Annual Report Northern Territory Swimming Inc. Power in the Water ABN

Transcription

1 Annual Report 2012 Northern Territory Swimming Inc. Power in the Water ABN

2 OFFICIAL SPONSORS 1

3 CONTENTS Official Sponsors 1 Life Members and Service Awards 3 Office Bearers and Staff 4 President s Report 5 Executive Officer s Report 7 Sponsorship Report 10 Committee & Office Bearer Reports Competition Committee 12 Selection Committee 12 Athlete Development Committee 13 Technical Committee 15 Community Swimming Officer 15 Indigenous Swimming Development Officer 17 Bush Schools Swimming & Lifestyle Clinic 19 Team Managers (Representative Teams) Reports 2011 School Sport Championships State Teams Age Short Course Championships Australian Open & Age Open Water Championships 21 Results & Representation Territory Meets 2011 Gatorade NT Open Water Pre-Championship Series & Championship Meet Vorgee NT Open & Age Championships McDonald s 9 & Under Championships Power in the Water Series Daz-L Distance Series Leah Cullen Relay 28 National Meets 2011 State Teams Age Short Course Championships Australian Age & Australian Open Water Championships ` 29 Interstate Meets Kimberley Open Short Course Championships Broome, WA, October Heritage City Meet, Hervey Bay, Qld, October City of Charm Meet, Bundaberg, Qld, November Gympie Gold Rush Sprint Meet, Gympie, Qld, November Gayndah Sprint Meet, Gayndah, Qld, November Open Water Series Swim Round 4 Champion Lakes, WA, November NSW Open & Age Open Water Championships, Penrith, NSW, December Swimming South Australia State Age Long Course Championships 30 Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 3 Individual Achievement Membership Statistics (Registrar s Report) Financial Statements 2

4 LIFE MEMBERS & SERVICE AWARDS LIFE MEMBERS NAME CLUB DATE OF AWARD Paul Carter Casuarina 2008 Joan Curtain Darwin Pre 2004 Alex Cutts Darwin Pre 2004 John Dove Darwin Pre 2004 Trish Dove Darwin Pre 2004 Peter Fanning Nightcliff Pre 2004 Lyn Hull Darwin 2006 Gwen Gabel Darwin Pre 2004 Clare Labowitch Darwin Pre 2004 Max O Callaghan Alice Springs Pre 2004 SERVICE AWARDS GOLD MEMBER CLUB AWARD DATE Carol Bolton Darwin 2009 Paul Carter Technical Committee 2006 Rose Gerlach Palmerston & Rural 2008 Lyn Hull Palmerston & Rural 2004 Tracey Netherway Top End Storm 2009 Josie Parry Nightcliff 2009 (Bronze 2008) John Pollock Darwin 2009 Ken Reid Top End Storm 2008 (Bronze 2008) SILVER MEMBER CLUB AWARD DATE Jim Burrow Darwin 2009 Kathy Cantrell Darwin 2003 Ric Innes Top End Storm 2009 Judith Reid Top End Storm 2009 Mez Ryan Top End Storm 2009 Jenny Verrall Casuarina Phil Verrall Casuarina BRONZE MEMBER CLUB AWARD DATE David Chalker Alice Springs 2009 Kevin Glover Darwin 2004 Tanya Hazel Top End Storm 2009 Norm Jarvis Nhulunbuy 2004 Kathy Rochford Casuarina 2009 Sue Ward Darwin

5 OFFICE BEARERS & STAFF PATRON Her Honour The Honourable Sally Thomas AM Administrator of the Northern Territory BOARD MEMBERS President Clare Labowitch Due for re-election 2013 Vice President Shane Cross Due for re-election 2012 Director Carol Bolton To October 2011 Director Peter Brasher Resigned March 2012 Director Nicole Jones Appointed March 2011 Due for re-election 2011 (Appointed to President vacancy September 2012) Director John McRoberts Appointed February 2011 Board Appointed Director Kia Naylor Appointed September 2011 Due for re-election 2012 Director Barbara Radecki Due for re-election 2013 Director Kathy Rochford Elected October 2011 Due for re-election 2013 Director Creina Scally To October 2011 Director Charles Staples Appointed to Peter Brasher vacancy Due for re-election 2012 STAFF Executive Officer David Evans 28/09/2009 Support Officer Virginia Burrow 07/09/2009 Indigenous Sport Development Officer Jonathan Burns 14/04/2011 Community Swimming Officer Paul Schindler 17/10/2011 APPOINTED POSITIONS Data Manager Records Steward Meet Director Equipment Officer Judith Reid Virginia Burrow Karen Messenger Ken Reid COMMITTEES COMPETITION Clare Labowitch, Nicole Jones, Karen Messenger and Kathleen Rochford SELECTION Rose Gerlach, Ric Innes and Clare Labowitch TECHNICAL Paul Carter, Nicole Jones, Judith Reid and Kathleen Rochford ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT Amanda Bagley, Carol Bolton, Peter Brasher, Kia Naylor and Creina Scally (Chair) 4

6 PRESIDENT S REPORT In my last report as President I wish to acknowledge and applaud all the Board members I have worked with over the past five years. All have been committed to swimming and all have adhered to a key principle that policy be best practice and have the well being of the swimmer and the organisation as primary focus. My standing down mid-term is a planned strategy to ensure that there is continuity in leadership following the lack of a nomination for President in Nicole Jones has demonstrated her effectiveness as a leader since becoming a Board member, most notably through her coordination of the Technical Officials training day. She has also been and active and effective member of the Competition, Technical, and Athlete Development Committees. Clare Labowitch with fellow champions (Ben Fuller, Ayrton Innes, Ben Cooper) at the inaugural NT Short Course Championships in Alice Springs It is also a little sobering to realise that I have worked with four Executive Officers during the past five years, all of whom worked diligently and with commitment to the organisation. David Evans, our current Executive Officer after the sad loss of Leah Cullen has indicated his intent to continue with the organisation over the next few years and the stability he has already brought to the organisation stands us in good stead for the future. The relatively new position of Community Development Officer, funded by Swimming Australia Ltd, is an exciting initiative for Swimming Northern Territory, particularly in forging and strengthening our community partnerships. In this role Paul Schindler has worked with recreational swimmers through his Splash into the Dry program, and extended the Indigenous Officer program to an urban context working with boarding students from Kormilda and Marrara Colleges. At this point, I believe his most significant impact has been through his work with schools where his work is raising the interest and participation levels of students in swimming. 5

