Whales Challenge #2

The Whales Challenge is back for round 2 this morning in a do-or-die battle for the Maroon team. Can the Maroon team level the score after the White team won round 1? Or will the White team take an unassailable 2-0 lead? Which team will reign supreme?

New members, check your team here and don’t forget your team cap.

Helping on Saturday Mornings

It takes many people to run club races on Saturday mornings, from set-up to officiating, to packing up – we need all families to help.

Please:

• Arrive before 6:50am to help setup
• Volunteer to time keep – we need 16 timekeepers to provide accurate timing – please don’t make us come and ask.
• Help pack up before you leave

At the December Committee Meeting, the committee discussed the option of rostering families for setup each week, which we may have to implement if families aren’t turning up early to help.

Don’t know what needs to be done? Ask a member of the Committee and they can point you in the right direction.

Many hands make light work.

Where is your Parent?

Please remember: Parents of swimmers under the age of 18yrs are required to attend club races with their children. It is not a babysitting service.

Christmas/New Year Break

Our last club morning for 2022 is the 24^th December. Races will resume on 7^th January, 2023.

NSW Senior State Age Championships

The NSW Senior State Age Championships will be held at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre on 10-16 December. Three of our members have qualified for the championships. Congratulations to Alison Johnston, Matthew Vicic and Leo Zhu on qualifying.

Unfortunately, Matt has been unwell and will be unable to swim at the championships.

Details of the meet, along with access to the live results and live stream are available on the Swimming NSW website.

Relay Competition

Round #5 of the Relay Competition is on today. Has your team completed the weekly form nominating the 4 team members who will swim today? The link for this form is here.

Are you going on holiday?

Squad Members: Are you going on holiday in December/January? Make sure you complete the form here to let us know as soon as possible.

Christmas Party

Our Christmas Party will be held on Saturday, 24th December in conjunction with the Club Races from 7am. Races will be followed by Novelty Events and a BBQ and will be finished by 9:30am.

School Holiday Program

We will be running a free*, School Holiday Program for kids aged 5 to 12 on Thursday, 19th January from 8am to 9:45am.

This program is open to both members and non-members, so invite your friends and book online here.

*Normal pool entry applies.

Lucky Door Prize

Each championship week, we have a Lucky Door prize. You could win your choice of a Speedo kickboard, flipper bag or pair of Opal Mirror goggles. How do you win? You must be in attendance at the Championship presentation when your name is called to win.

Share your photos

Do you have photos from meets or club races you can share for the newsletter or presentation evening? Use the link in the weekly Whales Tales newsletter to upload them.

FINA World Swimming Championships (25m)

The 2022 FINA World Swimming Championships hit the water in Melbourne on 13-18 December. You can watch Australia’s Olympic Champions take on the best in the world in prime time on Channel 9 and 9now. Heats start at 11am each day, with the finals starting at 7:30pm.

Lions Club Award

Each month the Committee votes for the Lions Club Award – the club’s Volunteer of the Year.

Members nominated for November:

Congratulation to these members on being nominated. Nominations are open for any member to recognise the service of other members. You can nominate a club member online here.

COVID-19 Conditions

Read the updated conditions for club races here.

Club Uniforms

Order club uniforms online here.

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Check the website for the full list of upcoming meets, closing dates, programs and qualifying times.

Sponsors

Thank you to our major sponsors who provide fantastic support to our club. If you know of a business or organisation that may be interested in providing sponsorship or support to our club please speak to Graham Edwards.

SNSW Junior Metropolitan Championships

Congratulations to Joseph Assi & Leo Zhu who competed at the Junior Metropolitan Championships swum at SOPAC last weekend.

Joseph achieved 2 PB’s in his 3 swims, gaining another Junior State Age qualifying time with his PB in the 100m Breaststroke. Joseph was also a Metropolitan finalist with a top-10 finish in the 200m Breaststroke taking 2 seconds off his time.

Leo contested 7 events at his first Metrops and achieved 100% new personal best times. Leo was just outside the top 10 with 11th place in his 100m Breaststroke, took a massive chunk off his 50m Backstroke to win his heat from lane 0, and achieved 6th place in the 200m Breaststroke, earning himself his first Metropolitan finalist ribbon.

NSW Masters Long Distance Championships

Varant Jambazian competed in the NSW Masters Long Distance Championships last Sunday at Birrong Aquatic Centre. Varant swam the 400m Breaststroke & 400m Freestyle events, both new distances for him in these strokes. Varant came away with some great times and took out 1st place in his age group. Congratulations Varant

Updated conditions for attendees at all club activities

With changes to COVID-19 health & safety protocols we have updated the conditions applicable for attendees wanting to attend any club activity (e.g. club races, squad training, learn to swim & social events).

Read the updated conditions for each activity:

• Club Races & Social Events
• Squad Training
• Learn to Swim

Relay Competition

The relay competition returns this morning, so remember that your relay team needs to complete the weekly form nominating the 4 team members who will swim today. The link for this form is here.

Lions Club Award

Nominations are open for any member to recognise the service of other members.

You can nominate a club member online here.

