Whales Challenge #2

Last Saturday saw the 2nd Whales Challenge swum and won. Another very close event, with the lead changing a couple of times. Maroon again came back late to win Round 2 and take a 2 – 0 lead. White can (will) redeem themselves on Saturday 14th March, 2020 by winning the 3rd Whales Challenge and finishing the season on a winning note.

Speedo Sprint Series – Metro South West Heats

Entries for the Speedo Sprint Series have closed and we have a strong team heading to Blacktown Aquatic Centre next Saturday, 1st February, 2020 (meet commences at 1.30pm & your coaches will give you a time to be there for warm-up). Good luck to all of our team, may the Whale be with you all.

Merrylands SwimFest & Masters Meets – Saturday 22nd February, 2020

Only 4 weeks until our biggest event this summer. Your help on the day will be greatly appreciated. Graham will be working out role details over the coming weeks.

Remember entries for the Merrylands SwimFest close next Saturday 8th February, 2020 at 5.00pm. Merrylands members receive a discount on race entry costs. Enter using the "Entries for Merrylands Members" button.

Our Masters Meet is open to all swimmers 18yrs & Over. You don’t need to be a member of Masters Swimming to enter, so if you would like to try a 50 metre race, give it a go! Entries for the Masters Meet close on Friday 14th February, 2020 at 12.00pm on the Masters Swimming NSW online entry system.

For those who are Masters members, remember to renew your 2020 Masters Membership, as you will need to be a member for upcoming State & National Championship entries.

Whales Tales Online

To play our part in waste reduction we are considering moving the weekly Whales Tales to online content only. Do you want the weekly Whales Tales delivered straight to your inbox? Simply sign-up online, and never miss the latest news.

Club Uniform

For all club uniform orders visit the online shop https://shop.merrylandsasc.asn.au/club-uniforms.
If you have any questions about club uniform items please see the Property Officer (Margaret Edwards).

50 Years Ago

A photo of club races from 1970. No club room yet, a nice lawn in the area and no shade awning at the end of the pool. What about those blocks & lane ropes, not to mention the costumes and hair styles!

Upcoming Events

Sponsors

We again thank our major sponsors who provide fantastic support to our club. If you know of a business or organisation who may be interested in providing sponsorship or support to our club please let Graham know.

Air Quality Conditions

As we all know the air quality in Sydney has been varied over the bushfire period so far. This has impacted on squad training sessions and also led to the late cancellation of club races last Saturday morning.

Swimming NSW has recently provided best practice guidelines for clubs in smoke-affected areas. These guidelines are sourced from the AIS and utilise the Air Quality Index to assist clubs in considering what activities may be impacted by air quality changes. The Committee will be discussing these recently provided guidelines to establish our club’s practices during these periods of time.

Check the club website for updates on whether squad training sessions are on, before leaving for the pool each day. If sessions are cancelled, an update will be posted on the club website by 3:30pm on that day.

Member Contact Information

To assist the club in providing you with timely information, such as cancellations, it is important that your contact information in Swim Central is up-to-date. Contact details, such as mobile phone numbers are used to forward urgent sms alerts to members and we noticed last Saturday morning that many members contact details are not up-to-date in Swim Central.

Please take the time to check your details in Swim Central and update them if they are missing or have changed since you last provided them.

Whales Challenge #2

Today we are holding the 2nd Whales Challenge. Maroon came back late to win Round 1. Can White even the score? Even the Melbourne Renegades have won a game, so there is no reason why White cannot win this week. Teams remain the same throughout the season, so make sure you wear your team cap to score points for your team. Maroon silicon caps are available for purchase through the club shop: https://shop.merrylandsasc.asn.au/

Speedo Sprint Series – Metro South West Heats

Entries for the Speedo Sprint Series close on Tuesday, 21st January at 5pm. We already have a good number of swimmers from our club entered but we would like to see all of our swimmers aged 8-13yrs who can swim 50m enter this meet. Speak to your coach if you are unsure whether you should enter. Entries are completed online. See the website for details.

Merrylands SwimFest & Masters Meets – Saturday 22nd February, 2020

Our biggest event this summer and we need all hands on deck either as swimmers and/or helpers.

Today’s featured job: Set up and pack up – club members have displayed a “well oiled machine” approach to setting up and packing up in the past, so we plan to achieve this again. We will need to carry out activities such as lane rope & backstroke flag changeovers, erecting gazebos, installing touch pads, setting up the bbq as well as a bunch of other jobs. We look forward to everyone helping with these tasks. Speak to Graham to put your name down.