7 Membership is still the organisation s most pressing challenge but indications are that interest in swimming is building. Partnerships with others cannot be underestimated and the partnership with School Sport NT has meant a renewal of the Cluster Meet program and a further pathway to National competition at the annual Australia School Sport Combined Schools Championships. Commercial partnerships have meant sponsorship opportunities outlined in my competition report and I thank David for nurturing these essential partnerships so that our swimmers can enjoy the value added benefits they bring. I think the one initiative which gives me the most pride is the establishment of the Academy Program. The Board recognised the limitations of our partnership with the NTIS mainly because of our age group base. The Academy Program offers very clear benefits for swimmers, particularly at, but not restricted to, Tier 1. A very clear demonstration of its potential was the selection of Academy athletes to compete at the Australian Age Short Course Teams event last month. The performance outcomes of 93% personal best improvements or a personal best in 40 out of 43 events is outstanding and more so when an examination of the results show those personal bests were significant in most cases. I would like to recognise the work of Creina Scally, Chair of the Athlete Development Committee, who oversaw the establishment of the Academy, as being effective, important and admirable, and I also thank the other members of the Committee who assisted her so well in this endeavour. Finally I wish to acknowledge the work of someone who is not only a valued employee, but also a good friend both personally and in this context, to swimming. Our administration assistant is the quiet achiever and much of what Virginia Burrow does in support of the Executive Officer and the various committees, helps ensure that the organisation operates in a professional and efficient way. Thank you all for giving me the opportunity to lead the organisation over the past few years. My regret is that the question of facility upgrade is still to be resolved, but this does not outweigh the pride I take with working with so many dedicated parents and officials, and so many fine young people in my role as President. See you all on pool deck. Clare Labowitch President 6

8 EXECUTIVE OFFIICER S REPORT The Association has once again met the challenges of high staff and volunteer turn over that seems inherent in the Northern Territory while still managing to deliver an increased range of services, programs and activities as identified in the three pillars of the Swimming Australia Strategic Plan: Partnerships, Performance and Participation. Partnerships Sponsorship remains at a very good level with long term relationships in place with leading national and regional companies including Vorgee, Gatorade, McDonald s, PowerWater, Bodyfit, Daz-l and Canterbury. Swimming Northern Territory also continues to develop sound relationships across all levels of Government. Significant funding is provided by the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport for the Indigenous Sport and Active Recreation Program that reaches over 1,300 participants per annum from as far south west as Kintore to Yirrkala in the North East. The Territory Government is a major contributor through the Peak Sporting Bodies Program and generous accommodation at Sports House. We also deliver the Bush Schools Swimming & Lifestyle Clinic in Alice Springs in partnership with Swimming Australia through funding provided by NRETAS. Our relationships with local council in Darwin, Palmerston and Alice Springs are also developing positively as we discuss the long term vision for aquatic facilities in these regions. Chris Twomey delivers a skills development clinic through the support of partners McDonald s & Swimming Australia Performance While Territory representative team numbers were down on previous years at Australian Age and Australian Open Championships a considerable effort was put into identifying solutions and ultimately implementing the SNTI Academy Program to enhance the pathway to swimming at the top level in the Northern Territory. While still evolving there is now strong support for Tier 1 swimmers with swimmers at the next level also supported and recognition of the holistic benefits of the sport through programs for swimmers identified in the Senior Swimmers and Leadership Groups. 7

9 We were delighted to host the inaugural NT Short Course Championships in August 2011 at the new Alice Springs Aquatic and Leisure Centre that was officially opened on Sunday 17 April. The facility was used again to host the 2012 Short Course Championships in May with an encouraging increase in competing swimmers. The recognised importance of quality coaching is being addressed through a variety of coach education initiatives including scholarship support for coaches to attend ASCTA Conferences interstate (Victoria), strong representation at the ASCTA conference on the Gold Coast and through the support of ASCTA itself with the delivery of the inaugural SwimNT Conference in June 2012 where SNTI provided subsidies to many of the participants to encourage maximum attendance. Growth in Technical Official Accreditation remains steady after the major program that was delivered through We are most fortunate to have a considerable group of very committed volunteers and the training and accreditation support of Swimming Australia to ensure our meets are fully staffed. Participation Swimming Northern Territory has significantly increased the variety of programs designed to increase participation with many of these delivered by the Community Swimming Officer, Paul Schindler. This role was increased from a 0.25 full time equivalent in to a full time role in the current financial year through support from Swimming Australia Participation Funding. The CSO has developed strong linkages with school sport and provided clubs with much needed coaching assistance, in particular standing in for head coaches during holiday periods. Despite our relationships and ongoing dialogue with NT Government and Local Government, access to water space continues to be a threat and the lack of an all-weather facility in Darwin is an obstacle to many growth opportunities. The input from Swimming Australia through Graeme Stephenson, General Manager Aquatic Strategy has been most appreciated in this area. After many years of declining membership numbers there has been a slight increase in and with the ongoing efforts of our partners and those involved at all strata of the sport we look forward to this trend continuing. Community Swimming Officer, Paul Schindler leading the SNTI Urban Indigenous Program 8