Club Uniforms

To order club uniform items go to https://shop.merrylandsasc.asn.au/club-uniforms

Membership Cards

Remember to download a copy of your membership card from Swim Central to show to the pool staff if requested when entering the swimming centre. Instructions are here.

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Check the website for the full list of upcoming meets, closing dates, programs and qualifying times.

Sponsors

Thank you to our major sponsors who provide fantastic support to our club. If you know of a business or organisation that may be interested in providing sponsorship or support to our club please speak to Graham Edwards.

School Holiday Activities

Club Merrylands has a number of Christmas and school holiday activities available. These include:

SNSW Junior Metropolitan Championships

Congratulations to Joseph Assi, Ren Jie Hum & Leo Zhu who have all qualified for the Junior Metropolitan Championships being swum at SOPAC this weekend.

Good luck Joseph, Ren & Leo in your swims and may the Whale be with you all.

NSW Masters Long Distance Championships

Good luck to Varant Jambazian who is swimming at the Masters Long Distance Championships on Sunday at Birrong Aquatic Centre. Varant is swimming in the 400m Breaststroke & 400m Freestyle events. May the Whale be with you Varant.

Relay Competition

Remember that your relay team needs to complete the weekly form nominating the 4 team members who will swim that week. This form can be completed here.

Lions Club Award

Nominations are open for any member to recognise the service of other members.

You can nominate a club member online here.

Club Uniforms

To order club uniform items go to https://shop.merrylandsasc.asn.au/club-uniforms

Membership Cards

Remember to download a copy of your membership card from Swim Central to show to the pool staff if requested when entering the swimming centre. Instructions are here.

Championships Qualifying Times

Our two long distance championships are still to come. Remember to qualify for the 800m Freestyle (17^th December) & 1500m Freestyle (18^th March) you must have swum under the qualifying times this season prior to the Championship being swum.

The qualifying times for these Championships are:

800m – 6.45:00 in the 400m Freestyle this season

1500m – 6.30:00 in the 400m Freestyle this season

If you are planning to swim in these Championships make sure you have swum your qualifying 400m Freestyle. There are 3 more 400m Freestyle graded race swims still to come before the 800m Freestyle Championships.

Number of Swims Allowed

A reminder that there are limits to the number of swims allowed each week, depending on whether a Championship is being swum. The limits to the number of swims are:

No Championship being swum:

Swimmers can compete in a maximum of three (3) graded races.

Championship being swum:

Swimmers can only compete in two (2) graded races on those days when Age Championship events are held, except, on those days where the Championship age precludes a swimmer from competing in the championship. Where the swimmer is precluded from swimming in the Championship event due to their age they may swim in three (3) graded races.

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Check the website for the full list of upcoming meets, closing dates, programs and qualifying times.

Sponsors

Thank you to our major sponsors who provide fantastic support to our club. If you know of a business or organisation that may be interested in providing sponsorship or support to our club please speak to Graham Edwards.

Club Captains

Voting closed for the election of Male and Female Club Captains last Saturday. We will announce the Club Captains for 2022/23 at presentation after club races this morning.

Club Championship Races

Last week two championships (100m Backstroke & 100m Butterfly) were swum. Congratulations to everyone who swam in these races. A club championship record was broken by Kylee Murray in the Veterans Women’s backstroke championship. Kylee set a new record time of 1:45.49, beating her previous record time of 1:46.18 set in 2018. Congratulations Kylee

Today we have the 400m Freestyle championships being swum. Good luck to all swimmers competing in these championships.

Parramatta Inter-Club Cup

The Inter-Club Cup was swum and WON last Saturday afternoon. Congratulations to our team of 44 swimmers who were victorious in winning the cup. Our club last won the cup in 2016 (not swum in 2020 or 2021), so it was great to break the streak held by Parramatta City.

The final point score tally was Merrylands 1,148, Parramatta City 1,080 & McCredie Park 156.

Our team ranged in age from 6 to 70 and achieved a total of 90 new personal best times. 13 swimmers competed at their first carnival for the club and some swam in distances longer than they had previously swum.

What really stood out during the meet was the great spirit displayed by the clubs and swimmers competing. So much support for team mates in races, as well as great sportsmanship after races, with swimmers from each club congratulating each other on their swim.

We also had a few treats in store, with the coffee cart arriving at the start of the meet, the wraps & pizzas for some sustenance after the races and topped off with the ice cream van serving choc top & sprinkle topped ice creams. A swimmers heaven!

A very big thank you to everyone involved in the organisation and running of the meet. Without everyone getting involved on the day in set up, officiating, food delivery & pack up we couldn’t run our swim meets so successfully.

Thank you to our Club Captains who worked tirelessly during the meet looking after our swimmers and making sure they were ready for the all-important relays.

Thank you to Ms Julia Finn MP, State Member for Granville, Shadow Minister for Sport & Shadow Minister for Youth who attended the meet and presented the cup to our Club Captains.

Congratulations Merrylands

Relay Competition

Remember that your relay team needs to complete the weekly form nominating the 4 team members who will swim that week. This form can be completed here.

Lions Club Award

Nominations are open for any member to recognise the service of other members.

You can nominate a club member online here.