Our Masters Meet is open to all swimmers 18yrs & Over. You don’t need to be a member of Masters Swimming to enter, so if you think you would like to try competing, give it a go! The SwimFest is open to all swimmers and is great practice for school carnivals. See the website for details on how to enter.

Junior, Development and Age Squad Skills & Drills Workshops

These workshops will be held on Thursday mornings during January from 7am to 8:15am. The first one was held last week and we are looking forward to seeing the work done on starts put into practice this morning. There is one workshop left - register on the website if you would like to attend: https://squadshop.merrylandsasc.asn.au/

Fun Facts

• There is enough water in Olympic-sized pools to take 9400 baths;
• Swimming dates back to 2500BCE and can be seen in ancient Egyptian drawings. Breaststroke goes back to the Stone Ages, but it wasn’t until 1904 when it was swum competitively at the Olympics;
• The first recorded version of swimming goggles was during the 14th century in Persia. It wasn’t until the 1930s when rubber goggles were created;
• Swimming is one of the most intense sports out there. The reason is because swimming is a full body exercise. You name the muscle, swimming uses it. Swimming burns almost 30% more calories than running per hour;
• Elephants swim an average of 32 kilometres a day, so why are they so big then???

Australia Swims

Now in its third year, the initiative encourages all Australians to celebrate their love of the water and commit the distance they plan to swim in January – whether it’s 50 metres or 50 kilometres – to a nationwide challenge. Whilst we are now halfway through January there is still time for you to register and participate in this event. For more details see https://australiaswims.com.au/

Whales Tales Online

To play our part in waste reduction we are considering moving the weekly Whales Tales to online content only. Do you want the weekly Whales Tales delivered straight to your inbox? Simply sign-up online, and never miss the latest news.

Upcoming Events

Sponsors

We again thank our major sponsors who provide fantastic support to our club. If you know of a business or organisation who may be interested in providing sponsorship or support to our club please let Graham know.

Merrylands 50s

Congratulations to Joseph Assi who took out the Merrylands 50s last week after some very exciting racing. Breeanah Khoury finished 2nd, with Chloe Ton 3rd. The full results here. Well done everyone who entered!

Handicap Relay

The 2x50m Handicap Relay is on today. Want to enter? Get a team mate, buy a Relay Card ($1), come up with a team name and give your card to the Recorders before 7:30am.

Whales Challenge #2

The 2nd Whales Challenge is on Saturday, 18th January. Maroon dominated in Round 1. Can White even the score? Teams remain the same through the summer, so don’t forget your team cap. Maroon silicon caps are available for purchase through the Club Shop.

Squad Training today

All training sessions will start at 9am today.

Speedo Sprint Series – Metro South West Heats

Entries for the Speedo Sprint Series close on Tuesday, 21st January at 5pm. A good number of swimmers from our club have already entered which is great to see. Swimmers aged 8-13yrs that can swim 50m are encouraged to swim at this meet - speak to your coach if you are unsure whether you should enter. Entries are completed online.

Merrylands SwimFest & Masters Meets – Saturday 22nd February, 2020

Our biggest event this summer and we need all hands on deck either as swimmers and/or helpers.

Today’s featured job: Timekeeping – one of the best jobs at the meets! You get the best seat in the house, with food served to you on a platter. All you need to do is push a button every minute or so. We need 14 timekeepers for the Masters Meet, and 16 timekeepers for the SwimFest. Speak to Graham to put your name down.

Our Masters Meet is open to all swimmers 18yrs & Over. You don’t need to be a member of Masters Swimming to enter, so if you think you would like to try competing, give it a go! The SwimFest is open to all swimmers and is great practice for school carnivals. See the event pages for details on how to enter.

Junior, Development and Age Squad Skills & Drills Workshops

These workshops will be held on Thursday mornings during January from 7am to 8:15am. The first one was held during the week and we are looking forward to seeing the work done on starts put into practice this morning. There are two workshops left - Register if you would like to attend.

Whales Tales Online

Do you want the weekly Whales Tales delivered straight to your inbox? Simply sign-up online, and never miss the latest news.

Sponsors

We again thank our major sponsors who provide fantastic support to our club. If you know of a business or organisation who may be interested in providing sponsorship or support to our club please let Graham know.

Happy New Year!

Welcome back to Swimming Club for 2020! We hope you all had a restful Christmas and New Year and are ready to hit the water for 2020!