10 Governance The business of Swimming Northern Territory (SNTI) is carried out under the direction of the Board of SNTI for the benefit of constituent and registered members. The Directors may exercise all the powers of the Association, except any power the Associations Act or the Rules requires the Association to exercise in a general meeting of members. The Board is responsible for the appointment of the Chief Executive Officer to do all things necessary for the proper management and administration of the organisation. The CEO is ultimately accountable to the Board of Swimming Northern Territory, however the CEO is accountable to the President on a day-to-day basis. Swimming Northern Territory is committed to best practice models of governance to ensure the long term viability of the organisation. Corporate governance for the Board of Swimming Northern Territory relates to: The process of setting, guiding and monitoring the organisation s future direction Ensuring the organisation operates within its relevant legal and other boundaries Driving organisational performance through the committees and staff appointed by the Board Establishing appropriate control processes and accountability systems The Board meets monthly, comprising 9 Directors, seven elected by the members of Swimming Northern Territory and supplemented by two Board appointed Directors. The following Directors comprised the SNTI Board during the reporting period: Name Office Attended Possible Clare Labowitch President 8 9 Shane Cross Vice President 6 9 Creina Scally Director 2 2 Carol Bolton Director 2 2 Peter Brasher Director 1 3 John McRoberts Director 7 9 Nicole Jones Director 8 9 Kathy Rochford Director 7 7 Barbara Radecki Director 6 7 Kia Naylor Director 5 7 Charles Staples Director 2 2 Acknowledgement and Thanks The greatest strength of the organisation continues to be our members and supporters. First and most importantly I take this opportunity to acknowledge the many volunteers, officials, and club promoters who regularly deliver swimming to our members. Your contribution is critical and often goes well beyond what would normally be expected of an organisation our size. Your efforts are greatly appreciated. I would like to acknowledge the tireless efforts of the Board of Swimming Northern Territory. It is an important role with increasing responsibilities and I ask all members to recognise the significant commitment of the dedicated team at the helm. Finally, to our staff, past and present, it has again been a privilege to work with such talented and dynamic individuals and I extend a personal thank you to each and every one of you for your service. In closing I extend special thanks to our outgoing President, Clare Labowitch for her outstanding commitment and guidance over so many years. We look forward to the challenges of 2012/13 with a great sense of purpose and commitment to grow our great sport. David Evans Executive Officer 9

11 SPONSORSHIP REPORT Complementing the generous support received from the Northern Territory Government through the Office of Sport & Recreation and the Northern Territory Institute of Sport, the Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet and Swimming Australia Limited the Association has an impressive array of corporate sponsors. This support enables Swimming Northern Territory to provide a range of opportunities to the membership and to maintain a professional and responsive office. In addition to the sponsorship component with our commercial partners we also have merchandise arrangements with Vorgee and Schweppes (Gatorade). The funds raised through the sale of Vorgee merchandise and Schweppes products (including Gatorade) go directly to the Rising Star Foundation. We urge all Clubs and swimmers to support our sponsors. Vorgee The financial support from Vorgee provides the Association with the capacity to offer development programs that provide opportunities for swimmers to achieve excellence. Vorgee are also the naming rights sponsor for the NT Open and Age Championships and NT Short Course Championships. Our partnership also includes a merchandise component for Swimming Northern Territory to sell Vorgee products at Swimming NT Meets. Vorgee contribute to Swimming Northern Territory by providing: Rising Star swim packs Financial support to assist in the delivery of the Vorgee NT Open and Age Championships Assistance with Training Camps Provision of raffle packs Provision of merchandise for sale at Meets. All profit made from selling merchandise goes directly into the Rising Star Foundation. Power and Water The Power and Water Corporation has the naming rights to the Power in the Water Series where recognition is given to swimmers who attain personal best times across the meet series. This series provides the opportunity for athletes to be rewarded for setting and attaining personal goals. Power and Water Corporation provide significant financial support that assists greatly in the delivery of each meet and also supply the colourful pennants that are on offer for achieving a personal best at each meet. Schweppes (Gatorade) Schweppes are the naming rights sponsors of the increasingly popular Gatorade Open Water series and are also our supplier of drink products that are sold at all Swimming Northern Territory meets to raise funds for the Rising Star Foundation. In addition to the three meet Open Water Series Schweppes are the naming rights sponsors of the Gatorade Open Water Championships held at Lake Bennett each year. Swimming Northern Territory is most grateful to Schweppes for the provision of: Sponsorship of the Gatorade NT Open Water Championships (Lake Bennett). Sponsorship of the Gatorade Open Water Series (Darwin Waterfront Lagoon). Provision of water and sports drinks to sold at Meets. All profit made from selling merchandise goes directly into the Rising Star Foundation. Provision and maintenance of a fridge at Casuarina pool for drinks at Meets. Canterbury Clothing Company Canterbury Clothing Company is the provider of uniforms for Swimming Northern Territory officials, volunteers and all representative teams. In addition to subsidising our uniform requirements the relationship provides members with 10% discount at The Rugby Shop in the Mitchell centre, Darwin City. 10

12 McDonald s McDonald s are the of major Sponsor of Swimming Northern Territory s Junior Development programs and this support has been instrumental in our capacity to deliver our suite of camps and clinics. In addition to providing financial support for our junior development initiatives McDonald s provide a range of products for new members, participants at Junior Development Camps, monthly JX Awards and also recognition packs for Northern Territory representatives at the Australian Age Championships, Australian Open & Age Open Water Championships and Australian Open Swimming Championships. Naming rights sponsors of the McDonald s 9 & Under Championships Sponsorship of the McDonald s 9 and Under Series Provider of all medals and ribbons Supporter of all Junior Development Camps Recognition packs for all representative Teams Supplier of shade marquees used at all swim meets Daz-l Daz-l is a unique shop in Nightcliff selling a range of giftware and luggage, they are the sponsor of the Top End Distance Meets and contribute to Swimming Northern Territory through providing the following: Sponsorship for the running of the Distance Trials Supply of merchandise the Vorgee NT Open and Age Championships Raffle packages during the season Support of Swimming Northern Territory Volunteer Recognition initiatives Darwin City Council In recent years Darwin City Council has been a significant sponsor of the Vorgee NT Open & Age Championships through a very generous pool hire arrangement. We are heavily dependent on the Darwin City Council and their partners for affordable access to well maintained pools across the city year in and year out. We thank the Lord Mayor, Graeme Sawyer and his staff led by CEO Brendan Dowd for the help each year and in particular at these Championships. David Evans Executive Officer 11