Club Uniforms

To order club uniform items go to https://shop.merrylandsasc.asn.au/club-uniforms

Membership Cards

Remember to download a copy of your membership card from Swim Central to show to the pool staff if requested when entering the swimming centre. Instructions are here.

Safe Sport

Swimming Australia and Swimming NSW remain fully committed to the protection of children, young people and all members in our sport. All member associations, including states, areas, clubs, coaches, parents and swimmers are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the six policies that make up the National Integrity Framework (NIF) below, and to prioritise safety and integrity at every swimming club and event.

The Swimming Australia NIF consists of six documents:

• Complaints, Disputes and Discipline Policy
• Competition Manipulation and Sport Wagering Policy
• Member Protection Policy
• Improper Use of Drugs and Medicine Policy
• Swimming Australia National Integrity Framework
• Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy

The Safe Sport Framework (SSF) for swimming is our guiding document to keep all members safe, particularly children and young people.

The SSF consists of two documents:

• Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy (matters or complaints concerning the safety and wellbeing of children or young people in swimming must be considered under this policy) and
• Member Protection Policy (this concerns matters relating to such things as discrimination, harassment, bullying, victimisation and abuse).

For more information please visit https://clubhouse.swimming.org.au/safe-sport

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Check the website for the full list of upcoming meets, closing dates, programs and qualifying times.

Sponsors

Thank you to our major sponsors who provide fantastic support to our club. If you know of a business or organisation that may be interested in providing sponsorship or support to our club please speak to Graham Edwards.

Club Captains

Voting closes this morning at 9.30am for the election of Male and Female Club Captains. Every first claim financial member was sent an email this week with a voting link. If you have not yet voted we encourage you to do so before 9.30am.

The nominations for Club Captains are:

We will announce the election result next Saturday after club races.

Club Championship Races

Last week two championships (100m Freestyle & 100m Breaststroke) were swum. Congratulations to everyone who swam in these races. Two club championship records were broken. Matthew Vicic setting a new record time of 1:02.67 in the Mens 15 Year Olds 100m Freestyle (dual record of 1:02.74 held by Troy Tomkinson set in 2003/04 & Anthony Ventra in 2008/09). Leo Zhu set a record time of 1:25.47 in the Boys 13 Year Olds 100m Breaststroke (breaking the record of 1:25.96 set by Todd Jenkin in 2001/02). Congratulations to Matthew & Leo on these achievements

Today we have the 100m Backstroke & 100m Butterfly championships being swum. Good luck to all swimmers competing in these championships.

Club Uniforms

To order club uniform items go to https://shop.merrylandsasc.asn.au/club-uniforms

Parramatta Inter-Club Cup

The Inter-Club Cup is being held this afternoon. Good luck to our team of 44 swimmers competing against Parramatta City (67 swimmers) & McCredie Park (11 swimmers).

Entry to the swimming centre is free. We have also arranged catering with food, coffee & ice cream through a grant we received to fund the meet, so we hope you enjoy the meet.

Warm up commences at 3.00pm so swimmers need to be stretched and ready to enter the water at this time. Races commence at 3.30pm.

We are also expecting to welcome Ms Julia Finn MP, State Member for Granville, Shadow Minister for Sport & Shadow Minister for Youth, during the afternoon, so please make welcome.

We require the help of everyone on the afternoon and we will be at the pool from 1.30pm onwards to set up so if you can help from this time that would be greatly appreciated.

MSW Open Water Championships

Merrylands was represented by Joseph Assi & Daniel Vicic at the Open Water Championships swum at the Sydney International Regatta Centre last Sunday. Congratulations to Joseph & Daniel who both swam the 2.5klm event for the 2^nd time. Both Joseph (over 8 minutes) and Daniel (over 6 minutes) off their previous times

Learn to Swim

The Learn to Swim program started last Saturday. If you can help in any way (you do not need to have any qualifications to assist the instructors in the water) even for only some of the sessions we would appreciate your help. Please speak to Peter Johnston if you are able to assist.

Relay Competition

The Relay Competition is underway. Remember that the relay team needs to complete the weekly form nominating the 4 team members who will swim that week. Complete the form here.

Lions Club Award

Nominations are open for any member to recognise the service of other members.

Each month the Committee considers all nominations received during the previous month and votes on these. Voting is secret and the votes are tallied over the season, with the Lions Club Award made at the Annual Presentation.

We would like to recognise the members who we received nominations for in October:

Alison Johnston

Carlos Vergara

Christine Liepins

Danielle Vicic

Denise Assi

Graham Edwards

Ian Johnston

Leanne Tovkach

Luke Hannan

Margaret Edwards

Peter Johnston

William Johnston

Thank you to everyone above for your dedication and help during the month. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

Nominate a club member for the month online here.

Membership Cards

Remember to download a copy of your membership card from Swim Central to show to the pool staff if requested when entering the swimming centre. Instructions are here.

Technical Officials

To be able to run club races and have the times accepted by Swimming NSW we need to ensure that we have qualified technical officials. This includes various roles around the pool deck, including timekeeping. Training for most roles is conducted online and we encourage you to start by obtaining your timekeeping qualification. See https://nswtraining.swimming.org.au for more information and ask Graham any questions you may have about becoming a technical official.