Merrylands 50s

The Merrylands 50s are back this week with 30 eager competitors ready to take up the challenge. This Knockout Handicap event consists of 3 rounds – Heats, Semis and Finals – with each round held at different points within this morning’s program. The top 4 placed swimmers in each Heat progress onto the Semi-Finals. The top for from each Semi, then progress to the final.
The Heats will be held after the 100m Breaststroke, the Semis after the 200m events, and the Final after the 400m events. Can Lisa Shrestha defend her inaugural title?

Timekeepers Practical Assessment

Congratulations to our 13 new timekeepers for completing their practical assessment on Saturday, 21st December. Well done everyone!

Squad Training today

All training sessions will start at 9am today.

Speedo Sprint Series – Metro South West Heats

Entries for the Speedo Sprint Series close on Tuesday, 21st January at 5pm. Swimmers aged 8-13yrs that can swim 50m are encouraged to enter this meet. See the Upcoming Meets page for details on how to enter.

Campbelltown Masters Meet

The first Masters Meet of 2020 is at Campbelltown on Saturday, 18th January. Entries close on Friday, 10th January at 12 noon. See the Upcoming Meets page for details on how to enter.

Merrylands SwimFest & Masters Meets – Saturday 22nd February, 2020

Our biggest event this summer and we need all hands on deck either as swimmers and/or helpers.

Our Masters Meet is open to all swimmers 18yrs & Over. You don’t need to be a member of Masters Swimming to enter, so if you think you would like to try competing, give it a go! The SwimFest is open to all swimmers and is great practice for school carnivals. See the Upcoming Meets page for details on how to enter.

Junior, Development and Age Squad Skills & Drills Workshops

These workshops will be held on Thursday mornings during January from 7am to 8:15am. Register on the website if you would like to attend.

Whales Tales Online

Do you want the weekly Whales Tales delivered straight to your inbox? Simply sign-up online, and never miss the latest news.

Sponsors

We again thank our major sponsors who provide fantastic support to our club. If you know of a business or organisation who may be interested in providing sponsorship or support to our club please let Graham know.

Christmas Wishes

We are already half way through the season and today is our last day for club races in 2019. Where have the first 12 weeks of club races gone? On behalf of the Committee I would like to wish every one of our members and their family’s a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Safe New Year.

After club races this morning we will have a BBQ breakfast, Christmas Hamper raffle draw & novelty events. Thank you to everyone who has donated prizes for the hampers. Tickets are $1 and a book of 10 tickets is $10, which you can still purchase this morning before the draw.

We look forward to seeing you back at training and club races on Saturday 4th January, 2020. We will have the Merrylands 50’s competition on during the morning races, so don’t forget to get your entries in. Can Lisa Shrestha defend her inaugural title?

Swimming NSW Senior State Age Championships

Vanessa Ozols and Alison Sakurovs represented our club at this meet last weekend. Congratulations to both Vanessa and Alison on their swims.

Timekeepers Practical Assessment – today

The practical assessment of timekeepers who have completed the online course is being carried out this morning during club races. Good luck to all of our members undertaking the assessment and thank you to Dennis Browning (Mc Credie Park) who has volunteered to carry out the assessments.

Christmas & Holiday Events @ Club Merrylands Newman St, Merrylands

FREE Bingo - Wednesday 15 January 2pm
FREE Reptile Show - Sunday 19 January 12.30pm
Pizza Making - Tuesday 21 January 5pm - $5

Cumberland Council Pool Hours over the Holiday Period

Local pools will have reduced opening hours over the holiday period and Merrylands Swimming Centre will only be open between 9.30am and 5.00pm from Tuesday 24th December, 2019 to Wednesday 1st January, 2020 inclusive (closed Christmas & Boxing Day). Normal opening times will resume on Thursday 2nd January, 2020 with the closing time moving to 8.00pm.

Merrylands SwimFest & Masters BPS Meets – Saturday 22nd February, 2020

Don’t forget to put this date in your diary or phone calendar. We are holding both meets on the same day, as we did last season. Entry closing dates are:

Merrylands SwimFest - 5.00pm on Saturday 8th February, 2020
Masters Meet - 12.00pm on Friday 14th February, 2020.

A riddle for you

Who wins a fight between a large hornet and a tarantula spider??

Learn to Swim

The first block of our Learn to Swim program concluded last week. It was a great success, with children and adults all participating. A big thank you to all of our volunteers who organised, taught and assisted in this program. We have received some great feedback about the quality of our program and this comes down to the dedication of our volunteers.

Club Uniform

Our great range of club uniform items are available for sale and these can be sourced through the online shop (https://shop.merrylandsasc.asn.au/). Please see our Property Officer (Margaret Edwards) if you need assistance or have questions about the club uniform items. Margaret is also taking orders for hoodies and winter jackets, as these require minimum order numbers and have a lead time to obtain.