13 COMMITTEE & OFFICE BEARER REPORTS COMPETITION COMMITTEE The members of the Competition Committee, Nicole Jones, Karen Messenger, Kathleen Rochford and myself prepared the Meet Calendar to best meet the needs of the Clubs and swimmers. The challenge is to do this whilst not overcrowding the calendar. Often compromise is necessary. The season opens with the Open Water series at the Waterfront Lagoon. This is growing in popularity and potentially can assist in developing a broader based membership. An expansion of the series is a viable option in the coming seasons. The NT Open Water series concludes with the Gatorade NT Championships. The Lake Bennett venue is attractive with a sufficiently large body of water for the 5 and 10 km events. However feedback from swimmers indicate that navigation is an issue and further buoys are needed so that swimmers optimise the opportunity to post a good time. The pool calendar comprises five components, the Daz-l distance series, the Power in the Water series, the McDonalds 9 and under series, the Club Invitationals and major events such as Vorgee NT Championships and the Arafura Games. The components ensure swimmers have the opportunity to swim a range of events at different levels. Each season the Committee tweaks event formats to present the best opportunities for swimmers. SNTI is appreciative of the various sponsors who allow us to "value add" to meets e.g. the personal best pennants sponsored by Power and Water. Cash prizes by Daz-l for best distance performance, prize ribbons and spot prizes by McDonalds for 9 and under meets. In a major challenge in the running of meets was the absence of a calendar meet director. SNTI is fortunate that Karen Messenger has agreed to assume this role, and as such takes control of the Chair of the Committee. To be made redundant can be a measure of success in any organisation. With leaving the committee means there is now a consequential vacancy and an opportunity for a member to become involved in both an effective and efficient committee. In closing I give my thanks not only to David Evans and also my fellow committee members but also to SNTI Admin Assistant, Virginia Burrow, for her very effective assistance to the Committee. Clare Labowitch (Departing) Chair SELECTION COMMITTEE The Selection Committee comprises Ric Innes, Rose Gerlach and myself. Its role is to recommend selection criteria for teams and events to the Board and identify athletes who meet the criteria. Teams for National meets tend to be self selecting as generally it entails meeting a National Qualification and agreeing to travel as a team under the Swimming Northern Territory banner. The most important and effective system we currently have for measuring athletes and events against each other is the Australian Age Points System (AAPS) where 50 points indicates a Top 10 performance in an event age group and 40 points is the equivalent of a National Qualifying time. There is a concern that the system is weighted too generously towards the 12 year old but this has yet to be confirmed evidentially. It can be argued that the jump from 13 to 14 years is as equally challenging and reflects developing physical maturity. These are issues for the incoming committee to resolve. 12

14 What is clear is that all recommendations made by the current Selection Committee have been based on research of National, State and local performance standards and driven by a desire to foster and improve performance in our talented swimmers. The AAPS has successfully identified swimmers to create a viable Academy program in a context where the NTIS program was not meeting the needs of our membership. The Selection Committee also recommended the incorporation of the Leadership Program into the Academy. A very rough breakdown of competitors last season gives numbers of 80 aged 10 years and under who compete regularly, 82 swimmers of 13 to 18 years of age, and 16 swimmers of 19 years and over. The Leadership program recognises that within these 16 swimmers there is significant potential for a valuable resource to Swimming Northern Territory and its Clubs and this needs to be developed as much as the athletic abilities of Age group athletes. Many thanks to Rose and Ric over the past four years. They have been a pleasure to work with. Clare Labowitch Chair ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Over the past 12 months the ADC has worked conscientiously to ensure all swimmers, irrespective of location, gender and abilities have access to opportunities and pathways, to assist them to achieve their potential. This has been possible through the following: Developing, refining and reviewing that SNTI Academy Program Scheduling and reviewing the developmental and training clinics Providing development opportunities for coaches SNTI Academy Program A great deal of work and consultation went into developing the Academy program and pathways in consultation with the swimming community. It is pleasing to see the program is now up and running, with nine Tier 1 swimmers, 19 Tier 2 swimmers and five swimmers in the Leadership Group. In addition to fourteen in the year old Talent Group. I believe this program provides wonderful opportunities for our athletes, not only as swimmers but also as leaders in the swimming community. I m confident this program will provide the required support and leadership for swimmers in the Northern Territory to achieve their goals now and into the future. I would encourage all swimmers to familiarise themselves with the Academy program and pathway and to utilise the opportunities provided under the program to their goals. Clinic and Developmental Opportunities. Throughout the season a raft of clinics are offered to swimmers including Open Water Clinics, Flipper Clinic, JX Clinics, Target Clinics, Skills Development Clinics and Mini Clinics. Also the ascta Bronze Course and ascta Swim NT Conference was held in June. These clinics provide swimmers and coaches with excellent developmental opportunities and access to well respected interstate coaching experts without having to travel interstate. 13

15 Moving Forward The ADC will continue to review the Academy Program to ensure it meets the expectations of the swimming community, within the funding and resourcing restraints available. Likewise, training and development programs will be reviewed and refined. To ensure these programs meet the expectation of the swimming community feedback (including positive) is encouraged and welcomed. In conclusion, I would like to thank the ADC Committee members (Amanda Bagley, Kia Naylor, Nicole Jones and Paul Schindler) who have worked diligently all year to ensure swimmers and coaches have opportunities. Also a massive thank you to the SNTI staff who have worked tirelessly supporting the committee. Creina Scally Chair Intake 1 of the Tier 2 Academy Program Great to see several have already progressed to Tier 1 14

16 TECHNICAL COMMITTEE Swimming Northern Territory sent five Technical Officials to attend the State Teams Age Short Course Championships in Canberra in September 2011 to participate in the training course for technical officials that is incorporated in the meet. The Technical Officials who attended this meet were Kathleen Rochford, Nicole Jones, Joash Barnes, Shane Cross and Christine Schultz. This is a great opportunity for Technical Officials to attend a National meet where you learn from the best and have the chance to see how a National meet is run as well as meet others from all around Australia and tap into their wealth of knowledge. I personally found this opportunity tremendous and would recommend to other officials. In the next season hopefully we will be able to run training sessions for interested people who wish to become Technical Officials. With the Arafura Games looming in 2013 it would be great if we could have some more Technical Officials trained up for the Games. Nicole Jones Chair COMMUNITY SWIMMING OFFICER The Community Swimming Officer role commenced in October 2011 with the essential purpose being to grow the membership of Swimming Northern Territory and increase the relevance and value of the Association to affiliate and individual members. This will be achieved through the delivery of services identified in the eight Key Responsibility areas: 1. Winterswim Program Winter swim was launched with great enthusiasm and rebranded to Splash into the Dry a once a month program involving six individual timed swims. The planning phase for the program commenced in November 2011 and was launched on 17 th February 2012 whilst the pool was still warm. Numbers improved from six swimmers to fourteen within the first three months of the program running. Pool temperatures dropped and so too did attendance during the second half of the program resulting in lower than anticipated participation. Overall however, the program proved a success, especially as a lead in activity to the Gatorade Open Water Series as most Winterswimmers then competed throughout the series. 2. School Swimming Programs From October 2011 through to February 2012, I attended all the Darwin and Katherine School Sport NT cluster swimming carnivals providing meet support and assistance. This has built solid relationships with School Sports NT and all its coordinatiors. In July 2012 I will have the opportuntiy to assist the School Sports NT swimming team to Sydney as a team manager and coach. Since commencing in October 2011 to the end of June 2012 I visited as many school swimming carnivals as the demands of the role allow. This has included Sattler Chistian School, Marrara Christian School, St John s Catholic College and O Loughlin Catholic College. I have also provided competitive swimming classes for Sattler Christian School, Moil, Mataranka and McFarlane Schools, Nhulunbuy Primary School and Nhulunbuy Middle and Senior School. I have also completed a Teacher Swimming PD with O Loughlin Catholic College. During the year considerable research was undertaken in conjunction with Jon Burns (Indigenous Sport Development Office) to review NT school swimming programs offered during 2010 to This reseach has assisted in setting priorities for school development activities in

