Welcome to 2022

We wish everyone a happy and safe 2022.

With the swimming centre closed over the past weekends it’s a later resumption of club races in 2022 than we had planned. Changes have been made to the race program, with the Butterfly championships planned for last Saturday being swum this morning. Good luck to all swimmers competing in these championships.

Swim Meet Results

The Swimming NSW Junior Metropolitan Championships were held at SOPAC just before Christmas. Our club was represented by 3 swimmers, Joseph Assi, Unish Shrestha & Chloe Ton.

Joseph Assi and Unish Shrestha both swam in the 50m Breaststroke. Joseph swam a new personal best time and Unish finished in his second fastest time, just outside the PB he achieved the week before.

Joseph saved his best until last in the 100m Breaststroke. Joseph took over a second off his time and came 10th, achieving his first Metropolitan Finalist result.

Chloe Ton achieved a personal best time in the 50m Freestyle in her first Metropolitan Championships.

There have also been a number of Open Water Championships swum over the past few weeks.

Swimming NSW State Open Water Championships

These were held in late December 2021 at the Sydney International Regatta Centre. Matthew Vicic represented our club and swam a time of 1:15:33.13, taking 2½ minutes off his previous time for this event.

Metro South West Open Water Championships

These were held on Sunday 9^th January 2022 at the Sydney International Regatta Centre. Our club was represented by 7 swimmers with 4 (Unish, Daniel, Joseph & Joab) swimming in the first open water competition.

Results in the age groups were:

Alison Sakurovs (1^st - 5 klm)
Niushka Shrestha (6^th - 2.5klm)
Nevah Shrestha (8^th - 2.5klm)
Unish Shrestha (3^rd – 2.5klm)
Daniel Vicic (4^th – 2.5klm)
Joab Hada (5^th – 2.5klm)
Joseph Assi (6^th – 2.5klm) 

Congratulations to everyone on their swims.

COVID-19 Safety Protocols

Information & Conditions for Attendees

With COVID-19 currently being active in our local community it is important that everyone take steps to reduce the risk of transmission.

These steps include:

• Any swimmer, volunteer, coach or spectator who is feeling unwell in any way, or has symptoms or signs of COVID-19 must not attend until full recovery has taken place
• Attendees are encouraged to wear a face mask where physical distancing is not possible
• All swimmers should follow the ‘get in, swim, get out’ approach and should avoid showering/using changeroom facilities where possible. Come ready to swim, and leave the pool as soon as possible
• Access to the Club Room and Old Club Room is restricted
• Swimmers are required to have all their own equipment. Swimmers are not permitted to share equipment or drink bottles. Food and drink should not be shared

As the ability to swim eligibility swims for championship events may be affected we strongly recommend that swimmers plan and undertake their eligibility swims as early in the season as possible, rather than leaving these swims to the last week available before the Championship event is to be swum.

A failure by a swimmer to swim an eligibility swim will preclude their participation in that Championship.

Swimming Facts

Some health & fitness swimming facts (https://swimjim.com/blog/40-fun-facts-about-swimming)

• In one hour, swimming burns about 40% more calories than biking
• Swimming burns about 30% more calories than running per hour
• Swimming strengthens the heart and lungs
• Swimming can improve exercise-induced asthma
• Swimming lowers stress and depression
• Aerobic activities like swimming can reduce inflammation

Upcoming Championship & Meet Calendar

Sponsors

We receive great support from our club sponsors and we thank them for this support.

Christmas Wishes

With 2021 drawing to a close I’m sure everyone is looking forward to a great time celebrating with families.

On behalf of the Committee I would like to thank everyone for their help in getting club activities back in our lives. We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2022 ahead.

Today is our last swim before a two-week break for Christmas and New Year. Following club races today we will be holding a number of activities:

• 400m IM championship presentations
• Squad Christmas party
• Novelty races and events
• Breakfast with the Stars
• Christmas Hamper draw

Club Return – Saturday 8^th January 2022

Club races will resume on Saturday 8^th January, 2022. The Merrylands 50’s will be swum and won on the day. Entries for this event are through online entries as usual.

Freestyle Turns Workshop

Our coaches are holding a freestyle turns workshop with Masters Swimming NSW. This is being held on Saturday 8^th January, 2022 (9.00am – 10.00am). The workshop is open to any adult members of our club, whether you are a masters member or not and there is no charge for this workshop for our adult members. Register your interest at https://forms.office.com/r/85KE5z16Nr

Squad Training Break

The last training session for 2021 will be held on Thursday, 23^rd December and training will resume on Tuesday, 4^th January, 2022. If you will be away during January please complete the training break form.

