2015 Schools Championships January 8 12, 2016 TEAM MANAGER S GUIDE Canoeing Western Australia and Canoe Tasmania Technical Committees would like to extend a warm welcome to all School competitors, friends, family, teachers, visitors and guests attending the Australian Championships in 2016. This year Canoeing WA and Canoe Tasmania have worked jointly to produce this event. We would like to thank Australian Canoeing for their support in running this event and Tasmanian canoe club for providing amenities, hospitality and volunteer support. Thank you to all the Volunteers who will be assisting during the Event. This event is only made possible by support from our major sponsors, Hydro Tasmania, Parks and Wildlife Tasmania and the Tasmania State Government. 1
PHILOSOPHY The Australian Schools Whitewater Championships is a participation event aimed at: Encouraging schools to incorporate the sports of Canoe Slalom and Wildwater racing into their official school sport program. Encouraging friendship and fostering interschool competition on a national level. Providing an environment where young Athletes of all competition levels can perform to the best of their ability. OBJECTIVES To acknowledge the best Athletes in individual, pairs and teams events. To acknowledge the best schools. To promote healthy competition between Australian schools and individual student athletes. PRINCIPLES Australian Canoeing Ltd (AC) through the National Slalom Technical Committee is responsible for the conduct of the event. The course should be on Grade 2 water unless otherwise agreed by the AC Slalom Technical Committee and/or the AC Wildwater Technical Committee. Safety is a priority and the event will be conducted in accordance with the Event Risk Management Plan. The event should be conducted in a spirit of fun, good sportsmanship and friendship. Any selection event attached to the event should take second priority after the above. The event should be conducted in conjunction with the National Championships as part of a carnival of paddling. The event, if practical, should be conducted during the schools Christmas break, or other major school holiday, to promote both school and family involvement. AGE GROUPS AND CLASSES 1. Age Groups: 1.1 The Schools competition is for the 2015 year. Age classification will be taken from age at 31 December 2015. See Attachment 1: Age categories, appending The Event Guide for table of age categories by year of birth. 1.2 The recommended minimum age for entry is 12 years of age. Entry for children aged 11 and under will be considered if accompanied by written documentation from Team s Head Coach indicating student s competence on the event course. The final decision will be at the discretion of the AC National Slalom Technical Committees and event organisers. 1.3 Consistent with other school sport programmes, individual athletes in the Australian Schools Whitewater Championships will be eligible to compete in the age group as determined by their date of birth. Event organisers may merge age groups to allow constitution of a valid class according to conditions and rules outlined in section 5. 2. Classes: 2.1 Kayak: MK1 & WK1, Canoe: MC1 & WC1, Canoe Double: MC2 & WC2 & Mixed C2 2.2 Minimum of 3 entries for individual events will constitute a class. 3. Teams: 3.1 Teams will be traditional format three boats of one class per team. 3.2 Minimum of 2 entries in any Team Event will constitute a class 3.3 Team Events will be offered in all classes in Senior [18 years and above to 16 years and under] and Junior [15 years and under & below]. Each school may only enter two teams per school in each Senior and Junior Slalom class. 2
3.4 Teams formed under the brother/sister school arrangement detailed in clause 12 will be treated as if they are a team per clause 4.1. 3.5 Individual Athletes may join together to form an independent team but that team will not be eligible for consideration in either the School Trophies or Individual Champion Awards. 4. Limit to the number of events an Athlete can enter: 4.1. Canoe slalom athletes may enter three classes in individual and pair events but only as Junior OR Senior. Athletes may also compete in one canoe slalom team event as Junior OR Senior only. 4.2. Athletes competing in wildwater events may enter one rapid sprint run per class and one classic wildwater run per class. (Provisional on adequate safety and officials available on day of the event) 4.3 Wildwater teams event will be offered in sprint only. Athletes can enter only one rapid sprint team event. 5. Constitution of a class. 5.1 For Senior Classes to be contested there must be a minimum of three entries at the close of entries and two starters. If there is not a constituted class, athletes will be moved up to the next available age group. An exception to this is 18 years + class, where less than three entries will still constitute a class. 5.2 For Junior Classes to be contested there must be a minimum of three entries, at the close of entries and two starters. If there is not a constituted class, athletes will be moved up to the next available age group. An exception to this is 15 years and under class, where less than three entries will still constitute a class. 5.3 Athletes will not be moved from Junior to Senior classes, except where the athlete is competing in a C2 or Team event with a senior athlete. 6. Medals 6.1 Medals will be presented to all place getters who have defeated at least one other starter. 7. Eligibility 7.1 Athletes must have been enrolled for full time schooling on the last day of expected attendance for the year or enrolled in a recognised home schooling programme. Acceptance of entries outside these criteria will be at the discretion of Event Organiser or the AC Slalom Technical Committee. 7.2 Pairs and teams must consist of Athletes from the same school. In the case of single sex schools, they may nominate a brother/sister school with whom they may pair for mixed events. All mixed crews from those schools must be from only the two nominated schools. Such brother/sister schools must be nominated on the entry forms. Athletes competing under such brother/sister school arrangements are eligible to accrue points for School and individual Champion trophies. 7.3 Athletes from small schools may join with Athletes from other schools to race if they cannot make a pair or team within their school. Any of these mixed school pairs or teams, not nominated as brother/sister schools are not eligible to accrue points to School or individual Champion trophies. 3
