Juniors - Wollongong City Penguins
Training/Competition
Junior Development Program (Surf Education)The Junior Development Program (Surf Education) is the formal educational aspect of Junior Surf Lifesaving and must be completed by all participants in Junior Activities every season. Beginning with simple things such as the meaning of flags and moving to resuscitation and life saving skills. Each age group has a number of topics to learn and results in appropriate certificates. Surf Education takes the form of regular weekly talks, where members of the senior club will be joining the junior “Penguins” to share their skills and knowledge in Surf Education and skills training such as starting and finishing races, swim and board techniques, beach flag and sprint skills and relays. There is a wealth of talent in the club and these training days will benefit children of all ages. Surf Education TopicsU6 Surf Play One Focus is on play, participation and fun. Basic safety practices during activities, beach environment, sunsmart guidelines, the importance of having an adult with them at the beach, what a lifesaver is and what they do, wading, beach sprinting and beach flags U7 Surf Play Two Continued focus is on play, participation and fun. Introduction to Surf Life Saving, personal safety, Ecosurf, Sun Safety (Slip, Slop, Slap and Slide), surf conditions and hazards, surf safety, patrols/flags, wading confidence, beach flags, beach sprints/relays. U8 Surf Aware One Focus is on understanding, identifying and demonstrating sunsmart guidelines and dangers that relate to themselves, as well as what it means to feel safe, recognising emergency situations and how to get help, the beach environment and communities surf lifesavers operate in, surf sports skills focus on; bodyboarding, wading, dolphin-diving, beach sprint starts and beach flags. U9 Surf Aware Two Personal Safety Networks are introduced so participants are comfortable asking for help; impact of surf lifesavers on the beach, introduction to safety tips and the ability to identify hazardous surf conditions, begin to use a nipper board, basic board positioning and paddling, body surfing, sand running technique and diving for a beach flag. U10 Surf Safe One Identify surf club officials, water conservation, sun safety consequences of skin damage, learn about rips, recognising unsafe behaviours and relating these areas to preventative actions, introduction to resuscitation and CPR on a manikin, introduction to rescue techniques using body boards to assist distressed swimmers and experience rescue tubes, surf sports skills focusing on; entering and negotiating the surf on a board and beach relay baton changes. U11 Surf Safe Two Participants are encouraged to persist when needing help, energy conservation, recognising ‘at risk’ people and recognising and managing patients suffering from a range of basic first aid cases, how to perform CPR working towards a Resuscitation Certificate, interpersonal and beach signage communication, surf sports skills focusing on; board dismounts, catching waves on a board, board relay, surf swimming techniques, crouching beach sprint starts and ironman/ironwoman and cameron relay transitions. U12 Surf Smart One Learn about rights and responsibilities as a member of SLSA, how weather impacts the beach environment, on skin cancer and staying fit and healthy, the role of patrols, managing rips and using them to assist in rescues, work towards a Basic Emergency Care Certificate (as well as a Resuscitation Certificate), more signals, board rescue, rolling under a wave on a board, diving under large waves, beach sprint arm and leg drive and beach flags race strategies. U13 Surf Smart Two SLSA Member Safety and Wellbeing Policy, global warming and climate change impact on surf life saving, 10 surf safety tips, communicating with beach users, professional emergency services, tube rescue, Basic Emergency Care Certificate (as well as a Resuscitation Certificate), complete basic first aid and resuscitation, participate in an event for each of the disciplines: board race, board rescue, surf race, run-swim-run, beach sprint, beach relay, beach flags, ironman/ironwoman and cameron relay. U14 Surf Life Saving Cert (SRC) * The Under 14 age group is perhaps the most important age group for juniors. It is the last year of structured junior activities and the first where the junior can start to participate in regular surf lifesaving activities – patrols, open carnivals, etc. A number of skills and knowledge lessons are provided through the structured junior development program that pathway towards the Surf Rescue Certificate (SRC). The SRC is the introductory award for patrolling surf lifesavers and allows the recipient to take part in beach patrols. A member must be 13 years of age to sit the examination for this award. Completion of this award is a minimum requirement for participation in surf sports competition as an Under 15 (and in some instances as an Under 14). Most Under 14 members will complete this award as part of their regular junior activities. (* Assessment of SRC can only be completed by an approved Assessor) If a new member joins as an U11 then previous topics covered in U8, U9, U10 & U11 must be covered in the 1st season. All members are required to gain their respective Surf Education award for their age group every season prior to 31 December. Board and Land TrainingThe Wollongong City Penguins’ Head Coach is Matt Hiesley, who, together with assistant coach Hannah Walker, provides a focused development program in surf and board training for children from U9’s and above on Thursday afternoons. Children must be proficient to be able to attend. Please refer to Junior Evaluations (Proficiency) below. An additional session for our more senior competitors may be scheduled on another day. Please look for details in the newsletter and on the notice board. Children must be supervised by a parent or nominated adult at all times and assist with water safety. Children and their parents should report at the clubhouse at 4.00pm to collect boards for a 4:30pm start in the water. Children will be assessed and placed into two groups of 10 to 12: Group 1 Levels 1 to 6 Group 2 Levels 7 to 10 All team members are to wear the official club training rash vest which can be purchased at a subsidised cost of $10. A special weekend training camp will be planned in March. Land training (relays, flags, beach sprints) will be conducted on specific Sundays in lieu of pointscore that have been allocated throughout the season and included in the calendar. Junior Evaluations (Proficiencies)Proficiency is earned by the completion of the Junior Evaluations (Proficiencies) which will be conducted on Sunday 25 October. Children will be asked by their age manager to attempt this award and its completion will be recorded. Junior Activities Preliminary Skills EvaluationEvery junior member is required to participate in this evaluation, conducted by the club, prior to any junior water activity training or competition being undertaken each season. Junior Activities Competition Skills Evaluation – Open Water SwimTo be eligible for competition, junior members must complete an open water swim. The competition evaluation (open water swim) must be achieved before members are eligible to compete in inter-club competition. This is a minimum standard water proficiency requirement. The Junior Activities Preliminary Skills Evaluation and the Junior Activities Competition Skills Evaluation are conducted by the club, overseen by an accredited Assessor. NOTE: U/14 members who have successfully completed the SRC award or SRC proficiency after 1st July 2009 and prior to commencing Junior Activities for the 2009/2010 season are not required to complete the Junior Activities Preliminary Skills Evaluation or the Junior Activities Competition Skills Evaluation. Junior Preliminary Skills Assessment
Junior CompetitionTo be eligible to compete, a junior member must have completed the Junior Activities Preliminary Skills Evaluation and the Junior Activities Competition Skills Evaluation. To be eligible to compete at a championship event the children also need to have achieved the appropriate surf education award for their age by 31 December. |
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