Upcoming Events

Speedo Sprint Series

Going away in January? Don’t forget entries for the Speedo Sprint Series close on Tuesday 21st January, 2020. Enter online today.

McCredie Park 40 Year Anniversary Development Meet

Our good friends at McCredie Park Aquatics SC are celebrating their club’s 40th anniversary in 2020 with an Anniversary Development Meet on Sunday 5th April, 2020 at Guildford Swimming Centre. Races start at 10.30am and there are events for swimmers from 4 years old and up. So let’s show support for them and have good representation from Merrylands.

The program is available here. Online entries close at 12.00pm on Thursday 26th March 2020.

Riddle Answer

Neither when the coach scoops them out of the pool and stomps on them both 😊

Whales Tales Online

Do you want the weekly Whales Tales delivered straight to your inbox? Simply sign-up online, and never miss the latest news.

Sponsors

We again thank our major sponsors who provide fantastic support to our club. If you know of a business or organisation who may be interested in providing sponsorship or support to our club please let Graham know.

Christmas Hamper Raffle & Christmas Events

The Christmas Hamper raffle will be drawn next Saturday 21st December, 2019 after club races. Tickets are $1 each (books of 10 tickets $10). There is still time to donate non-perishable items as prize items.

Novelty events, breakfast bbq and squad Christmas Party will follow the club races, so please stay around and enjoy these activities.

Squad Training

Remember training breaks from Saturday 21st December, 2019 and resumes on Saturday 4th January, 2020. If you plan to be away over December or January please let your coach know. If you haven’t done this yet complete the online form at https://merrylandsasc.asn.au/coaching/missedsessions.aspx

Chocolate Fundraising

If you have any outstanding funds please return these to Trish Johnston. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to help sell the chocolates and raise funds for the club.

Whales Challenge #1

What a great turn out of swimmers for the first Whales Challenge of the season. We had around 15 extra swimmers at club races and we know it was a jam-packed morning! We saw the points tally fluctuate throughout the morning, with the lead changing a few times. However Merrylands Maroon (Turner team) hit the lead at the right time and ended up victorious. Congratulations to everyone who swam in the Merrylands Maroon team. Look out because Merrylands White (Emery team) are hot on your heels for the return event on Saturday 18th January, 2020.

Swimming NSW Senior State Age Championships

Vanessa Ozols and Alison Sakurovs will be swimming and representing our club at this meet, which is being held over the next 5 days at SOPAC. This meet also attracts swimmers from club’s interstate and internationally, with swimmers from the UK, New Zealand, Singapore & Japan also competing. Vanessa will swim in the 50m Freestyle, 100m Breaststroke & 100m Backstroke events and Alison is swimming in the 50m Freestyle event. We wish both Vanessa and Alison the best of luck and may the Whale be with you both.

Timekeepers Practical Assessment – Saturday 21st December, 2019

The practical assessment of timekeepers who have completed the online course will be carried out next Saturday morning (21st December) during club races. Good luck to all our members undertaking the course and we look forward to welcoming you to the ranks of accredited technical officials.

Updated Club By-Laws

The updated Club By-Laws are available on the Governing Documents page.

Bushfire Smoke

Smoke from bushfires affecting the Sydney area has impacted our ability to hold training sessions recently.

Check the website for updates on whether sessions are on, before leaving for the pool each day. If sessions are cancelled, an update will be posted on the club website by 3:30pm on that day.

Merrylands SwimFest & Masters BPS Meets – Saturday 22nd February, 2020

Don’t forget to put this date in your dairy or phone calendar. We are holding both meets on the same day, as we did last year. Entry closing dates are:

Merrylands SwimFest - 5.00pm on Saturday 8th February, 2020
Masters Meet - 12.00pm on Friday 14th February, 2020.

Christmas & Holiday Events @ Club Merrylands Newman St, Merrylands

FREE Bingo - Wednesday 15 January 2pm
FREE Reptile Show - Sunday 19 January 12.30pm
Pizza Making - Tuesday 21 January 5pm - $5

Cumberland Council Pool Hours over the Holiday Period

Local pools will have reduced opening hours over the holiday period and Merrylands Swimming Centre will only be open between 9.30am and 5.00pm from Tuesday 24th December, 2019 to Wednesday 1st January, 2020 inclusive (closed Christmas & Boxing Day). Normal opening times will resume on Thursday 2nd January, 2020 with the closing time moving to 8.00pm.