17 3. Urban Indigenous Development Program Research undertaken in conjunction with Jon Burns has identified key contacts and delivery methods to ensure this important initiative can be rolled out early in the new reporting period (September 2012). 4. SWD Development Support in the identification of swimmers and subsequent linkage to existing programs has been provided and has worked successfully with Rose Gerlach and her outstanding program at Palmerston & Rural Swimming Club. Four swimmers have been identified and are now mainstream squad members for Palmerston & Rural Swimming Club. I also had the opportunity to work with Rose and we will be taking three swimmers to Sydney with the School Sports NT swimming team. 5. Metropolitan & Regional Development During the season I have been actively involved in supporting both metropolitan and regional clubs. In December 2011 I visited Nhulunbuy providing support to the club and also visited Groote Eylandt to develop interest in a new swimming program. These visits were essential to build relationships and to assist Gove Barras in develop a stronger position within the community. In March 2012 I visited Alice Springs Swimming Club providing assistance to the coaches and during this period I also visited Tennant Creek to encourage those involved in the sport to become affiliated with Swimming NT. Other promotional activities included involvement at the Defence Community Expo held in Palmerston, assisting Palmerston & Rural Swimming Club host a very successful Ready Set Race Day and installing a promotional tent with displays and flyers at the Gatorade Open Water Series at the Darwin Waterfront. During this period I have also assisted clubs by providing them with coaching support. In particular to Darwin, Nightcliff and Casuarina Storm Swimming clubs, this was given mainly during the off session to allow coaches some time off or to provide general support. 6. Senior Swimmer Retention Two informal activities were held with the Academy Program Leadership group with more to be identified from this process. 7. West Arnhem Schools Swimming & Lifestyle Clinic As part of the team in the successful delivery of the Bush Schools Swimming and Lifestyle Clinic (Alice Springs, November 2011) I was able to learn how a program could be developed for the West Arnhem Clinic to be held in October This will involve Jabiru and Gunbalanya schools with opportunities to extend to Maningrida, Ramingining and into Arnhem area schools in Coordinate the Swimming Northern Territory Academy Development Pathway Program. I have helped with the launching of the Academy Program. This has involved supporting the Athlete Development Committee, conducting athlete interviews for the Tier One swimmers and also supporting all other levels of the Academy program. Assistance has also been given at the various Clinics and Camps including the Flipper Clinic in November 2011, Skills Clinic in December 2011 and the Top 12 Clinic in February From October 2011 I have delivered four McDonald s Mini Clinics assisting the development of club level swimmers. These include the very successful McDonald s 9 & Under Mini Clinics. In May I had the opportunity to travel with and support our Darwin team at the NT Short Course Championships in Alice Springs. 16

18 INDIGENOUS SWIMMING DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Unfortunately our Indigenous Sport Development Officer, Jon Burns tendered his resignation (effective July 2012) after providing outstanding service, dedication and commitment since his appointment in April Jon s understanding of Indigenous Communities and work ethic were second to none and he will be exceptionally difficult to replace. We wish him well pursuing his career as a Physiotherapist in Canberra. I also thank Jon for his final report that has been used for this contribution to our 2012 Annual Report. The Swimming Northern Territory Indigenous Sport & Recreation Program in was moved to the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport. The Swimming Pathways Program has been funded to deliver to the communities of: Gunbalanya, Maningrida, Nguiu, Pirlangimpi, Wadeye, Areyonga, Kintore, Yuendumu, Yirrkala and Alyangula (in conjunction with the Swimming Australia Red Centre Program). Considerable progress has been made with the Swimming Pathways Program during 2011/2012. While accreditation training and disability reporting remain problematic all other Performance Indicators have been attained, were close to being attained or in other instances overachieved. As anticipated, due to weather conditions the final quarter funding period did not manage add additional outcomes in any of the targeted communities. Some of factors that affect the delivery of Indigenous Swimming Programs in the future would be beneficial for future program delivery and include: Lack of Shire funding and staffing Lack of trained staff in schools and communities Staff retention School focus on literacy (Despite the fact that Schools are required to provide at least two hours of physical activity in the curriculum each school week) Culturally appropriate programs School Cluster Swimming Program (Manage perceived representative focus) Jon on pool deck 17

19 The ISDO believes that the concentration of efforts should target identified communities throughout the year with smaller programs delivered in the remaining communities as interest and skills (including trained personnel) in the intensive program delivery communities is achieved. Given the complications in delivering any Indigenous program it will require ongoing effort to enable swimming to become a sport for all. The issues raised above are only the tip of the iceberg and discussion into issues such as Welfare State dependency that has occurred over approximately the last two decades has not been factored into this report. The ISDO has stated the he has enjoyed his time in the Northern Territory and has met some dedicated and wonderful people who are devoted to improving opportunities for Indigenous people. Unfortunately he has also reported that he has encountered people he believes do not have the motivation to work effectively in remote communities. His feedback has indicated that some personnel seem to be motivated purely by selfish purposes while others may lack the appropriate qualifications required to perform the duties of their position to the degree required. A small number of appointments such as this has the capacity to greatly hamper progress of sporting and other worthwhile development programs. This program, and many others like it, are working well and with continued care in the structure and delivery can achieve even greater outcomes. Performance Analysis Performance Indicator The number of Indigenous people involved with the management of the activity The number of Indigenous people who successfully completed accredited training in coaching / officiating (eg referee certificate) The number of participants in the funded activity The number of participants with a disability The number of times the activity was held The percentage of participants in the activity who are Indigenous The percentage of participants in the activity who are Indigenous The percentage of participants who are over 18 Planned Annual Target Actual to Date 1/7/11 to 30/9/2011 1/10/2011 to 31/12/ /2012 to 31/03/2012 1/4/2012 to 30/6/ ,300 1, % 98% 0 98% 97% 0 50% 48% 0 47% 49% 0 0% 2% 0 2% 1% 0 18