Swim Meets

Last weekend Vanessa Ozols competed at the Swimming NSW Multi-Class Championships. Vanessa achieved a PB in the 200m Freestyle final and won her first gold and silver medals. Vanessa also rubbed shoulders with a number of Paralympians. Congratulations Vanessa 👏

The Swimming NSW Junior Metropolitan Championships are being held this weekend at SOPAC. We wish Joseph Assi, Unish Shrestha & Chloe Ton the best of luck in their events and may the whale be with each of you. 🐋

The Swimming NSW Open Water Championships are being held on Monday 20^th December & Tuesday 21^st December at the Regatta Centre Penrith. Matthew Vicic is competing in the 5klm championship. Good luck Matthew, we know you have been putting in the long distance training in preparation for this. May the whale be with you

COVID-19 Safety Protocols

Information & Conditions for Attendees can be found here.

Championship Results – 11^th December 2021

400m Individual Medley

FINA Swimming Rules Interpretations

During 2021 (Version 17.03.2021) FINA issued interpretations to a number of rules These are:

SW 4 THE START

SW 4.4 Any swimmer starting before the starting signal has been given, shall be disqualified. If the starting signal sounds before the disqualification is declared, the race shall continue and the swimmer or swimmers shall be disqualified upon completion of the race. If the disqualification is declared before the starting signal, the signal shall not be given, but the remaining swimmers shall be called back and start again. The Referee repeats the starting procedure beginning with the long whistle (the second one for Backstroke) as per SW 2.1.5.

Interpretation:

After all swimmers are “stationary” (SW 4.1), any swimmer initiating a start before the signal may be disqualified when such movement is observed and confirmed by both the starter and referee (SW 2.1.6). When video timing is available (FR 4.7.3), it may be used to verify the disqualification.

SW 7 BREASTSTROKE

SW 7.6 At each turn and at the finish of the race, the touch shall be made with both hands separated and simultaneously at, above, or below the water level. At the last stroke before the turn and at the finish an arm stroke not followed by a leg kick is permitted. The head may be submerged after the last arm pull prior to the touch, provided it breaks the surface of the water at some point during the last complete or incomplete cycle preceding the touch.

Interpretation

“Separated” means that the hands cannot be stacked one on top of the other. It is not necessary to see space between the hands. Incidental contact at the fingers is not a concern.

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Sponsors

We receive great support from our club sponsors and we thank them for this support.

Swim Meets

We have seen the commencement of external swim meets and already some great times have been achieved by our swimmers.

Congratulations to Joseph Assi, Joab Hada, Summer Shrestha & Unish Shrestha on their swims at the Swimming NSW LC Qualifying Meet held at SOPAC last weekend

This weekend Vanessa Ozols is competing at the Swimming NSW Multi-Class Championships. Have great swims Vanessa and may the whale be with you

The Swimming NSW Junior Metropolitan Championships are being held next weekend (18^th & 19^th December) at SOPAC. We have a team of three swimmers competing. We wish Joseph Assi, Unish Shrestha & Chloe Ton the best of luck in their events and may the whale be with each of you too

Club Championship Record

Last Saturday Matthew Vicic swam a new club record time in the 14 Year Boys 100m Butterfly Championship. Matthew swam a personal best time of 1:11.58 and this broke the previous record held by Brett Turner (1:20.40 set in the 1977/78 season) by almost 9 seconds. Congratulations Matthew, keep up the fast flying. 😊

Christmas Activities

Well who would believe that we are nearly half way through the club season. Next Saturday (18^th December) is our last swim before a two week break for Christmas and New Year. We will be holding a number of activities next Saturday morning:

• Squad Christmas party
• Novelty races and events
• Breakfast with the Stars
• Christmas Hamper draw

The club is again funding the Christmas raffle hamper prizes and these will be drawn following club races. So make sure you are at club races next Saturday morning otherwise you will miss out on all the fun

Club races will resume on Saturday 8^th January, 2022.

Squad Training Break

The last training session for 2021 will be held on Thursday, 23^rd December. Training will resume on Tuesday, 4th January, 2022,

If you will be away during December or January please complete the form to indicate your last day of training and your first day back. The form can be found here.

COVID-19 Safety Protocols

A reminder that all attendees (swimmers, spectators, volunteers) must sign-in, and out, when they attend the swimming centre, using the Service NSW app, and show proof of vaccination to council staff when asked.