Club Uniform

Our great range of club uniform items are available for sale and these can be sourced through the online shop (https://shop.merrylandsasc.asn.au/). Please see our Property Officer (Margaret Edwards) if you need assistance or have questions about the club uniform items. Margaret is also taking orders for hoodies and winter jackets, as these require minimum order numbers and have a lead time to obtain.

Upcoming Events

Whales Tales Online

Do you want the weekly Whales Tales delivered straight to your inbox? Simply sign-up online, and never miss the latest news.

Sponsors

We again thank our major sponsors who provide fantastic support to our club. If you know of a business or organisation who may be interested in providing sponsorship or support to our club please let Graham know.

SNSW Senior Metropolitan Championships

Congratulations to Alison Sakurovs who represented our club at the Metropolitan Championships last weekend. Alison swam in the Womens Open 50 metres Freestyle, clocking 28.89, a season best time. A great warm up for the State Age Championships in two weeks time! Congratulations Alison.

Chocolate Fundraising

Please return any outstanding funds raised to Trish Johnston. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to help sell the chocolates and raise funds for the club.

Christmas Hamper Raffle & Christmas Events

We ask if you could please donate non-perishable items as prize items for our Christmas Hamper Raffle. The raffle will be drawn on Saturday 21st December, 2019 after club races. Tickets are $1 each (books of 10 tickets $10) and are available from today.

Following club races we will also be holding novelty events, a breakfast bbq and squad Christmas Party, so please stay around and enjoy these activities.

Squad Training

Remember training breaks from Saturday 21st December, 2019 and resumes on Saturday 4th January, 2020. If you plan to be away over December or January please let your coach know. To do this complete the online form. More details here.

Club Uniform

Our great range of club uniform items are available for sale and these can be sourced through the online shop (https://shop.merrylandsasc.asn.au/). Please see our Property Officer (Margaret Edwards) if you need assistance or have questions about the club uniform items. Margaret is also taking orders for hoodies and winter jackets, as these require minimum order numbers and have a lead time to obtain.

Timekeepers Course

I hope to be able to provide the date this morning for the Timekeepers assessment. Stay tuned at presentation after club races today.

Christmas & Holiday Events @ Club Merrylands Newman St, Merrylands

FREE Santa Photos - Monday 9 December 5.30pm – 7.30pm

Kids Toy Raffle - Monday 9 December 7.30pm @ Club Merrylands

FREE Kids Barefoot Bowls - Friday 10 January 9.30am

FREE Bingo - Wednesday 15 January 2pm

FREE Reptile Show - Sunday 19 January 12.30pm

Pizza Making - Tuesday 21 January 5pm - $5

Club By-Laws

The Club By-Laws have been updated and are now available on the club website. They can be accessed at here.

Be Sun Smart

Reduce your risk of skin cancer by protecting yourself in 5 ways:

• Slip on clothing that covers your shoulders, arms and legs. Choose shirts with collars, high necks and sleeves and trousers or longer shorts and skirts that come below the knees;
• Slop on SPF30+ or higher broad-spectrum water-resistant sunscreen. Apply generously 20 minutes before going outside and re-apply every 2 hours. Never rely on sunscreen alone;
• Slap on a broad-brimmed hat that protects your face, ears and neck. Broad-brimmed, bucket and legionnaire style hats provide good protection. Baseball caps are not recommended, as they do not protect the ears, cheeks or neck;
• Seek shade whenever you can especially when UV levels are highest between10am and 2pm (11am and 3pm during daylight saving);
• Slide on sunglasses that meet Australian Standard AS1067 and that fit your face well.

Sun screen is available in the club room for your protection.

Information courtesy of Cancer Council NSW

Upcoming Events

Whales Tales Online

Do you want the weekly Whales Tales delivered straight to your inbox? Simply sign-up online, and never miss the latest news.

Sponsors

We again thank our major sponsors who provide fantastic support to our club. If you know of a business or organisation who may be interested in providing sponsorship or support to our club please let Graham know.

Club Captains

Thank you to all of our nominees for Club Captains. We had a great selection of nominees for the positions. Congratulations to Michael Evans (Male Captain) & Bree Khoury (Female Captain) who were elected as Captains for the 2019/2020 season.

I also want to thank Charlie-Rose El Riachi who was a great representative as Female Captain last season. We appreciate all of your hard work over the year Charlie-Rose.

SNSW Senior Metropolitan Championships

Alison Sakurovs is representing our club this morning at this meet. Alison is competing in the Womens Open 50 metres Freestyle. Good luck and may the Whale be with you Alison.

Chocolate Fundraising

Please return any outstanding funds raised to Trish Johnston. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to help sell the chocolates and raise funds for the club.

