Swimming for Fairholme College Students

Transcription

1 Swimming for Fairholme College Students Why choose Fairholme? At Fairholme College Aquatic Centre we believe that swimming is your playground for life. Through a holistic program based on principles of long term swimmer development, our College swim program, known as Fairholme FLAMES, aims to promote swimming as a sport for both recreation and competition. Our highly trained and dedicated coaching staff are carefully selected to ensure that this philosophy is consistent throughout the program. Head Coach Mr Tim Taylor, oversees the Aquatic Programs at the Centre and takes our Youth Development Squad who train to compete at both a State and National Level. Mr Dave Negus oversees the Junior Squad Program with swimmers from Year 4 to 6 in his care. There is both a fitness and stroke development stream and a performance Junior Development Squad. Our Youth Squad for Year 7 and above is taken by Ms Hayley Wolff. Squad training fees are part of school fees for students of Fairholme College. Squad training is available each afternoon after school and on several mornings before school. Students training in outside swim programs are unable to participate in squad training at Fairholme. For students whose ambitions lie in swimming competitively at an elite level above and beyond Fairholme FLAMES, Fairholme Aquatic Centre is also home to Fairholme Aquatics Swimming Club. Club membership is open to all Fairholme College students and the wider community who train at the Centre in our squads. Swimwear Uniform Requirements 1. When swimming at Fairholme Aquatic Centre, during PE classes or representing your College house at internal swim meets: wear Fairholme togs, with your College house swim cap (Black, Cameron, Powell or Stephens). Goggles must also be worn. 2. When swimming at any external meet, representing the College overall: wear Fairholme togs, with the appropriate Fairholme swim cap (dependent on the meet). Goggles must also be worn. Season Calendar: An Overview Naturally, the majority of swimming activities take place in the warmer months. Our swim season follows the financial year cycle, from 1 July to 30 June. Therefore as winter draws to a close in Term 3, our season starts to heat up and swimmers begin to emerge from hibernation. By Term 4, all swimmers are well and truly training hard in the pool in preparation for Term 4 and Term 1 swim events. The first Fairholme FLAMES racing events of the season include the 'Spring Carnival of Swimming' Invitational Meet, Spring Fair Aquathon, College Swimming Tournaments, and the Primary State Relay at Chandler Aquatic Centre in Brisbane. Inter College Swim Meets also take place, where Fairholme students travel away for the afternoon to compete against another girls' colleges in South East Queensland. Term 1 sees swimming reach its peak. The Swimmers' Breakfast kicks this busy term off on the first Friday of the school year, followed by weeks of swimming during Sport classes, the Prep to Year 3 fortnight intensive, Andrews Cup and Primary Zone Swimming, completion of time trials and preparation for the all-important Interhouse Swimming Carnivals. Further opportunities for high performers include regional trials and state trials, and the premier event on our college swimming calendar: Toowoomba Secondary Schools Swimming. The action in the pool winds down in Term 2, however stroke correction classes, SPE and Life Saving clinics are available for those interested. Swimming is your playground for life! FLAMES: Page 1 of 5

2 Key Programs and Events Fairholme FLAMES Junior School Middle School School Middle and School Interhouse Carnival Year 7 to 12 Junior School Interhouse Carnival Year 4 to 6 Dolphin Carnival Prep to Year 3 TSSS A Meet and A Schools Dinner Year 7 to 12 2nd Twenty Team Year 7 to 12 Secondary Schools Regionals Year 7 to 12 Secondary Schools States Year 7 to 12 Secondary Schools Nationals Year 7 to 12 Andrews' Cup Swimming Year 3 to 6 Primary Schools Regionals Year 4 to 6 Primary Schools States Year 4 to 6 Primary State Relay Championships Year 4 to 6 Primary Schools Nationals Year 4 to 6 Inter College Swim Meets Year 7 to 11 Invitational Meet (in aid of Parkinson's QLD) Year 4 to 12 SPE Prep to Year 3 Intensive: 2 weeks Prep to Year 3 Swimmers' Breakfast Middle Championship Trials Year 4 to 6 Middle Stroke Correction Middle College Training Squad Year 7 to 12 School Swimming Tournament Middle School Swimming Tournament Middle Junior School Swimming Tournament Year 4 to 6 Water Polo Year 10 Royal Life Saving Competition Middle Life Saving Year 9 VET Program After School Junior School Middle School School Learn to Swim including FAST Track Junior Middle Squads Junior Middle Please note: an assessment will need to be carried out for all Junior School swimmers entering the squad program. Prep to Year 3 Fairholme College Aquatic Centre Junior School Middle School School Fairholme Aquatics Swimming Club Junior Middle Learn to Swim: Macca s Mini Meet FAST Links: Over 18 s Swimming Junior Swimming is your playground for life! FLAMES: Page 2 of 5