At this week’s Area Delegates Meeting we were presented with a report in relation to abuse of officials at recent SMSW meets. Incidents of abuse of officials occurred at both the Long Course Championships (SOPAC) and Open Water Championships (SIRC). The Area Technical Convenor reported that the incidents were all dealt with, however any future incidents will not be tolerated and action will be taken to ban anyone involved in abusing officials from the sport of swimming.

It is inappropriate for a parent or swimmer to be abusive to any Official. The Code of Conduct agreed to by everyone when joining a swimming club sets out clear guidelines on appropriate behaviour.

None of the recent incidents involved our club and we thank all of our swimmers, parents & coaches for the example they continue to set at swim meets.

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Check the website for the full list of upcoming meets, closing dates, programs and qualifying times.

Sponsors

Thank you to our major sponsors who provide fantastic support to our club. If you know of a business or organisation that may be interested in providing sponsorship or support to our club please speak to Graham Edwards.

Club Captains

Nominations for the positions of Male and Female Club Captains closed last Saturday. Congratulations to the following members who received nominations:

We will confirm if these members accept their nominations and undertake voting next week. We encourage all financial first-claim members to vote. The announcement of the Club Captains for 2022/2023 will be made the following week.

Club Championship Races

We have two championships (100m Freestyle & 100m Breaststroke) being swum today. This is followed by Learn to Swim and Skill Session being held from 9.00am. We have a very busy morning and ask that swimmers be in the marshalling area and ready for their races as this will help us meet the tight morning timeline.

Learn to Swim

The Learn to Swim program starts today and we welcome all of our participants. We still need helpers to assist in delivering this important program. Please speak to Peter Johnston if you are able to assist with any roles for this program.

MSW Long Course Championships

Merrylands was represented by a team of 13 swimmers at the MSW Long Course Championships at SOPAC last weekend.

Our team had a massive weekend, achieving 30 new personal best times, 8 finalists, 2 medals, and new qualifying times for State and Metropolitan Championships. The full report can be found at here.

Congratulations to the team of Aisha Abdelraheem, Ameena Abdelraheem, Joseph Assi, Laura-Belle Casey, Ren Hum, William Johnston, Alison Johnston, Jay Shrestha, Lisa Shrestha, Daniel Vicic, Matthew Vicic, Leo Zhu & Lillian Zhu on the fantastic results achieved. Thank you to our coaches and to Danielle Vicic and Denise Assi who undertook the hosting duties on Sunday morning.

Relay Competition

The Relay Competition commences today. Teams must have nominated the team members (maximum of 6), the team time and have paid the team entry fee of $12 before the relay is swum today. Complete the forms online here.

Parramatta Inter-Club Cup

The Inter-Club Cup is being held next Saturday. We still need swimmers for some age groups (2 for each age group to ensure we have swimmers in every event) as well as ensuring we have enough swimmers for teams in every relay event. Entry to swim in the meet is FREE and entries close next Wednesday (9^th November 2022), click here to submit your entries.

We also require the help of everyone on the afternoon as we will need to set up, provide timekeeping (we will have automatic timing system being used), catering, pack up etc. Please see Graham to volunteer.

Skills Sessions

The 2^nd of the Super Saturday Skills Session is being held today, commencing at 9.00am.

Swimmers from Novice 2 and above are welcome to book into this session. The cost is $7.50 per swimmer, which will come off your multi-session pass.

These sessions are an extra session, not a replacement for a session during the week, and need to be booked online.

Junior Swimmers Results

We have seen fantastic swimming and results in the 15m, 25m & 33m races at club so far this season. Congratulations to the following swimmers on breaking the times for these events:

25m Freestyle

15/10/2022 – Leah Johnston

22/10/2022 – Anastasia Krga *

22/10/2022 – Aiden Festo *

25m Backstroke

22/10/2022 – Anastasia Krga *

25m Breaststroke

29/10/2022 – Patrick Hannan

33m Freestyle

22/10/2022 – Leah Johnston *

29/10/2022 – Anastasia Krga *

29/10/2022 – Aiden Festo *

33m Backstroke

29/10/2022 – Anastasia Krga *

15m Freestyle

22/10/2022 – Lilly Palise

* broke the time at their first attempt

MSW Open Water Championships

Merrylands will be represented by Joseph Assi & Daniel Vicic at the Open Water Championships being swum at the Sydney International Regatta Centre on Sunday. Both Joseph & Daniel qualified to swim in the 2.5km event. Good luck to you both and may the whale be with you (hopefully it doesn’t get in your way)

Merrylands Swimming Centre Modernisation

The modernisation works for swimming centres was discussed at the Council meeting this week.

Council has recently received full funding from the NSW Government (WestInvest Fund) for the modernisation of Guildford Swimming Centre, so there is now discussion regarding the funding of the modernisation of Merrylands Swimming Centre.

Graham attended the Council meeting this week and spoke to this project. There was unanimous support from all Councillors that Merrylands Swimming Centre is an important community asset and needs to be upgraded. Council resolved at the meeting to:

1. Insert into its 23-24 works program, the concept and detailed development of designs for the refurbishment of the Merrylands Swim Centre.
2. Consult and engage with the community on the refurbishment of the Merrylands swim centre.
3. The costs associated with the development of a concept and detailed plans be funded from Councils 23-24 capital works program.
4. Prepare and return a report to Council by April 2023 to determine how much of the approximate $17 million currently allocated to swimming pools in Council’s long term capital projections can be specifically set aside for the refurbishment of the Merrylands Swim Centre.
5. Upon receipt of the report immediately seek funding for the project through the State and Federal Governments.