Christmas Hamper Raffle

As you know we will be holding our Christmas Hamper Raffle again this year and it will be drawn on Saturday 21st December, 2019. We ask if you could please donate non-perishable items from Saturday 7th December, 2019 as these will help us fill the hamper prizes. Tickets are $1 each (books of 10 tickets $10) and are available from today.

Following club races we will be holding novelty events, a breakfast bbq and squad Christmas Party, so please stay around and enjoy these activities.

Squad Training

Training will break from Saturday 21st December, 2019 and resume on Saturday 4th January, 2020. If you plan to be away over December or January please let your coach know. To do this complete the Training Break Form. More details here.

Club Uniform

Our great range of club uniform items are available for sale and these can be sourced through the online shop (https://shop.merrylandsasc.asn.au/). Please see our Property Officer (Margaret Edwards) if you need assistance or have questions about the club uniform items.

Why not join the Club

If you are not already a member, why not join the club as a Non-Swimmer? The Non-Swimmer membership fee is $23. This small fee provides you with the benefits of being a club member including access to the above club member discounted pool entry fees. To apply for membership visit the Membership section.

We still have a couple of roles that we would like some help with. If you are a club member aged 18 or older we would welcome your help with the roles of Learn to Swim Committee Member or Assistant Treasurer.

All these positions have a very small time commitment, but are vital to the smooth running of the club. Please see Graham if you are able to help out.

Timekeepers Course

A final reminder about undertaking the online component of the timekeepers course. We encourage anyone still considering undertaking the course to do so as soon as possible, as we will have the practical assessment completed on a Saturday morning at club races during December. Remember the minimum age is high school student, so we also encourage our Junior members to also obtain their accreditation.

Upcoming Events

Whales Tales Online

Do you want the weekly Whales Tales delivered straight to your inbox? Simply sign-up online, and never miss the latest news.

Sponsors

We again thank our major sponsors who provide fantastic support to our club. If you know of a business or organisation who may be interested in providing sponsorship or support to our club please let Graham know.

Member Protection

As a family oriented club we are committed to provide a safe and friendly environment for all of our members. We operate within the boundaries of a range of policies that assist clubs like ours in providing this environment. From time to time we publicise information about these policies and programs available to all members.

Safe Sport Framework

The safety of children and young people in our sport is paramount. We want swimming to be fun, enjoyable and safe for all. The Swimming Australia Safe Sport Framework confirms the shared responsibility we all have for keeping each other safe in swimming - children and adults alike. A copy of the Safe Sport Framework is available on the noticeboard in the club room or can be downloaded at https://www.swimming.org.au/integrity/safe-sport-framework.

Shoosh For Kids

Shoosh for Kids is a collaboration between the Office of Sport and Swimming NSW to promote positive behaviour to clubs, members and spectators. See the posters in the club room for more information or visit https://sport.nsw.gov.au/clubs/ryc/fairplay/ShooshforKids

Play By The Rules

Play by the Rules provides information, resources, tools and free online training to increase the capacity and capability of administrators, coaches, officials, players, parents and spectators to assist them in preventing and dealing with discrimination, harassment, child safety, inclusion and integrity issues in sport. For more information and resources see www.playbytherules.net.au

Member Protection Information Officer

If you see or hear something that is not appropriate you have the opportunity to raise this with the club. You can either do this by speaking to one of our Club Committee members or raising it with a trained Member Protection Information Officer (MPIO).

An MPIO provides information about the rights, responsibilities and options available to an individual making a complaint in sport. MPIO’s are impartial and don’t mediate or investigate complaints. Graham Edwards and Leanne Tovkach are trained MPIO’s available within our club.

What Can You Do?

To ensure every member is aware of these policies we ask that every parent or carer discuss this with their family. During club events such as club races, squad training and swim meets please ensure all family members remain in appropriate areas. This includes during club races around the 50 metre pool area, particularly near the marshalling area. Children should not be in the club room, change rooms, play areas or other pools whilst club races are being held. This helps ensure all members remain safe and it also assists in the smooth running of the races.

Club Captains

The nominations for the positions of Male and Female Club Captains are:

Male

Michael Evans

Female

Darla Assi 
Laura-Belle Casey
Charlie-Rose El Riachi
Bree Khoury
Sophia Vicic

As Michael Evans is the only nominee for Male Club Captain he is elected to the position. Congratulations Michael.

Voting for the Female Club Captain is being held today during club races. Please see Margaret or Glenda at the marshalling table to submit your vote. Voting closes at 9.30am and the Female Club Captain will be announced next Saturday at club races. Good luck to all of our nominees.