Information & Conditions for Attendees also found here.

Championship Results – 4^th December 2021

100m Backstroke

100m Butterfly

*New Record

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Sponsors

We receive great support from our club sponsors and we thank them for this support.

Club Captains

Voting for Club Captains was held last week and thank you to everyone who took the time to submit their votes. Thank you also to everyone who accepted nominations for these roles. Voting was close and I am pleased to announce the Club Captains for the 2021/2022 season are: 

Congratulations to Matthew and Darla. We look forward to your leadership and support of your peers over the coming season. We will hold a presentation of the Club Captain badges following club races.

COVID-19 Safety Protocols

A reminder that all attendees (swimmers, spectators, volunteers) must sign-in, and out, when they attend the swimming centre, using the Service NSW app, and show proof of vaccination to council staff when asked.

All swimmers, volunteers, coaches and spectators over the age of 16 must be fully vaccinated to attend club races. Children under the age of 16 must be either fully vaccinated, or accompanied by a member of their household who is fully vaccinated.

Information & Conditions for Attendees also found at https://merrylandsasc.asn.au/clubraces/entryconditions.aspx

Relay Competition

Today is the second race in team relay competition. Please make sure that you complete the team entry form and swimmer nomination forms are at https://merrylandsasc.asn.au/clubraces/relay.aspx

Season Program – Club Championships

The first of the Club Championships were held last week. The weather was not kind and thank you to everyone who helped on the morning. It was sunny in Adelaide at the same time 😊.

Again a big thank you to Glyn Stockley from Ripples St Mary’s Swim Club who kindly attended to referee club races and allowed us to ensure that times swum are official and can be used for meet qualifying times.

This morning we have the 100m Backstroke (Open & Age) & 100m Butterfly (Open & Age) championships. Good luck to everyone competing in these championships.

Upcoming championships are single events until a double up on January 29^th.

The full season program can be found at https://merrylandsasc.asn.au/clubraces/

Full results for the 100m Freestyle & 100m Breaststroke championships are listed on the following page. Congratulations to everyone who competed in the championships.

Club Uniforms

Club uniforms available for sale and 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

Championship Results – 27^th November 2021

100m Freestyle

100m Breaststroke

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Sponsors

We receive great support from our club sponsors and we thank them for this support.

Season Program – Club Championships

The first of the Club Championships are being held this morning with the 100m Freestyle (Open & Age) & 100m Breaststroke (Open & Age).

All swimmers will swim together in an Open event to determine the results for the Open Championship, with the results split into ages to determine the Age Championship results. Good luck to all of the members competing in these championship events today.

The full season program can be found at https://www.merrylandsasc.asn.au/clubraces.

A big thank you to Glyn Stockley from Ripples St Mary’s Swim Club who has kindly attended to referee club races this morning. We greatly appreciate the assistance and time given up to do this for our club.

Whales Challenge #2

The second of the 3 Whales Challenges was swum last week. A Microsoft windows update stopped us giving many progress scores throughout the morning, but it was again a tightly contested challenge. After the 100m Backstroke event the teams were only separated by 4 points, with White on 757 points & Maroon on 753 points. However with a late surge the White ”Emery” team were again successful with 951 points to 888 points for the Maroon “Turner”. Congratulations to the White team.

We have one more Whales Challenge in the season to come (Saturday 5^th March 2022), so this will be an opportunity for either the White team to achieve a clean sweep or the Maroon team to end the season with a victory.

Club Captains

We have voting for the Club Captains today. The nominations accepted for these roles are:

Thank you to all of our nominees and good luck in the election. All members have received an email with a link to vote and your login details. Check your Junk or Spam folders if you haven't received it. Voting closes at 9:30am today!

COVID-19 Safety Protocols

All attendees (swimmers, spectators, volunteers) must sign-in, and out, when they attend the swimming centre, using the Service NSW app, and show proof of vaccination to council staff when asked.

All swimmers, volunteers, coaches and spectators over the age of 16 must be fully vaccinated to attend club races. Children under the age of 16 must be either fully vaccinated, or accompanied by a member of their household who is fully vaccinated.

Information & Conditions for Attendees also found at https://merrylandsasc.asn.au/clubraces/entryconditions

Relay Competition

This morning is the first race in team relay competition. If you haven’t yet registered your team make sure you do this to ensure your team can compete in the competition. The team entry form and swimmer nomination forms are here.

Good luck to all the teams and remember it is how close your team swims to your nominated time, not how fast your team swims.