Stay tuned for further information on this. We will continue to press Council to undertake the appropriate modernisation of Merrylands Swimming Centre.

Lions Club Award

We are looking for your help in recognising those members who provide service to the club, over and above their normal duties. So, if you would like to nominate a club member to be considered for their service, please submit your nomination.

Membership Cards

Remember to download a copy of your membership card from Swim Central to show to the pool staff if requested when entering the swimming centre. Instructions are here.

Technical Officials

To be able to run club races and have the times accepted by Swimming NSW we need to ensure that we have qualified technical officials. This includes various roles around the pool deck, including timekeeping. Training for most roles is conducted online and we encourage you to start by obtaining your timekeeping qualification. See https://nswtraining.swimming.org.au/ for more information and ask Graham any questions you may have about becoming a technical official.

Club Uniforms

We have a great range of club uniforms available for sale. These can be purchased through the club’s online shop.

To order uniform items go to https://shop.merrylandsasc.asn.au/club-uniforms

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Check the website for the full list of upcoming meets, closing dates, programs and qualifying times.

Sponsors

Thank you to our major sponsors who provide fantastic support to our club. If you know of a business or organisation that may be interested in providing sponsorship or support to our club please speak to Graham Edwards.

Whales Challenge #1

Last week saw the first of the three Whales Challenges for this season. Thank you to everyone who swam for their teams. The final results saw the White “Emery” team (881 points) score a victory over the Maroon “Turner” Team (707 points) to take a 1-0 series lead.

The 2^nd Whales Challenge will be held on Saturday 10^th December 2022 and this will give the Maroon team a chance to level the series.

Club Championships

Last week we held the 200m Individual Medley championships. Congratulations to all swimmers who competed and especially to Joseph Assi who broke the record in the 12 Year Boys, swimming a record time of 3:02.75, breaking the record time of 3:08.37 set by David Wang in 2005.

Club Captains

Nominations for the positions of Male and Female Club Captains close today at 9.30am. Information about the duties and responsibilities of Club Captains can be found on the club website in the By-Laws.

Please ensure you take the time to nominate members for both Male and Female Club Captains. All financial first claim members can vote for these positions on week 6 (12^th November, 2022).

Learn to Swim

Our Learn to Swim program starts on 5^th November 2022. Enrolments are open to existing members and the cost is $55. Enrolments close at 8.00pm next Wednesday (2^nd November 2022). Full details about the program and how to register can be found on the club website. We also need helpers to assist in delivering this important program. Please speak to Peter Johnston if you are able to assist with any roles for this program.

Relay Competition

Time trials for the Relay Competition have concluded and the competition for points commences next Saturday (5^th November 2022).

To ensure your team can compete in the relay competition you must nominate your team members (maximum of 6), the team time and pay the team entry fee of $12 before next Saturday. Enter your team on the website.

MSW Long Course Championships

Merrylands will be represented by a team of 13 swimmers competing in a total of 50 individual events at the MSW Long Course Championships at SOPAC this weekend.

Good luck to the team of Aisha Abdelraheem, Ameena Abdelraheem, Joseph Assi, Laura-Belle Casey, Ren Hum, William Johnston, Alison Johnston, Jay Shrestha, Lisa Shrestha, Daniel Vicic, Matthew Vicic, Leo Zhu & Lillian Zhu who have qualified for the meet. May the Whale with you all

Skills Sessions

The next Super Saturday Skills Session will be held on Saturday 5^th November 2022 (between 9am to 10am).

Swimmers from Novice 2 and above are welcome to book into this session. The cost is $7.50 per swimmer, which will come off your multi-session pass.

These sessions should be considered an extra session, not a replacement for a session during the week, and need to be booked online.

Membership Cards

Remember to download a copy of your membership card from Swim Central to show to the pool staff if requested when entering the swimming centre. Instructions are here.

Technical Officials

To be able to run club races and have the times accepted by Swimming NSW we need to ensure that we have qualified technical officials. This includes various roles around the pool deck, including timekeeping. Training for most roles is conducted online and we encourage you to start by obtaining your timekeeping qualification. See https://nswtraining.swimming.org.au for more information and ask Graham any questions you may have about becoming a technical official.

Parramatta Inter-Club Cup

The Inter-Club Cup is only 2 weeks away. We will take on Parramatta City and McCredie Park right here at Merrylands Swimming Centre on Saturday, 12^th November 2022.

Every club swimmer should be looking to enter the meet to represent our club. So enter today! Entries close on Wednesday, 9^th November 2022.

We also require the help of everyone on the afternoon as we will need to set up, provide timekeeping (we will have automatic timing system being used), catering, pack up etc. Please see Graham to volunteer.

This will be the 8^th time the meet has been held, with the past years not being held due to Covid restrictions.

Club Uniforms

We have a great range of club uniforms available for sale. These can be purchased through the club’s online shop.