Parramatta Inter-Club Cup

We had a team of 46 swimmers who swam a total of 81 PB’s in the Parramatta Inter-Club Cup last Saturday. What an outstanding effort, congratulations to all of our swimmers and coaches. We were pipped by Parramatta City in the point score, but it was a very successful meet for all of our swimmers.

Thank you to all of our helpers on the day, we really appreciate your time and help in setting up, jobs during the meet and packing up. The meet ran smoothly and everyone again contributed to this.

Metro South West Open Water Championships

We have a team of 4 swimmers competing at the Area Open Water Championships tomorrow at the Sydney International Regatta Centre at Penrith. We wish Brendan Kirkpatrick (5km), Nevah Shrestha (2.5km), Summer Shrestha (2.5km) & Matthew Vicic (2.5km) good luck with their swims.

Club Uniform

We have a great range of club uniform items available for sale. These can be sourced through our online shop (https://shop.merrylandsasc.asn.au/). Please see our Property Officer (Margaret Edwards) if you need assistance or have questions about the club uniform items.

Chocolate Fundraising

We have a couple of boxes still to distribute. Please see Trish Johnston if you would like to take another box. We ask that the funds raised be returned to Trish by the end of November 2019. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to help sell the chocolates and raise funds for the club.

Christmas Hamper

As you know we will be holding our Christmas Hamper Raffle again this year and it will be drawn on Saturday 21st December, 2019. We ask if you could please donate non-perishable items from Saturday 7th December, 2019 as these will help us fill the hamper prizes. Tickets will be $1 (book of 10 tickets $10). We will also be holding a breakfast bbq on the morning after club races.

Why not join the Club

If you are not already a member, why not join the club as a Non-Swimmer? The Non-Swimmer membership fee is $23. This small fee provides you with the benefits of being a club member including access to the above club member discounted pool entry fees. To apply for membership visit https://www.merrylandsasc.asn.au/membership/

We have a couple roles that we would like some help with. If you are a club member aged 18 or older we would welcome your help with the roles of Learn to Swim Committee Member or Assistant Treasurer.

All these positions have a very small time commitment, but are vital to the smooth running of the club. Please see Graham if you are able to help out.

Timekeepers Course

A final reminder about undertaking the online component of the timekeepers course. We encourage anyone still considering undertaking the course to do so as soon as possible, as we will have the practical assessment completed on a Saturday morning club races during December. Remember the minimum age is high school student, so we also encourage our Junior members to also obtain their accreditation.

Upcoming Events

Whales Tales Online

Do you want the weekly Whales Tales delivered straight to your inbox? Simply sign-up online, and never miss the latest news.

Sponsors

We again thank our major sponsors who provide fantastic support to our club. If you know of a business or organisation who may be interested in providing sponsorship or support to our club please let Graham know.

Parramatta Inter-Club Cup - Today

We are hosting the Parramatta Inter-Club Cup today at Merrylands Swimming Centre. Swimmers payment of $10 includes your races, pool entry & sausage sandwich. Spectator entry is free.

We will be setting up from 2.00pm and races start at 3.30pm (all swimmers need to be ready to commence warm up at 3.00pm). This means swimmers need to arrive by 2.30pm to prepare & stretch and to be ready to enter the water at 3.00pm.

We need help from all of our parents at this meet, as we need to set up the pool, marshalling, announcer, timekeeping, cooking the bbq and pack upetc. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Let’s show everyone Merrylands is the premier club in the Cumberland Council area.

Club Captains

The following nominations have been received for the positions of Male and Female Club Captains:

Male

Michael Evans

Female

Darla Assi
Laura-Belle Casey
Charlie-Rose El Riachi
Bree Khoury
Sophia Vicic

We will confirm if the nominees accept their nomination and voting will be held next Saturday morning (16th November, 2018) during club races.

Relay Competition - commences today

Last chance to organise your team if you have not done so yet (maximum of 6 team members, with any 4 of the team swimming each week). The competition commences today and runs over 10 weeks and concludes on Saturday 21st March, 2020. Good luck to all the teams.

Club Uniform

We have a great range of club uniform items available for sale. These can be sourced through our online shop (https://shop.merrylandsasc.asn.au/). Please see our Property Officer (Margaret Edwards) if you need assistance or have questions about the club uniform items.

Online Entries – Check Your Events Carefully

In the new online entries system, the descriptions of the events cannot be changed e.g. Senior Handicap instead of 50m Freestyle, or 100m Backstroke Championship instead of 100m Backstroke. Please check your event selections carefully before you pay.