ENTRIES 1. Entries should be received from the school where the school is entering in excess of 5 athletes. Smaller schools can enter as a school or by individual entries. When making an individual entry please ensure consistency with name of the school from all school members on the entry form. For single sex schools please indicate Brother/Sister school pairing. 2. Entries are preferred via the official event website using the on- line entry system. Fees need to accompany entry. Large schools may discuss alternative entry systems, eg via spreadsheet, with Kate Vyvyan: kate@vyvyan.net 3. Cost per paddler $100 for all events including Teams Entries. 4. Entries are planned to be open late November and will close on Friday December 11th, 2015, 5pm. 5. Late entries will be accepted at the discretion of the organisers and only if there is room in the program. The surcharge for late entries is $20 per paddler. 6. Only 50% of named C2 crew may be substituted after entries lodged. 7. Individual Athletes may not be substituted. 8. Teams must be entered in accordance via the online system. 9. The names of the Athletes in each team must be provided, in writing, to Compiling 24 hours before the team event. 10. The entry form must be accompanied by a signed document from the school to confirm that students are currently enrolled on the last school day of the year. Where there is more than one Athlete enrolled at a school this may be done in one document confirming the names of the members of the school team entered in the championships. 11. Entries must be accompanied by at least one of the following: 11.1 Evidence of AC club membership for all Athletes 11.2 Evidence of the School s sanctioning of the event and subsequent insurance cover for their students. 11.3 An Event License to provide temporary AC membership with attendant insurance cover. This may be arranged with the Organising Committee at a fee of $10.00 per athlete. 11.4 Entries from International Athletes must be endorsed by their National Association. 12. There will be no refund of entry fees should it be necessary to cancel the event either prior to or during the course of the competition as a result of factors outside the control of the event organisers. RULES 1. The event shall be conducted under the Competition Rules nominated by the AC Slalom Committee (www.canoe.org.au) unless specifically stated in this document. 2. For Canoe Slalom, placing will be determined by the best of two runs for all ages. There will be no qualification or semi- final preliminary events the event will be a final consisting of two runs with the best of these to be used for placing. 3. The Organisers reserve the right to alter the start order to fastest to slowest, to help prevent overtaking and make the Event run more smoothly. 5. Athletes in 15 years and under may have one non- stop practice run (in one class only) on the course at the advertised time unless they have nominated for any National team as this race constitutes one of the selection events. 6. No allowances for boat sharing will be made within a class. Boat sharing needs to be managed by the school to ensure the program is not held up. This will avoid the disappointment of not being able to start. Athletes not at the start line at the designated start time will not be permitted to start. 7. The Organisers reserve the right to drop a gate for 15 years and under following the release of the course design. 4
POINTS SYSTEM Points will be awarded to Athletes on a 5, 3, 2, 1 basis in the overall Champion Schools competition and 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, for Individual Champion point scores. SCHOOL TROPHIES The following trophies will be awarded in the National Schools Competition: Overall Champion School Most points Winning Girls Team Most points Winning Boys Team Most points Winning Small School Most points gained by a school of < 10 entrants. This school will receive a perpetual award. INDIVIDUAL CHAMPION AWARDS The following awards will be made: Senior Male Athletes in the 18 years and above to 16 years age group Senior Female Athletes in the 18 years and above to 16 years age group Junior Male Athletes in the 15 years and under age group Junior Female Athletes in the 15 years and under age group Note: The split between the Senior and Junior Categories has been adjusted to line up with the Senior / Junior age groupings used in Secondary Schools. METHOD 1. For a particular event (e.g. K1M Canoe Slalom) the performances of all the Athletes in the age range are ranked from fastest to slowest and points awarded on a descending basis, accordingly. 2. Athlete s best time will be based on the best of two runs in Canoe Slalom. 3. Where the ages of athletes competing in the same boat in either an individual C2 or mixed C2 event are such that one is Senior and the other Junior, then the event will not be valid for consideration in the Junior Individual Championship points. 4. The two best individual Slalom performances (from K1, C1, C2, or MixC2 individual event) and best individual Wildwater performance (any class) are to be included to give an individual their points score. 5. Team events cannot accrue points for the Individual awards. Only one C2 (Canoe Slalom) event will be valid for inclusion in the individual points score. INTERNATIONAL ATHLETES 1. International Athletes will be permitted to enter under the same rules as Australian athletes. 2. Medals will be presented to the top three Australians. 3. International Athletes will receive medals based on their placing in the competition overall. This may mean up to 2 medals for each placing may be awarded. 4. The title of Australian Schools Champion will belong to the best performing Australian athlete. 5. International Athletes are not eligible for Individual Senior and Junior Champion Trophies, or for School Trophies. 5
For details regarding the following please refer to the Event Guide; Craft Competitors and Officials Briefing Body Number Distribution Race Selection Information Awards Safety Provisional Schools Programme Table of Age Categories for Schools Championships EVENT CONTACTS Race Director Lucy Williams lucy@williams.com.au Assistant Race Director Paul Black fp.black@bigpond.com Treasurer/Entries Kate Vyvyan kate@vyvyan.net Compiling Dave Borojevic dnb@internode.on.net Site Organiser Peter Eckhardt petereckhardt1960@gmail.com Wildwater Matt Dalziel matt.dalziel@education.tas.gov.au Chief Judge Marion Ewing marione@gengo.com.au - end- 6