20 BUSH SCHOOLS SWIMMING & LIFESTYLE CLINIC Swimming Northern Territory has been involved in the past four years with Yipirinya School in Alice Springs to deliver the Bush Schools Swimming & Lifestyle Clinic and this has generated a great deal of interest in swimming from Schools in the Central Desert area. The Bush Schools Swimming & Lifestyle Clinic is now very successful and this concept has the potential to work if duplicated in other remote regions of Northern Territory. A similar program is being developed in Jabiru and is planned for October Programs such as these, if delivered to other remote communities would require some level of financial assistance however, as stated before they are well worth the effort and cost. Olympian, Lara Davenport, Coaching at the Bush Schools Swimming & Lifestyle Clinic TEAM MANAGERS REPORTS 2011 School Sport Championships: Melbourne Our President, Clare Labowitch, was a member of the Northern Territory team to the School Sport Championships in Melbourne and reported that it was a great success. Clare said, The team swam well and bonded well and it was a rare opportunity for our swimmers to travel and compete as a large team. With typical team sizes attending Australian Age, Short Course or Open Water Championships varying between only three to ten swimmers the opportunity to compete as part of a team of thirty was a welcome experience and we congratulate the following representatives of the Territory: Jarrod, Sallis, Ben Fuller, Ben Cooper, Alexandra Pilicic, Ayrton Innes, Brody Leibhardt, Emily Milikins, Paul McNamara, Stuart McRae, Kaitlyn Lee, Natasha Byrne, Jesse Staples, Saxon Radecki, Sam Murray, Sam Cooper, Emily Jones, Paris McCabe, Rochelle Bassett, Jayde Freeman, Amy Messenger, Donald McNamara, Dean Ryan, Jacqui Culgan, Olivia Culgan, Isobel, Tinning, Alice Milikins and James Toohey State Teams Age Short Course Championships (16 th 19 th September: AIS, Canberra) On Friday 16 th September I took a small team of Northern Territory swimmers to the State Teams Age Short Course Championships in Canberra. Our team consisted of Ben Fuller and Ben Cooper from Alice Springs and Kiah Hazel and Kaitlyn Lee from Darwin. Once again the team stayed at the Australian Institute of Sport residences and had all meals at the AIS Dining Hall, which is a great experience in itself. All swimmers also attended a very entertaining workshop/seminar prior to the meet that dealt with Illegal drugs in sport (recreational drugs that is), as opposed to the Drugs in Sport (performance enhancing) that some of them have attended before. 19

21 Our small team was a little intimidated not just by the very high level of competition, but also the sheer size of the other teams. Most states had up to their maximum of 40 swimmers. None of the Territory swimmers were what I would call extroverts, so there was no way they would even contemplate a Territory War Cry or chants like the other states, and there is no doubt that the teams with larger numbers motivate each other more. The No Marshalling caused a bit of confusion and we had a couple of near misses. A couple of other states did in fact have swimmers who missed events and this was discussed at the Team managers debrief. Next year the organisers will be clearer in their rules regarding marshalling and have a check starter actually on pool deck to avoid the confusion. In hindsight our swimmers were probably entered in too many events in the first session. The 50m skins events were held consecutively and the whole session was run very fast. Both Ben Fuller and Kiah were in all four skins events and there was hardly any time at all between swims even to come back and have a drink. I don t think any other states had any swimmers in all four skins events. The pace of this first session was also brought up at the Team Manager s meeting and next year they are going to split up the skins events so that the sprinters can in fact enter all four without having to back-up so fast. Both Ben Fuller and Ben Cooper had a great result swimming 7 and 6 personal best times respectively from their 9 events each. Having access to the new 25m pool in Alice over the winter no doubt helped their cause. Kaitlyn had just the one personal best (200m free) from her 7 events and Kiah swam 4 personal bests from her busy program of 10 events. Poor Kiah was exhausted after her final event. Queensland won the Championships with the highest team score and even though the NT came last on total points, we didn t come last relative to the number of swimmers we had. The kids can all be proud of their efforts. I was certainly proud of their performances in the pool and the way they behaved the entire trip. It was a pleasure to take them away. I m sure they all had a good time and it was definitely a great learning experience for those that hadn t been before, but I am sure it has the potential to be so much better and a lot more fun if we can qualify a bigger team. Fiona Wright Team Manager Ben Cooper, Kaitlyn Lee, Fiona Wright, Kiah Hazel & Ben Fuller 20

22 2012 Australian Open Water Championships (17 th 19 th February: Champion Lakes, WA) Five swimmers represented the NT at the Australian Open Water Championships: Jade Williamson 15 years 5klm Lara Whitehouse 14 years 5klm Zoe Nibbs 14 years 5klm Amy Messenger 12 years 2.5klm JX event Jesse Staples 12 years 2.5klm JX event This was the inaugural JX event - National Open Water Coach Greg Towle, together with national team athletes, conducted a clinic and information session on open water swimming prior to the 2.5km swim. The clinic was informative and the event itself was a good experience for Amy (38.58) and Jesse (38.24) conditions were very windy, rough and trying and they swam very well to finish 3 rd and 1 st respectively in their age divisions. This event is a good introduction to Open Water swimming at a national level and I would recommend that Swimming NT continue to support it in years to come. Our other swimmers experienced varying degrees of success. Unfortunately Zoe had been ill for the week prior to the meet, but still wanted to compete. The tough conditions proved too much and she withdrew from the race at the halfway stage. Lara swam bravely to finish 29 th (in a field of 45) in time of In her event Jade finished 15 th (in a field of 32) in a time of and met the qualifier for the 2013 event. The facilities at Champion Lakes were not ideal there was no public seating or shade for competitors. We did not know this prior so went totally unprepared. Many clubs bought their own shade structures, but there did not seem to be any supplied by Swimming WA which would have been preferable for clubs like us, that travelled from interstate. The actual course (being a rowing course) was easy to navigate however the windy conditions on the day made the swim a challenging one. Karen Messenger Team Representative RESULTS & REPRESENTATION TERRITORY MEETS 2011 GATORADE NT OPEN WATER PRE-CHAMPIONSHIPS SERIES 3 events at Darwin Waterfront Precinct Lagoon: 4 th June, 2 nd July, 13 th August Swimmers achieving the highest accumulated point score over the 3 meets of the pre-championships series (each received a trophy) Distance Age Group Male Female years Dean Ryan (TES) Paris McCabe (CAS) 1.2km years Joshua Dickman (PALM) Emma Koch (PALM)/ Savannah Rossingh (DAR) years Timothy Few (DAR) Megan Gallagher (DSLSC) 21+ years Chad Anderson (DAR) Moira Wigley (PALM) years Jarrod Sallis (DAR) Lara Whitehouse (NCLF) 3km years years Skip Hall (DSLSC) Ryoko Jones (DTC) 21