Chocolate Fundraising

We have a couple of boxes still to distribute. Please see Trish Johnston if you would like to take another box. We ask that the funds raised be returned to Trish by the end of November 2019. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to help sell the chocolates and raise funds for the club.

Your help would be appreciated

Welcome and thank you to Emily Ton who has joined the Committee and will assist with the Social Committee. Thank you to Danielle Vicic who has also advised she will take on the role as Chief Timekeeper and join the Social Committee. We still have a few vacant positions and we need your help to fill them. You just need to be a club member 18yrs of age or older.

Learn to Swim Committee Member

Role: Helps with the administration of Learn to Swim on a Saturday morning – marking off names, handling enquiries
Time Commitment: 30-45 minutes on a Saturday morning while learn to swim is running
Attend Committee Meetings: No
Questions: Ask Leanne Tovkach what is involved
Can you help?: Email secretary@merrylandsasc.asn.au to volunteer

Assistant Treasurer

Role: Assists collecting payments on a Saturday morning when the Treasurer is unavailable
Time Commitment: 20-30 minutes on a Saturday morning, following Club Races, when the Treasurer is unavailable
Attend Committee Meetings: No
Questions: Ask Ian Johnston what is involved
Can you help?: Email secretary@merrylandsasc.asn.au to volunteer

All these positions have a very small time commitment, but are vital to the smooth running of the club.

Christmas Hamper

Do you know Christmas is only 47 days away? So start planning your activities and present shopping if you haven’t already. We will be holding our Christmas Hamper Raffle and it will be drawn on Saturday 21st December, 2019. We ask if you could please donate non-perishable items from Saturday 7th December, 2019 as these will help us fill the hamper prizes. Tickets will be $1 (book of 10 tickets $10).

We will also be holding a breakfast bbq on the morning after club races.

Metro South West Long Course Senior Championships

Congratulations to our team of 4 swimmers who competed at the Area LC Championships last weekend at SOPAC. We saw great swims, big PB’s, medals & finalist ribbons won by Laurabelle Casey, Brendan Kirkpatrick, Alison Sakurovs and Sophia Vicic. We applaud each of you for your great efforts at the meet.

Timekeepers Course

We would like to add to the eight members so far who have completed the online component of the course already. We encourage anyone still considering to undertake the course to do so as soon as possible, as we plan to arrange the practical assessment for a Saturday morning club races during December. Remember the minimum age is high school student, so we also encourage our Junior members to also obtain their accreditation.

To access the online video and test:

1. Visit https://nswtraining.swimming.org.au/courses/timekeeper/
2. Click the green “Take this Course” button at the bottom of the page
3. Register for an account on the site
4. Once logged in, you can watch the video again, or scroll to the bottom of the page and click “Timekeeper Theory Test”
5. Once you have successfully completed the test, email a copy of your certificate to technical@merrylandsasc.asn.au and we will organise the practical assessment.

What to do when a race is about to start

We ask for your help when a race is about to start. The only people who should be on pool deck (lower concourse area) are the swimmers for that race, the timekeepers & the check starter. We ask that everyone else remain out of this area and when the referees long whistle is blown that everyone is quiet. This is important as it helps all swimmers hear the starters instructions and they receive a fair start.

Member Profile

Club Championship Races

Today is the commencement of club championship races and there are championship events on most club mornings for the rest of the season. A couple of reminders about these events:

• Club races commence at 7.00am, with the championship event the first event of the morning;
• Make sure you are at the pool prior to 7.00am, as you do not want to miss your race;
• If you arrive after your event has marshalled and commenced you will not be able to swim in the event.

To be eligible to enter championships the swimmer must be financial in this season. The swimmer must have swum the same stroke and same distance during the current season (check the program and plan your swims carefully).

If there is a championship for your age (whether you are swimming in it or not) you can swim:

• your Age championship
• the Open championship (subject to having swum in your age championship)
• 2 other events
• Senior Handicap (if 17 and over)
• Relay (if there is one on the program for the day)

If there is NO championship for your age you can swim:

• 3 events
• Senior Handicap (if 17 and over)
• Relay (if there is one on the program for the day)

If you enter too many events your entries for the extra event/s will be withdrawn when the program is prepared for the day. The 2019/2020 season program can be downloaded at https://merrylandsasc.asn.au/clubraces/

Upcoming Events

Whales Tales Online

Do you want the weekly Whales Tales delivered straight to your inbox? Simply sign-up online, and never miss the latest news.

Sponsors

We again thank our major sponsors who provide fantastic support to our club. If you know of a business or organisation who may be interested in providing sponsorship or support to our club please let Graham know.