To order uniform items go to https://shop.merrylandsasc.asn.au/club-uniforms

Club Facilities & Equipment

The Committee work hard to ensure we have the best equipment and facilities available for our club members.

We know the swimming centre is in need of refurbishment and we continue to work with Council to pursue the upgrade of these major facilities.

However, you will have seen a few new things over the past year. These include the storage shed, starting equipment and digital signage. Our club has been fortunate to obtain a number of grants to fund these purchases.

The storage shed, including storage shelving, crates and trolley were provided through the Local Sport Grant Program (NSW Government).

The starting equipment was purchased through a grant also provided through the Local Sport Grant Program (NSW Government) and was purchased just prior to this season starting.

We also now have new digital signage which you will see displaying information about our club. This was just purchased through a grant provided by Club Merrylands in the ClubGRANTS scheme.

Thank you to the organisations providing these grants as the funds assist our club in continually upgrading our equipment, and to the Committee members who have worked behind the scenes.

Lions Club Award

The Lions Club Award is presented each year at the Club’s Annual Presentation Evening. The Award is presented to a club member in recognition of their services to the club.

Each month the Committee vote for the Lions Club award, with the total votes accumulating to the presentation of the annual award.

We are looking for your help in recognising those members who provide service to the club, over and above their normal duties. So if you would like to nominate a club member to be considered for their service please submit your nomination.

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Check the website for the full list of upcoming meets, closing dates, programs and qualifying times.

Sponsors

Thank you to our major sponsors who provide fantastic support to our club. If you know of a business or organisation that may be interested in providing sponsorship or support to our club please speak to Graham Edwards.

Club Championships

Club Championships start today. Remember, to enter a Championship, you must have swum that stroke and that distance in this current season to be eligible to enter.

Make sure you download a copy of the program from the website and plan your swims so you don’t miss out.

Tip: Don’t leave qualifying until the last minute – get your qualification swims completed as soon as possible.

Good luck to everyone competing in the Club Championships over the season.

Whales Challenge #1

The first of the three Whales Challenges starts today. This is an intra-club series with swimmers divided into two teams (Maroon “Turner” Team and White “Emery” team”).

Last year saw the White team take a clean sweep in all three challenges. Can the Maroon team start off with a win in the first challenge this season?

Entries for club races are submitted as usual for a normal Saturday morning. Swimmers must wear their club cap in their team colour while competing to get points for their team. Teams are available here.

Club Captains

Nominations for the positions of Male and Female Club Captains are open and close at 9.30am on week 4 (29^th October, 2022). Information about the duties and responsibilities of Club Captains can be found on the club website in the By-Laws.

All financial first claim members can vote for these positions on week 6 (12^th November, 2022).

Relay Competition

Time trials for the Relay Competition conclude today. To enter your team for the time trial today see Margaret before the relay event is swum. The Relay Competition will commence on Saturday 5^th November 2022. Details on selecting the entry time, entering the team, and nominating the 4 swimmers competing each week can be found on the club website.

NSW State Masters Championships

Merrylands was represented by 3 swimmers at the NSW State Masters Championships in Canberra last weekend.

Congratulations to Varant Jambazian, Kylee Murray & Leanne Tovkach on your swims over the meet.

The team of 3 swam a total of 14 events, achieving a total of 6 new personal best times and earned 1 Gold, 5 Silver and 2 Bronze Medals. A Full report can be found on the club website.

Skills Sessions

The first of the Super Saturday Skills Sessions was held after club races last week. It was well attended by swimmers, with both land and pool skill work.

Further sessions will be held on the first Saturday of the month from November onwards (between 9am to 10am).

Swimmers from Novice 2 and above are welcome to book into this session. The cost is $7.50 per swimmer, which will come off your multi-session pass.

These sessions should be considered an extra session, not a replacement for a session during the week, and need to be booked online.

Learn to Swim

Our Learn to Swim program starts 5^th November 2022. We do need helpers to assist in delivering this important program. People interested can speak to Peter Johnston to find out what roles are needed to be filled.

Enrolments are open now to existing members and the cost will be $55. Full details about the program and how to register can be found on the club website. Enrolments will open to non-members during the week, so don’t delay in enrolling.

Membership Cards

The Pool Staff may ask for proof of your club membership when purchasing your pool entry or your 20-visit pass. You can download a copy of your membership card from Swim Central to show to the staff if requested. Instructions are here.

Free Membership for 8yrs & Under

Thanks to a grant received from Club Merrylands swimmers aged 8yrs & Under, who regularly swim in our club races may be eligible to receive a reimbursement on their membership fees. More information on eligibility criteria and how to claim reimbursement is on our website.

Bring a Friend

Did you know your friends can Come & Try club races for up to 4 weeks without being a member? Just get them to sign up through our website.

Club Uniforms

We have a great range of club uniforms available for sale. These can be purchased through the club’s online shop.

Some items require special orders to be placed, so minimum numbers may be required before orders for these items can be placed with the supplier.

If you have any questions about club uniforms please talk to the Property Officer, Margaret Edwards. To order uniform items go to https://shop.merrylandsasc.asn.au/club-uniforms

Parramatta Inter-Club Cup

The Inter-Club Cup is back for 2022! We will take on Parramatta City and McCredie Park right here at Merrylands Swimming Centre on Saturday, 12^th November 2022. This is a great event for all our members with events from 7yrs & Under through to 50yrs & Over, and we need everyone’s help to re-take the cup!

Entries are open to both Full Swimmers and Club Only Swimmers, so enter today (entries close on Wednesday, 9^th November 2022).

Thanks to a grant from NSW Office of Sport, there is no cost to enter this year, and we will be providing food after the meet.

If you hold a Recreational Swimmer membership you will need to upgrade to at least a Club Swimmer to participate.

We also require the help of everyone on the afternoon as we will need to set up, provide timekeeping (we will have automatic timing system being used), catering, pack up etc. Please see Graham to volunteer.

This will be the 8^th time the meet has been held, with the past years not being held due to Covid restrictions.

Past Winners

Let’s make 2022 the year of another Merrylands win!

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Check the website for the full list of upcoming meets, closing dates, programs and qualifying times.

Sponsors

Thank you to our major sponsors who provide fantastic support to our club. If you know of a business or organisation that may be interested in providing sponsorship or support to our club please speak to Graham Edwards.

Season is up and running

Thank you to everyone who helped get the season off to a great start last week. From the pre-season planning to all the work on the morning it takes a lot of people to ensure a successful day. Leo Repeti kindly refereed for the club races, so thank you to Leo for his time. The weather was kind for the morning as well, let’s hope that continues throughout the season.

Officiating

To successfully run club races every week we need the help of a lot of people.

Timekeeping plays an important part as every swimmer depends on accurate timing for their race. We need 2 timekeepers per lane so please step forward to help on the morning. Timekeepers should report to the Chief Timekeeper (Denise Assi) before races commence so we can assign you to a lane and determine which additional lanes we need to fill.

If you are interested in learning more about officiating please let Graham know as we can provide a range of information and assistance to help you achieve your accreditations.

Skills Sessions

We will be holding a series of Super Saturday Skills Sessions after club races. The first session will be held this Saturday from 9am to 10am and will focus on Race Starts. The sessions will then be held on the first Saturday of the month from November onwards.

Swimmers from Novice 2 and above are welcome to book into this session. The cost is $7.50 per swimmer, which will come off your multi-session pass.

These sessions should be considered an extra session, not a replacement for a session during the week, and need to be booked online.

Relay Competition

Time trials have commenced for the Relay Competition and continue today. To enter your team today see Margaret before the relay event is swum. There are only 2 more swims left for time trials before teams need to be finalised and your entry time nominated.

Championships

Club Championships start next Saturday (22^nd October 2022). Remember, to enter a Championship, you must have swum that stroke and that distance in the current season to be eligible to enter.

Make sure you download a copy of the program from the website and plan your swims so you don’t miss out.

Tip: Don’t leave qualifying until the last minute – get your qualification swims completed as soon as possible.

Committee 2022/2023

The Executive and Committee elected at the AGM in May:

Executive Members

Committee Members

We have a couple of vacancies, so if you are interested in helping out, please speak to Graham Edwards.

Club Captains

Nominations for the positions of Male and Female Club Captains are open and close at 9.30am on week 4 (29^th October, 2022). Information about the duties and responsibilities of Club Captains can be found on the club website in the By-Laws.

All financial first claim members can vote for these positions on week 6 (12^th November, 2022).

Membership Cards

The Pool Staff may ask for proof of your club membership when purchasing your pool entry or your 20-visit pass. You can download a copy of your membership card from Swim Central to show to the staff if requested. Instructions are here.

Free Membership for 8yrs & Under

Thanks to a grant received from Club Merrylands swimmers aged 8yrs & Under, who regularly swim in our club races may be eligible to receive a reimbursement on their membership fees. More information on eligibility criteria and how to claim reimbursement is on our website.

Bring a Friend

Did you know your friends can Come & Try club races for up to 4 weeks without being a member? Just get them to sign up through our website.

Club Uniforms

We have a great range of club uniforms available for sale. These can be purchased through the club’s online shop.

Some items require special orders to be placed, so minimum numbers may be required before orders for these items can be placed with the supplier.

If you have any questions about club uniforms please talk to the Property Officer, Margaret Edwards.

https://shop.merrylandsasc.asn.au/club-uniforms

Parramatta Inter-Club Cup

The Inter-Club Cup is back for 2022! We will take on Parramatta City and McCredie Park right here at Merrylands Swimming Centre on Saturday, 12^th November 2022. This is a great event for all our members with events from 7yrs & Under through to 50yrs & Over, and we need everyone’s help to re-take the cup!

Entries are open to both Full Swimmers and Club Only Swimmers, so enter today!

Thanks to a grant from NSW Office of Sport, there is no cost to enter this year, and we will be providing food after the meet.

If you hold a Recreational Swimmer membership you will need to upgrade to at least a Club Swimmer to participate.

Entries close on Wednesday, 9^th November – don’t be late!

NSW State Masters Championships

Merrylands is being represented by 3 swimmers at the NSW State Masters Championships this weekend.