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Sponsors

We receive great support from our club sponsors and we thank them for this support.

Season Program – Club Championships

The full season program is now available at https://www.merrylandsasc.asn.au/clubraces.

As we have advised due to the later start to the championships, and a reduced number of weeks available to run championships, the events will run a bit differently this year.

The first of the Club Championships begin next Saturday, (27th November) with the 100m Freestyle (Open & Age) & 100m Breaststroke (Open & Age) being held on the morning.

For the 100m events, swimmers will enter their Age Championship. All swimmers will swim together in an Open event to determine the results for the Open Championship, with the results split into ages to determine the Age Championship results.

So, using the 100m Freestyle as an example, all swimmers who enter the championship will swim a single 100m Freestyle race, with swimmers seeded in heats based on their entry time, not their age group. The times swum in the race will be used to determine the places for both the Age 100m Freestyle Championship and Open 100m Freestyle Championship, with points allocated in each competition, plus the Graded Point Score. Males and Females will be seeded separately.

We will still provide graded club races on these mornings, but they will be a limited program to provide the opportunity for members who are not competing in championship events to have swims and to also allow qualification for upcoming championship events.

Whales Challenge #2

The second of the 3 Whales Challenges this season is being held this morning. The White ”Emery” team took the first challenge. Can the Maroon “Turner” team even the score today??

Club Captains

The nominations received for Club Captains for this season are:

We will confirm with the nominees that they accept their nomination and publish the final list of nominees in next week’s Whales Tales. All financial first claim members can vote for Club Captains next Saturday (27^th November). A link to vote online will be provided in next week’s Whales Tales.

COVID-19 Safety Protocols

All attendees (swimmers, spectators, volunteers) must sign-in, and out, when they attend the swimming centre, using the Service NSW app, and show proof of vaccination to council staff when asked.

All swimmers, volunteers, coaches and spectators over the age of 16 must be fully vaccinated to attend club races. Children under the age of 16 must be either fully vaccinated, or accompanied by a member of their household who is fully vaccinated.

Information & Conditions for Attendees also found at https://merrylandsasc.asn.au/clubraces/entryconditions

Storage Shed

You have no doubt noticed a new building appear next to the club room (we certainly heard it during club races last Saturday morning). We were successful in obtaining a grant for this through the Community Building Partnership program administered by the NSW Government. With Cumberland City Council we were able to obtain approval to construct the shed and they undertook the project management on our behalf.

The storage shed will enable us to move equipment out of the club room and this will provide more space in the club room for other activities (when health protocols allow this).

Thank you to the NSW Government and Cumberland City Council for their funding and project management of this project. Below are some photos of the project.

We will continue to seek other grants to improve the facilities and equipment available to our club members.

Relay Competition

This morning is the last chance for your team’s relay time trial. As the competition commences next Saturday (27^th November) make sure you have registered your team (maximum of 6 team members per team) before next week and enjoy taking on all the other contenders for the champion relay team for the season. The team entry form and swimmer nomination forms can be found at https://www.merrylandsasc.asn.au/clubraces/relay

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

Technical Officials – Online Webinars

The Swimming NSW Technical Swimming Committee (TSC) has presented a series of webinars for officials. These webinars cover a range of topics and if you are interested in viewing any of these recorded topics they can be found at

https://nsw.swimming.org.au/technical-officials/learn-nsw/development-program

For those who aren’t sure 😊

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Sponsors

We receive great support from our club sponsors and we thank them for this support.

Season Program – Club Championships

Club Championships begin on Saturday, 27th November. The first events will be as follows:

27th November

• 100m Freestyle (Open & Age)
• 100m Breaststroke (Open & Age)

4th December

• 100m Backstroke (Open & Age)
• 100m Butterfly (Open & Age)

11th December

• 400m Individual Medley (Open)

Due to the late start to the championships, and a reduced number of weeks available to run championships, the events will run a bit differently this year.

For the 100m events, swimmers will enter their Age Championship. All swimmers will swim together in an Open event to determine the results for the Open Championship, with the results split into ages to determine the Age Championship results.

So, using the 100m Freestyle as an example, all swimmers who enter the championship will swim a single 100m Freestyle race, with swimmers seeded in heats based on their entry time, not their age group. The times swum in the race will be used to determine the places for both the Age 100m Freestyle Championship and Open 100m Freestyle Championship, with points allocated in each competition, plus the Graded Point Score. Males and Females will be seeded separately.

We will still provide graded club races on these mornings, but they will be a limited program to provide the opportunity for members who are not competing in championship events to have swims and to also allow qualification for upcoming championship events.