3 Junior School Prep to Year 3 For this age group, swimming is all about enjoying the girls' experience in the water, becoming confident and independent swimmers, instilling water safety skills and having fun. All year round, Fairholme Aquatics Swim School offers a comprehensive Learn to Swim program under the guidance of Mrs Judy Dickinson, our Head of Learn to Swim. Children can enrol in the Learn to Swim program from 6 months of age, so on many occasions, Fairholme College girls have already been swimming with us from very early on. For two weeks in Term 1, a timely boost is provided during the Prep to Year 3 Learn to Swim Intensive. Girls swim every weekday (10 days in total) during school hours and many receive great benefit from a concentrated skills focus. This is also a fantastic time of preparation for the Dolphin Carnival held at the end of Term 1. Years 4 to 6 Swimmers are now gaining water fitness, and developing correct technique across all four strokes: freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly, particularly those who continue Learn to Swim lessons until graduation from the 8-level program. It is our hope that following their graduation, students continue on swimming enrolled in our squads program and perhaps start to swim competitively on behalf of FAST Swim Club. In doing so they maintain water fitness and live out the philosophy that swimming can be your playground for life. Swimming is conducted during Sport classes in Terms 1 and 4, which, combined with internal swim meets including the Invitational Meet, Junior Swim Tournament and Junior Interhouse Carnival, provide a solid platform for team performance at Andrews Cup Swimming, Primary State Relay, Primary Zone Swimming, and Darling Downs and Queensland Primary School Swimming. These are the years in which the girls learn to develop a strong work ethic, the importance of committing to and supporting your teammates, and the reward of hard work. Middle and School The focus across Fairholme FLAMES now turns to refining technique, developing a competitive mindset as well as race fitness, and if given the privilege to do so, representing the College with character and integrity at external swim meets. A vast array of opportunities to train in the pool and practice racing in a familiar environment are available to the girls including Sports classes, Invitational Meet, Middle and Tournaments, and the Interhouse Carnival. Girls in this age group have the opportunity to train in the squads program before and after school. Training fees do not apply for Fairholme College students. For those who are keen and have the commitment and ability, they may also choose to compete at regional, state and national swim meets as a member of FAST Swim Club. girls may also pursue completion of our Vocational Education Training (VET) program, as well as taking up a leadership role within the FLAMES. Swimming is your playground for life! FLAMES: Page 3 of 5

4 FLAMES Competition Opportunities These events are usually held at away venues, although we may take turns to host at Fairholme Aquatic Centre. They represent opportunities for Fairholme College s best swim teams to compete against other colleges, schools and individuals across South East QLD and at the elite end, QLD State. Level A Swimming - Black Caps: FLAMES TSSS A Team The A Schools Team of approx 25 swimmers is the pinnacle of the College Swimming Program, both in-house and external. This Team is embedded in Fairholme College history and its success is unparalleled in swimming, winning 28 of the past 34 TSSS meets. The best possible secondary team is selected to represent Fairholme. FLAMES Andrews Cup Team This team of 40 swimmers competes against 9 Junior Girls Colleges. Selection into this team is largely off the results from the College Interhouse Meet. This is the highest level primary school team. The competition tests both quality and depth of the College swim program. Level B Swimming - Yellow Caps: FLAMES Clayfield College Meet Team Competing against Clayfield College, this secondary team is a combination of FLAMES TSSS A team, FLAMES 2nd Twenty and FLAMES training squad members. Clayfield is a strong swimming school in the GPS Competition. Team size is approximately 50 swimmers. Members of this team are also considered for Interstate Representative Teams. FLAMES Primary Relay Team A maximum of 16 primary swimmers are invited to represent the College at the State Primary School Relay Championships. This is a tough meet and to make finals is an outstanding achievement. Level C Swimming - Red Caps: FLAMES Secondary Regionals Team This team competes in the Darling Downs Secondary School Regional Swimming Trials. Secondary swimmers are selected from these trials to represent DD at the Queensland Secondary School Swimming Championships. Selection onto the Queensland Schools Swimming Teams is through this meet. Fairholme s team has swimmers. FLAMES Primary Zones Team Fairholme selects a Team of around 25 primary swimmers to compete in the Range Zones swimming meet. In 2015 the meet will be combined with all zones and raced as a time trial carnival. Swimmers can progress to selection onto the Darling Downs Team and then onto the Queensland Team. Level D Swimming - White Caps: FLAMES College Representative Teams These teams are comprised of Fairholme secondary swimmers that compete against several Brisbane Colleges throughout the season. They may also compete in local inter school competitions. Swimming is your playground for life! FLAMES: Page 4 of 5

5 About Fairholme Aquatic Centre All programs run by Fairholme Aquatic Centre exist to support and add value to our core program, Fairholme FLAMES (Fairholme College Swim Program). About Swimming at Fairholme College Fairholme College has a proud and long history of outstanding swimmers, particularly when it comes to those girls who have represented the College in competing against other schools. On many occasions, it is not that our swimmers have had the best times in the field, and often, it is the opposite - on paper, we will not win. It is, however, the undeniable spirit, achieving attitude and belief in one another that has seen our girls return to the College with victory from the pool, time and time again. When training the girls, our coaches seek to instil the following values: The enjoyment of swimming as a sport for both competition and recreation Character traits of respect and integrity, goal setting and achievement, improve self-esteem, technical skills, and the intense desire and commitment necessary for maximum realisation of each individual s potential The benefits of being in a strong team with excellent team spirit: cooperation, commitment, dedication and friendship Self-esteem and confidence in swimmers both in and out of the aquatic environment Our underpinning philosophy that swimming is your playground for life! Key College Staff Head Swim Coach: Junior Squad, Andrews Cup & Primary State Relay Swim Coach: Youth Squad and Life Saving Coach: Head of Learn to Swim: Head of Sport and Activities Head of Health and Physical Education Middle and PE Teachers Head of Junior Sport Tim Taylor Dave Negus Hayley Wolff Judy Dickinson Nick Byron Katrina Gierke Brigitte Powell, John Sessarago Lee-Ann Grantham Office Hours The Aquatic Centre Office is open Monday to Friday between 9am to 11am, and 2.30pm to 5.30pm, and on Saturday mornings from 9am to 11am. Reduced hours of operation occur during school holiday periods - these changes will be advised in the Aquatic Centre newsletter. Swimming is your playground for life! FLAMES: Page 5 of 5