers and clubs has and will focus on the deliverables for the operational plan which will underpin the Association during the next 3 years and hopefully see a result of substantial growth. The Staff and the Executive Officers would like to thank the Board members for the dedication and effort during the year and look forward to another year of input and the development of new growth opportunities. Members and Clubs Last but not least, the Executive Officers would like to extend their thanks to the 1854 members and the 33 Clubs that support the Association and the objectives. Andrea Boothroyd and Sharon Swoboda. Paddling forever page 17

18 Canoe Polo Report This year has been about starting to instigate new strategies to try to increase Canoe Polo player numbers in Victoria. While maintaining our Melbourne competition as the backbone of canoe polo in Victoria we have decided to try a different approach to rebuild player number. There is a growing belief within the hierarchy of canoe polo that the future of our sport and for canoeing in general is dependent on the strength of our club system. If we have strong clubs with lots of members it will be far easier to attract new and existing paddlers to play. It will give us confidence that when we receive an inquiry by someone interested in giving it a try we will be able to direct the somewhere that they will be taken care of and encouraged and be able to form social bonds that will encourage them to continue playing and paddling for many years and not just a single season. Victorian Inter-Club Series One of the main facets of this strategy has been the development of a club base series of single day events to be held outdoors on the weekend. It has been named the VICS (Victorian Inter-Club Series) and is the brain child of Matt Moore. After touring Europe several times and especially during the last World championship campaign he was amazed by the strength and vibrancy of the club competition scene throughout Europe and the way it has increase player numbers and performance levels. We believe that the clubs give the players something definite to identify with, a reason to play and strive to improve. The clubs also provide a strong social base where players get to know each other not only as other players but as friends and this is one of the best ways to retain people in the sport. This year the series consisted of 4 events (Yarra Bend, Lysterfield Lake Essendon and Geelong) that were organized mainly by VCP but the teams entering had to be club based. All of the events were well attended and an overall perpetual trophy was awarded to ECC as the best performed club over the entire series. This series sparked a real interest from members of Geelong Canoe Club who attended most of the series (including hosting the final event) they have subsequently been purchasing more polo equipment and are organizing regular training sessions with the intention of performing at a better level at next years series. We see this as a fantastic beginning to our overall concept. The aim over the next few years is to entice the Clubs to run the events rather that VCP so that not only will the compete on the playing field but off it to produce the best event. They are a good fund raising avenue for a club. A small licensing fee per team will go to VCP and the club will retain the bulk of the entry monies. Canteens, BBQ's drinks stalls etc could increase the revenue stream for the club. Our aim is to get at least two more Canoe Clubs each year to become actively involved in this series and actively recruiting and developing its player base. The long term goal is that this system will be set up in regions throughout Victoria with the best Club teams from each region then competing at a true Victorian Inter-club championship. Melbourne Competition Seasons As has become the norm over the past few years two Melbourne Competition Seasons (Spring and Autumn) were conducted. In between these seasons a short Summer Cocktail Competition was run. This competition operates on a more social level to help promote interaction between players in different grades and of different standards by selecting even teams from the pool of players that have applied to play. Only two Premier League seasons were conducted this year. The first completed the 2010 year and the second began the 2011 series. This series has, however, temporarily lost its home as Brunswick Pool closed at the end of April for 18 months for major renovations. We are hoping to find an alternative venue soon so that this important competition for our elite and up and coming players can resume. Photograph:Australian Canoeing Website Paddling forever page 18

19 Junior Development Our junior development program has struggled this year. Our Junior Development Working Group led by Louise Farrington again ran several short weeknight competitions at Brunswick Baths targeting children 12 years of age and older from specific school groups. These competitions have been fairly well attended and thoroughly enjoyed by all of the participants. However due to the increase in inclement weather over the last 12 months there seems to have been a decline in enthusiasm and attendance of parents who are not enjoying the outdoor venue on cold wet evenings. We will be trying to remedy this by concentrating our future efforts for junior development over the summer months by utilising both evening and single or part day events for junior paddlers High Performance On the National and International front we again had a eventful year. It started strongly with the World Championships held in Milan, Italy at the beginning of September. Victoria was represented in the Mens team by Mathew Moore and Mathew Perrin and also in the U21 Mens team by Andrew Goodison, Andrew Merrifield nad Mathew Greaves. John Moore also toured with the teams as Manager. After this strong start however our National level competitions suffered. The National Summer Series was not as well attended as previous years and the general standard suffered. This also lead on to the National Championships to be held in Adelaide at Easter being cancelled and replaced by an invitational event as so few teams were going to attend that only the Open category had enough entries to justify it being classed as the championships. Supporters Victorian Canoe polo is pleased to acknowledge the contributions of the following organisations: Richmond Recreation Centre Brunswick City Baths Essendon Canoe Club Parks Victoria. Competition Director As a final note I would like to give special thanks to Dave Pillekers. He indicated to me after Christmas that he would be stepping down from his position as Melbourne Competition Director at the next AGM. He has spent many years of dedication and huge amounts of effort to keep our main competition operating smoothly and efficiently. During his final six months in this position he has documented all of the procedures and processes that he follows so that this vital information will not get lost as it has done so many times in the past. He has also been training the working group (one person would not be enough) headed by Megan Bishop as his replacement. I sincerely thank him, personally and on behalf of Victorian Canoe Polo for unselfishly doing a vital, time consuming (and often unappreciated) job over many years. He is, thankfully, staying involved with the sport he has put so much effort into but in a player recruitment and development role. Mike Wilson Chairman Victorian Canoe Polo Photograph:Australian Canoeing Website Paddling forever page 19