23 2011 GATORADE NT OPEN WATER CHAMPIONSHIPS Saturday 24 th September, Lake Bennett 1.2km Female 1 st Jemma Britton (13) Darwin 17: nd Stevie Nibbs (15) Casuarina 17: rd Paris McCabe (12) Casuarina 17: km Male 1 st Robert Gerlach (16) Darwin Surf Lifesaving 15:37.61 (Howard Springs PO Perpetual Trophy) 2 nd Ayrton Innes (14) Palmerston & Rural 16: rd Joshua Dickman (16) Palmerston & Rural 16: km Female 16yrs & Under: 1 st Lara Whitehouse (14) Nightcliff 1:13:52.68 (Carol Bolton Perpetual Trophy) 2 nd Zoe Nibbs (14) Casuarina 1:16: rd Amy Messenger (12) Casuarina 1:16: yrs & Over: 1 st Hayley Gosman (21) Darwin Triathlon 1:21: nd Ryoko Jones (35) Darwin Triathlon 1:44: km Male 16yrs & Under: 1 st Jarrod Sallis (15) Darwin 1:11:19.47 (John Dove Perpetual Trophy) 2 nd Ben Cooper (15) Alice Springs 1:13: years: 1 st Tim Few (19) Darwin 1:14: yrs & Over: 1 st Tim Green (28) Nightcliff 1:11: nd Skip Hall (32) Darwin Triathlon 1:17: rd Tobias Barnes (21) Darwin 1:20:

24 2012 VORGEE NT OPEN & AGE CHAMPIONSHIPS Thursday 8 th to Sunday 11 th March, Casuarina Swimming Pool RECORDS TUMBLE AT THE 2012 VORGEE NT OPEN & AGE CHAMPIONSHIPS The Casuarina Storm 200m 11-12years Medley relay team of Rochelle Basset, Jacqui Culgan, Paris McCabe and Amy Messenger broke the NT Allcomers record set by Darwin Swimming Club in October 1989 with a time of 2 minutes seconds, shaving.07 of a second off the previous record. The relay team included swimmer of the Meet, Jacqui Culgan who won that award with the most outstanding performance in one or more events, as measured by the Australian Open or Age Points system. Jacqui also won her Age Aggregate trophy for the highest pointscore for her age-group, the Champion Female award (for the swimmer gaining the most points in finals and timed finals) and Champion Distance Female award (achieving the strongest performance, as measured by the Australian Open or Age Points scale, in any one of the following events: 400m or 800m freestyle, 400m individual medley or a 200m form stroke). Jacqui is really becoming one of the Northern Territory s swimmers to watch out for. Savannah Rossingh was another top performer breaking Sarah Butler s Best by a Northern Territorian record in the 50 metres 17 years backstroke with a time of seconds. The new time was a 0.07 second improvement on the March 2010 record. This performance gave Savannah a second Qualifying Time standard for Australian Open Championships, an achievement she also set in the 50m Butterfly. Savannah also set an Australian Age Championships Qualifying Time in the 100m Butterfly and to round out her meet she also won both her Age Aggregate (in a tie with Kiah Hazel) and the Jim Gayton Trophy by winning the blue riband 50m freestyle event. Savannah is the only Northern Territory swimmer to qualify for the 2012 Australian Age Championships to be held in Brisbane from the 9 th to the 14 th April Perennial high performer, Tahnee Afuhaamango continues to break records and at the Championships set five DSISO (Downs Syndrome International Swimming Organisation) World Records, three in Masters and two in Open Events: 50m Butterfly Open Record (39.57 seconds) 50m Butterfly Masters Record (39.57 seconds) 50m Backstroke Open Record (44.97 seconds) 50m Backstroke Masters Record (44.97 seconds) 50m Breaststroke Masters Record (52.21 seconds) Tahnee s performances also saw her take home the Judith Green Trophy for the swimmer gaining the most points in multi class events. Casuarina Storm made a clean sweep of the Club Awards winning the Keith Gabel trophy (Awarded to the NT club whose swimmers gain the most points in finals and timed finals of breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly events at these championships), McDonald s 9 & Under Championships, Vorgee NT Open & Age Championships and the Overall Champion Club Trophy. 23

25 Jayce Brown, Ben Cooper and Tobias Barnes enjoying that winning feeling 2012 VORGEE NT OPEN & AGE CHAMPIONSHIPS Female and Male Age Aggregates AWARD WINNERS 10 & Under Marcia Dawson (Casuarina Storm) James Toohey (Casuarina Storm) 11 & Under Jacqui Culgan (Casuarina Storm) Samuel Murray (Casuarina Storm) 12 & Under Rochelle Basset (Casuarina Storm) Jesse Staples (Casuarina Storm) 13 & Under Karla Goy (City of Perth) Chad Blenkinship (Darwin) 14 & Under Jemma Britton (Darwin) Jayce Brown (Alice Springs) 15 & Under Nakita Pollock (Casuarina Storm) Ben Cooper (Darwin) 16 & Under Stevie Nibbs (Casuarina Storm) Joshua Dickman (Palmerston & Rural) 17 & Over Kiah Hazel (Casuarina Storm) Tim Few (Darwin) Savannah Rossingh (Darwin) Champion Female Awarded to the female swimmer gaining the most points in finals and timed finals. Jacqui Culgan Casuarina Storm 99 Points Champion Male Awarded to the male swimmer gaining the most points in finals and timed finals. Ben Cooper Darwin 149 Points Jim Gayton Trophy Awarded to the winner of the Women s Open 50m Freestyle Savannah Rossingh Darwin Paul Kinter Trophy Awarded to the winner of the Men s Open 50m Freestyle Jacob Netherway Casuarina Storm 24