The 2-day championships are being held at the Australian Institute of Sport starting today. Our team will contest a total of 14 events. Good luck to Varant Jambazian, Kylee Murray & Leanne Tovkach. May the whale be with you all.

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Check the website for the full list of upcoming meets, closing dates, programs and qualifying times.

Sponsors

Thank you to our major sponsors who provide fantastic support to our club. If you know of a business or organisation that may be interested in providing sponsorship or support to our club please speak to Graham Edwards.

Welcome

Welcome back to our first week of Club Races at Merrylands! We have a busy season planned and an action-packed morning for our first week of Club, with Races, Novelty Events and a BBQ.

First though, an update on everything that has happened since our last week at Merrylands in March…

Bringing you up to date…

It has been a busy 6 months with some great achievements by our swimmers:

April

• 3 PBs from our 1 swimmer at the Metro South West 5-8yrs Meet
• A dozen members attended our beach life-saving day
• 9 of our swimmers competed at the Australian Masters Championships in Sydney, bagging 22 medals and 24 new PBs
• We held our first Short Course club races at Guildford, with a stack of PBs, followed by pizza.

May

• Our team of 15 swimmers swam 35 new PBs at the Metro South West Short Course Championships, with 2 medals and 12 finalists
• Presentation Evening and AGM held with the new Committee elected.

June

• 18 swimmers were recognized with Junior Excellence Awards from Swimming Australia

July

• 5 swimmers represented the club at the Metropolitan Short Course Championships
• Tim Oliver travelled to Turkey for a trial event of the new 5th discipline for Modern Pentathlon and then competed at the Swiss Open Modern Pentathlon Championships.
• Varant Jambazian headed to Armenia to represent Australia at the 11th Pan Homenetmen Games

August

• 3 swimmers represented the club at the Senior State Age Short Course Championships

September

• We held our second Short Course Club Races with some big PBs highlighting the work the swimmers have put in at training, followed by pizza and brownies (yum).
• 2 medals from 1 swimmer at the Masters Long Distance Championships
• 3 big PBs from Joseph Assi at the NSW Development Meet

Congratulations to all our swimmers on their results over the past 6 months!

Committee 2022/2023

The new Executive and Committee were elected at the AGM in May:

Executive Members

Committee Members

We have a couple of vacancies, so if you are interested in helping out, please speak to Graham Edwards.

Championships

Club Championships start in just 2 weeks on 22^nd October. Remember, to enter a Championship, you must have swum that stroke and that distance in the current season to be eligible to enter.

Make sure you download a copy of the program from the website and plan your swims so you don’t miss out.

Tip: Don’t leave qualifying until the last minute – get your qualification swims completed as soon as possible.

Membership Cards

The Pool Staff may ask for proof of your club membership when purchasing your pool entry or your 20-visit pass. You can download a copy of your membership card from Swim Central to show to the staff if requested. Instructions are here.

Parramatta Inter-Club Cup

The Inter-Club Cup is back for 2022! We will take on Parramatta City and McCredie Park right here at Merrylands Swimming Centre on Saturday, 12^th November. This is a great event for all our members with events from 7yrs & Under through to 50yrs & Over, and we need everyone’s help to re-take the cup!

Entries are open to both Full Swimmers and Club Only Swimmers, so enter today!

Thanks to a grant from NSW Office of Sport, there is no cost to enter this year, and we will be providing food after the meet.

If you hold a Recreational Swimmer membership you will need to upgrade to at least a Club Swimmer to participate.

Entries close on Wednesday, 9^th November – don’t be late!

Technical Officials

Welcome back to all of our technical officials. For those who are non-swimming members don’t forget to renew your Dry/Support membership to ensure your technical accreditation remains current.

This Week at Club Races

• Relay Time Trials start this week. You have 3 weeks to get your team organised before the competition starts on 5^th November
• Check the Meet Program so you know what events, heats and lanes you are swimming in.
• Novelty events and relays will be held, after the normal races, followed by a free BBQ.

Bring a Friend

Did you know your friends can Come & Try club races for up to 4 weeks without being a member? Just get them to sign up through our website.

Club Captains

Nominations for the positions of Male and Female Club Captains are open and close at 9.30am on week 4 (29^th October, 2022). Information about the duties and responsibilities of Club Captains can be found on the club website in the By-Laws.

All financial first claim members can vote for these positions on week 6 (12^th November, 2022).

Free Membership for 8yrs & Under

Thanks to a grant received from Club Merrylands swimmers aged 8yrs & Under, who regularly swim in our club races may be eligible to receive a reimbursement on their membership fees. For more information on eligibility criteria and how to claim reimbursement is on our website.

Club Uniforms

We have a great range of club uniforms available for sale. These can be purchased through the club’s online shop.

Some items require special orders to be placed, so minimum numbers may be required before orders for these items can be placed with the supplier.

If you have any questions about club uniforms please talk to the Property Officer, Margaret Edwards.

https://shop.merrylandsasc.asn.au/club-uniforms

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Check the website for the full list of upcoming meets, closing dates, programs and qualifying times.

Sponsors

Thank you to our major sponsors who provide fantastic support to our club. If you know of a business or organisation that may be interested in providing sponsorship or support to our club please speak to Graham Edwards.