20 Marathon Report Committee Aims The aim of the CV Marathon Committee has been to provide a series of marathon events over the whole year. We do this by via our winter series race races which culminate in the Victorian Marathon Championships. We aim to provide a standard of competition that caters for all levels from elite to novice paddlers and junior paddlers. Prior to the start of the winter series we endorse a summer series of race which are run by clubs events The premier event held by CVMC in 2011 was the Australian marathon championships held at Geelong on the Barwon River. This event was very successful where over 200 paddlers entered and a reasonable profit was made. My personal thanks to the organising committee, the Geelong Canoe Club and to the 40 volunteers that gave up their time to make this event was successful Once again Victorian paddlers make up the majority of paddlers selected for the Australian Marathon team that will compete in Singapore in October of this year. Winter Series This year eight races we held with only one race held in country Victoria namely Nagambie. For operational reasons we will not hold any further events at Nagambie and have decided that in 2012 there will be only three country events with Lake Wendouree coming back into use. Participation in the winter series this year has increased slightly from last season but we need to do more work in trying to increase participation numbers throughout the year. Some reasons for not achieving higher numbers may be due to the fact that the season was exceptionally long extending to October. School s entry numbers have fallen and to remedy this we will be returning to an older format in The Committee is still in the black financially and for detailed financials refer to the treasurer s report. We will continue to produce our diary but in reduced number as our electronic media has been very successful and more people are visiting the web site for information about events and entry to events. I would to express my thanks to the editorial committee of Chris, Sharon and Tom. Summer Series In the summer months we sanction a five race series known as the Summer Series or Grand Pix races that are held by clubs throughout Victoria which culminate with the Summer Finale. This is the selection race for the Victorian state team the will represent the state at the Australian Championships. This event will once again be held at Geelong Canoe Club. Initiatives for 2012 We will continue to promote a wider usage of the on line entry system and online payment. Publish the events calendar 12 months in advance. Review 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. Photograph:Don Campbell Acknowledgements In conclusion I would like to thank all the people that have competed in our event and I hope that they will return in 2012 for more fun and competition. I would like to express on behalf of the marathon committee a very special thank you to all the people that helped in staging the event in Last but not least, a personal thanks to my Committee with a special mention to Alan Opie, Michael Baird, Tom Hirrschoff and Connie Todaro for her patience. Joe Alia, Chair CV Marathon Paddling forever page 20

21 Canoe Sprint Report Overview Rebuilding of the sprint discipline continued this year. A discipline committee was formed in October 2010 with a strategic focus, however management of the discipline was handed back to CV State Office at the end of the season mainly due to a lack of on the ground event volunteers to support the committee s endeavors to run sprint regattas. Building a broad event team base in the next year will be critical to a successful sprint discipline in Victoria. With this in mind, I particularly thank the: 1. Dedicated volunteers who did assist at Canoeing Victoria events during the sprint season. 2. Marathon discipline and Patterson Lakes Canoe Club for running the 5&10km Championships on behalf of Sprint. 3. Essendon and Footscray Canoe Clubs for providing their clubhouse facilities to support sprint racing. 4. Bendigo Canoe Club for providing another participation opportunity with the Bendigo Sprint Cup. Competition/Events With generous support from those mentioned above, the following events were held: 15 August &10km Championships 45 participants 3 October 2010 Bendigo Sprint Cup 20 November 2010 Nagambie Sprint Regatta 27 participants 15 January 2011 Footscray Sprint Regatta cancelled due to flash flooding 5 February 2011 Essendon Sprint Regatta 59 participants 19&20 February 2011 Victorian Sprint Championships at Nagambie 65 participants 6 March 2011 Victorian School Championships at Footscray 74 participants High Performance On the international stage, six Victorians were selected for national teams. Emily Bews and Catherine McArthur were selected for the U23 International Tour to Slovakia, Italy and Poland in May/June Madelaine Batters, Kieren Carson, Madelaine Hurst and Rebecca Mann were selected to represent Australia at the Olympic Hopes Sprint Regatta to be held in Poland in September Victoria s representation at the National Sprint Championship continues to grow with 28 athletes participating at this year s event. Photograph:Jenni Bewes Future Directions A number of issues identified in the Sprint Development Plan will be the focus over the next 12 months: Address the decreasing number of volunteers to both manage the discipline and to run events. Increase our grassroots participation base by supporting our clubs to grow their involvement in sprint racing, and by working to facilitate the growth of competitive classes at sprint regattas. Increase the developmental opportunities for high performance athletes and coaches. Andrea Boothroyd Co-Executive Officer & Manager of Canoeing Victoria Sprint 2009/10 Paddling forever page 21