26 2012 VORGEE NT OPEN & AGE CHAMPIONSHIPS Champion Distance Female Awarded to the female who achieved the strongest performance, as measured by the Australian Open or Age Points scale, in any one of the following events: 400m or 800m freestyle, 400m individual medley or a 200m form stroke. Jacqui Culgan Casuarina Storm 44 Points (200 Breaststroke) Champion Distance Male Awarded to the male, who achieved the strongest performance, as measured by the Open or Australian Age Points scale, in any one of the following events: the 400m or 1500m freestyle, 400m individual medley or a 200m form stroke. Michael de Kock Darwin Swimming Club 41 Points 200metre Breaststroke Judith Green Trophy: Awarded to the swimmer gaining the most points in multi class events Tahnee Afuhaamango Casuarina Storm 45 Points Swimmer of the Meet: Awarded to the Northern Territory swimmer with the most outstanding performance in one or more events, as measured by the Australian Open or Age Points system. Jacqui Culgan Casuarina Storm Swimming Club Relay Trophy: Awarded to the Club gaining most points during the Championships relay events Darwin Swimming Club 298 Points Keith Gabel Trophy: Awarded to the NT club whose swimmers gain the most points in finals and timed finals of breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly events at these championships. Casuarina Storm 745 Points Coaches of National Pool and Open Water Qualifiers Peter Brasher (Casuarina Storm) Amanda Bagley (Nightcliff) Clare Labowitch (Darwin) Daniel Gerlach (Palmerston & Rural) Vorgee NT Open and Age Champion Club Trophy Awarded to the Club gaining most points during the Open & Age Championships 1. Casuarina Storm Swimming Club Darwin Swimming Club Palmerston & Rural Swimming Club 243 Overall Champion Club Trophy Combined McDonald s 9 & Under and Vorgee NT Open & Age Championship Pointscore Awarded to the Northern Territory Club gaining the most points at the Open & Age Championships combined with the 9 & Under Championships. 1. Casuarina Storm Swimming Club Darwin Swimming Club Palmerston & Rural Swimming Club

27 McDonald s 9 & Under Championships McDonald s 9 & Under Championships Trophy Awarded to the Club gaining most points during the McDonald s 9 & Under Championships 1. Casuarina Storm 603 points 2. Palmerston & Rural points 3. Nightcliff 244 points 4. Darwin points Mrs Natasha Griggs presenting medals at the McDonald s 9 & Under Championships Announcements were made for three representative Teams: 2012 Australian Age Championships (Brisbane April 2012) Savannah Rossingh (Darwin Swimming Club) 2012 Australian Age State Teams Short Course Championships (AIS< Canberra September 2012) With a number of factors coming into play including the timeframe for these Championships a Train-On Squad was announced with final selection to be ratified after consideration of results at the NT Short Course Championships (Alice Springs): Harrison Oakhill Casuarina Storm Jemma Britton Darwin Jayce Brown Alice Springs Ben Cooper Darwin Jayde Freeman Darwin Andie Moffatt Darwin Paris McCabe Casuarina Storm Zoe Nibbs Casuarina Storm Jade Williamson Darwin 26

28 Power in the Water Series Overall improvement trophies are awarded to the 3 male and 3 female swimmers who achieve the greatest percentage improvement in any event over the Power in the Water Series. All competitors are eligible. Overall Male Time Improvement 1. Bryce Harton PALM 19.96% 100 free 2. Joshua Staples CAS 18.81% 50 free 3. James Delosa PALM 18.79% 100 free Overall Female Time Improvement 1. McKeely Tiller ALCE 17.01% 50 breast 2. Darci Lane NHUL 16.01% 50 free 3. Alexandra Delosa PALM 13.37% 50 free Regional improvement trophies are awarded to the 3 male and 3 female regional swimmers who achieve the greatest percentage improvement in any event over the Power in the Water Series. Only swimmers from regional clubs (Alice Springs, Katherine, Nhulunbuy) are eligible. Regional Male Time Improvement 1. Christopher Wnucynski NHUL 15.46% 50 fly 2. Charlie Newton ALCE 15.09% 100 breast 3. Liam Arkell NHUL free Regional Female Time Improvement 1. McKeely Tiller ALCE 17.01% 50 breast 2. Darci Lane NHUL 16.01% 50 free 3. Charlize Appo NHUL 12.49% 100 breast Power in the Water Overall Champion Club Trophy Points are calculated according to the total ranking points earned by team swimmers across all events during all meets of the series, divided by the number of swimmers from that team participating at those meets. 1. Darwin Swimming Club Casuarina Swimming Club Palmerston Swimming Club

29 Daz-L Distance Series There were three Daz-L Distance Meets held during the season with an award of $100 presented for the best male and female performance during the Series, as measured by the Australian Age Points System in one of the following events: 1500m Freestyle, 400m Freestyle, 400m Individual Medley. Daz-L Distance Awards: Amy Messenger, Casuarina Swimming Club - AAP score of 35 points in 1500m Freestyle Brody Leibhardt, Casuarina Swimming Club - AAP score of 38 points in 400m Individual Medley Amy Messenger and Brody Leibhardt receiving their awards LEAH CULLEN RELAY The Leah Cullen Relay was back on the calendar and a resounding success in no small part due to the interest generated by Palmerston & Rural Swimming Club. Teams were allocated lanes in accordance with their entry details in the two distances on offer. Congratulations to our winners, Swim Dynamics 4 in the 5k Corporate Challenge and to Casuarina Storm in the Club 10k Challenge, full results are detailed here: 5 Km Corporate Challenge Club 10km Challenge 1 st Swim Dynamics (4) 1: st Casuarina Storm Swimming Club 2: nd Royal Life Saving 1: nd Darwin Swimming Club 2: rd Swim Dynamics (2) 1: rd Palmerston & Rural Swimming Club 2: th Swim Dynamics (1) 1: th Mojo Magic 3: th Swim Dynamics (3) 1: th Merit Partners 2: