Swimming's Youth make a lasting impact on our sport - 2018 Leadership Camp wrap up

From 15-16 September and 22-23 September, 120 swimmers aged 11-15 years took over the Coffs Coast Adventure Centre, Lake Keepit Sport and Rec Centre (Tamworth), Lake Burrendong (Dubbo) and Borambola Sport and Rec Centre.

The Swimming NSW Youth Advisory Panel expanded their 2018 Lane Ropes to Leadership program to include four overnight Youth Leadership Camps in regional locations.

The camps were organised by the Youth Advisory Panel (YAP), which is made up of 15 teenaged Swimming NSW members. The YAP was formed to assist the Board of Swimming NSW with ideas on retaining teenagers in the sport of swimming and to try to combat the wide spread dropout rate we see around 13-14 years of age.

This is only the second year of the Lane Ropes to Leadership project, and the growth rate is impressive. A pilot camp last year attracted 30 swimmers from around NSW, and this year’s four camps involved 120 swimmers from 85 Swimming NSW clubs. Its highly successful formula includes educational sessions and activities during the camp which are planned, designed and presented by the Youth Advisory Panel members themselves (aged 13-19).

Participants took part in sessions designed to expand their knowledge of the various aspects of swimming, outside of the pool! The concept of the camps is to provide swimmers with skills they can take back to their clubs to improve the club environment for their peers and encourage retention of members by making club nights more fun, offering social club activities and helping create a team atmosphere that swimmers want to be part of. It is also to open their eyes to the opportunities swimming can offer beyond PBs and gold medals.

Workshops such as communication skills, event planning, time management, Optus Junior Dolphin coaching, Technical Official practical training, personal development and team building activities were part of every camp.

The feedback was extremely positive from all involved and we look forward to hearing success stories from clubs across the state as a result of the camp.

Keep your eye out for the 2019 Lane Ropes to Leadership camp dates and locations, as well as other projects from the Youth Advisory Panel.

A big thank you to all swimmers who attended the camps, contributed so much and represented their clubs exceptionally.

And we must pay tribute to our remarkable Youth Advisory Panel members who planned, attended and delivered presentations at the Leadership Camps. Thank you all for your dedication.

Learn more about the Lane Ropes to Leadership Program and our Youth Advisory Panel here.