22 Canoeing Victoria Annual Report 20010/2011 Wildwater Report Canoe Slalom Towards the end of the 2010 season, it started to rain and as a result, the Wildwater Victorian Championships had the highest river levels in nearly 10 years. By this stage, however it was almost like the DR Paddlers had forgotten where their boats were! However with the enthusiasm and support from Chris Wharton and Matthew French the new 2011 season did see a calendar of events undertaken with an increase in interest from the Mercantile Canoe Club. Working almost from the ground up, we look forward to Wildwater / Downriver racing back on everyone s calendar. Summary The Slalom Technical Committee had another successful year of paddling that saw rains the end of 2010 that filled the dams and enabled some country races to be run and paddling conditions on the Yarra the like that hasn t been seen for many years. It was unfortunate that the Chairman Matt Webster and Ordette Webster due to family pressures stepped down from the committee this year but didn t keep them from being involved at the delivery end of the events. The STC and slalom community thank Matt for his leadership during his reign of chairman and continued support and Ordette for her tireless work and delivering events to an excellent standard. Yarra Series This year saw the Yarra Series be delivered by a number of clubs including Canoes Plus Racing team, Eltham College Canoe Club and Melbourne Canoe Club plus a number of individuals representing the Committee organizing events including the Country Series. It was a very successful series that ran into the 2011/12 financial year with the final results being announced at the 2011 Vic Champs. Photograph:Sharon Swoboda Photograph:Sharon Swoboda Matt Webster showed off his technical prowess this year by providing live video feeds from the bank back to the spectators and allowing replays to the competitors to assess their first runs. It was a great sight to witness the technology being applied to our local Yarra River series. Paddling forever page 22

23 Country Series Country races were run on the Big River and King River this year with good attendance considering everyone has got out of the habit of travelling to these great rivers. Other venues were considered but will now need to be re-scoped now that the water has returned but where access has changed quite significantly in some cases. Goulburn River Slalom Course We are still waiting to implement the repairs on the Goulburn Slalom course after it was washed away a number of years ago. With the unexpected rains, when it was due to be dry it was too wet and when it was expected to be running it was low (but not low enough) to complete any major works. We now wait for another period when the course will be suitable to get in and get the repairs done. Dights Falls Dights is currently undergoing works to implement a fish ladder at the site and repairs to the weir. Unfortunately once again due to the high rains and river levels, the project has been delayed significantly due to the works being washed away a number of times and as a result the site will probably not be usable until The closure of this site paddlers in one of the best years in the last decade has been most unfortunate for the sport. The strong National Junior squad is full of Victorian s many of which have emanated from the Talent ID program run by Warwick Draper now in its third phase Nationals Nationals were held in Nymbodia this year by Paddle NSW. Nymbodia hasn t been flowing for a number of year and it was so wet that it was an issue for some participants to get out of the site after the event. The event was ultimately cut short by one day due to water being diverted to reduce downstream flooding in Grafton. A great effort by the Victorian team saw us lose the National title to NSW by a very small margin will be held in Tasmania with the event returning to Victoria in Slalom Committee I would like to thank the Slalom Technical Committee members for their ongoing dedication to Slalom in Victoria. Chris Wharton (Treasurer), Graham Hobbs (secretary), Roy Farrance, Andrew Fegan, Warwick Draper, Kate Slater, Mike Lau Gooey and Matt and Ordette Webster. Sharon Swoboda Co-Executive Officer and Temporary Chair of Slalom Technical Committee Westerfolds Park A feasibility study is still on the drawing board to develop the Westerfolds Park site as a suitable training replacement for Snits and a future event site for events. Canoeing Victoria and the STC are working with the relevant stakeholders to develop the area further and hopefully we will see some development in the area in Photograph:Sharon Swoboda High Performance 3 Athletes were awarded VIS Scholarships this year, Warwick Draper, Sarah Grant and Leanne Guinea. All performed well at their international competition with the other members of the National Team. 2011/12 will be an exciting year with the Olympics in London with some excellent prospects. Paddling forever page 23