We also plan to recommence championship presentation after club races, so we can recognise and celebrate the performances in these events.

Key points to remember are:

• Only Financial First Claim Members are eligible to compete in Championships;
• Entrants must have swum that stroke and that distance in the current season.

The full season program is now available and this can be found on the club website at https://www.merrylandsasc.asn.au/clubraces.

Club Captains

Nominations for the positions of Male and Female Club Captains are open and close at 9.30am today. Financial first claim member aged 14 years and over are eligible to nominate to be a club captain. To nominate yourself or to nominate someone else please go to https://forms.office.com/r/qSuYfheZ6g.

In summary the roles and responsibilities include:

• Club races – assisting with marshalling, organising the 25m rope for these races, organising Whales Challenge relay teams, sale of raffle tickets & preparing the awards for championship presentation;
• Learn to Swim – set up and pack up of equipment & assisting in lessons;
• Swim Meets – acting as team captains, supervising teams members throughout the meet, ensuring swimmers attend marshalling for their races;
• Club Presentation – assisting with the event;
• General – mentoring new members and other activities as determined by the Committee

All financial first claim members can vote for these positions on week 6 (27^th November, 2021).

Whales Challenge #1

The first of the 3 Whales Challenges this season was swum and won last week.

A close contest all morning, with the lead swapping and tied at one stage. The final results came down to the 15m races with the White”Emery” team scoring 823 points and edging out the Maroon “Turner” team who scored 806 points.

Plenty of PB’s & QT’s during the morning, so congratulations to everyone who swam for their teams.

The Maroon team don’t have too long to wait to try and outscore the White team, with the Whales Challenge #2 being swum next Saturday (20^th November). Don’t forget to bring your team swim cap and wear it during your races next week.

Timekeepers

Thank you to all of our timekeepers who help each Saturday morning at club races. Every swimmer appreciates your efforts in recording their great swim times. For many swimmers the race is on to achieve those PB’s and QT’s for upcoming meets & championships, so accuracy is important to them.

If you arrive after races have started we still ask for your help. To assist in filling lanes please see Rabin Shrestha (Chief Timekeeper) before taking a watch, as he will fill vacancies from the middle lanes out, as this is how heats are seeded and the middle lanes have swimmers in every heat (apart from the 15, 25 & 33 metre races).

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

COVID-19 Safety Protocols

⚠

All attendees (swimmers, spectators, volunteers) must sign-in, and out, when they attend the swimming centre, using the Service NSW app, and show proof of vaccination to council staff when asked.

💉

All swimmers, volunteers, coaches and spectators over the age of 16 must be fully vaccinated to attend club races. Children under the age of 16 must be either fully vaccinated, or accompanied by a member of their household who is fully vaccinated.

Information & Conditions for Attendees also found at https://merrylandsasc.asn.au/clubraces/entryconditions

Relay Competition

The second team relay time trial is being swum this morning. An additional time trial will be swum next Saturday morning (20^th November). The first competition relay race will be held on Saturday 27^th November. So start getting your teams together (maximum of 6 team members per team) to take on all the other contenders. The team entry form and swimmer nomination forms can be found at https://www.merrylandsasc.asn.au/clubraces/relay

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Sponsors

We receive great support from our club sponsors and we thank them for this support.

Season Program

With the loss of the first 2 weeks of our planned season and the impact of numerous championship meets in the coming months the Competition Committee has been reviewing the season program and the Committee has agreed to some changes to the program for this season.

The major change this season is to championship races. To provide the full championship program this season we have had to compact some of the weeks that championship races are conducted. This means there may be more than one championship held in a morning. The first championships to be held this season will be on Saturday 27^th November and they will be 100 metres Freestyle and 100 metres Breaststroke. To allow us to complete these championships on the same morning, championship races will be held as Open events. Age championship results will be determined based on the times swum in the Open championship races.

The full season program will be published shortly and this can be found on the club website at https://www.merrylandsasc.asn.au/clubraces.

We will still provide graded club races on these mornings, but they will be a limited program to provide the opportunity for members who are not competing in championship events to have swims and to also allow qualification for upcoming championship events.

Please take the time to review the season program and plan your qualifying swims early.

We also plan to recommence championship presentation after club races, so we can recognise and celebrate the performances in these events.

Whales Challenge #1

The first of the 3 Whales Challenges this season is being held this morning. Good luck to the White”Emery” & Maroon “Turner” teams as they strive for glory.

Club Captains

Nominations for the positions of Male and Female Club Captains are open and close at 9.30am on week 4 (13^th November, 2021). All financial first claim members can vote for these positions on week 6 (27^th November, 2021).

Financial first claim member aged 14 years and over are eligible to nominate to be a club captain. In summary the roles and responsibilities include:

• Club races – assisting with marshalling, organising the 25m rope for these races, organising Whales Challenge relay teams, sale of raffle tickets & preparing the awards for championship presentation;
• Learn to Swim – set up and pack up of equipment & assisting in lessons;
• Swim Meets – acting as team captains, supervising teams members throughout the meet, ensuring swimmers attend marshalling for their races;
• Club Presentation – assisting with the event;
• General – mentoring new members and other activities as determined by the Committee

 Nominations for Club Captain can be submitted here.

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

Championship Eligibility

The Club By-Laws set out the Eligibility to Compete in Championships (By-Law 21). Some key points to remember are:

• Only Financial First Claim Members are eligible to compete in Championships;
• Entrants must have swum that stroke and that distance in the current season.

It is therefore important to plan your swims so that you have swum the stroke and distance if you plan to compete in the Championship for that stroke and distance. The season program sets out the Championship dates to allow appropriate planning of your swims.

There are many situations that may arise which impact on swimmers plans. These situations may mean for example that the pool is closed for club races or the individual swimmer may have circumstances which preclude them from swimming at a particular time (for example COVID-19 health guidelines constantly being changed and updated). All members must continue to comply with health guidelines that are in place and there may be circumstances arise which impact on your ability to swim the stroke and distance in eligibility preparation.

As such the Committee strongly recommends that swimmers plan and undertake their eligibility swims as early in the season as possible, rather than leaving these swims to the last week available before the Championship event is to be swum.

A failure by a swimmer to swim an eligibility swim will preclude their participation in that Championship.

Junior Handicap

It was great to see two heats of the Junior Handicap last Saturday. Great swims with the chasers hot on the heels of the scratch starters. Congratulations to William Johnston and Chloe Ton who won their heats last week.

COVID-19 Safety Plan & Protocols

As we all know Public Health Orders and Guidelines are constantly updated and they play an important role in setting the protocols the club is required to comply with. A new COVID-19 Safety Plan for the club has been developed in line with the current Public Health Orders.

We ask for your assistance in complying with the protocols & plan in place. We will communicate changes as they occur and these updates can be found online at https://www.merrylandsasc.asn.au/news

Please remember:

• You must check in using the Council QR code at pool entry;
• Anyone (coach/athlete/parent/official/spectator) who is unwell for any reason should not attend any training, competition or club activity;
• If you become unwell whilst at the pool please advise us and leave immediately;
• Protect yourself and others from getting sick by following good personal hygiene practices and maintaining physical distancing. We have hand sanitiser available for your use;
• Swimmers should not share any equipment including googles, drink bottles or towels;
• Maintain social distancing when at the swimming centre. We have designated areas around the pool and ask for your assistance in complying with these;
• Access to the club room is available for officials only to retrieve equipment required for club use;
• If you wish to wear a mask whilst at the pool we recommend that you bring this with you.

PLEASE CHECK YOUR SWIM CENTRAL PROFILE AND ENSURE YOUR CONTACT DETAILS (PARENTS & CHILDREN) ARE UP-TO-DATE

Relay Competition

This morning is the first team relay time trial. There will be additional time trials held over the next two Saturday mornings (13^th & 20^th November). The first competition relay race will be held on Saturday 27^th November.

So start getting your teams together (maximum of 6 team members per team) to take on all the other contenders. The team entry form and swimmer nomination forms can be found at https://www.merrylandsasc.asn.au/clubraces/relay

Squad Enrolment

If you would like to join squad training please complete the squad enrolment. Full details of squad enrolment and changes to training for this season can be found at https://www.merrylandsasc.asn.au/news

All swimmers must complete new enrolment forms and their club membership. The steps to follow are:

1. Review the new COVID-19 Conditions
2. Download your COVID-19 Digital Certificate (PDF) from Services Australia
3. Complete your Club Membership renewal, including uploading your COVID-19 Digital Certificate
4. Complete your Squad Enrolment
5. Purchase your Squad Multi-Session Pass and any new equipment you need
6. Download a copy of your Membership Card

Swimmers must not attend sessions if unwell, for any reason. It is also possible sessions may need to be cancelled due to COVID-19 outbreaks.

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.

Membership

Club Membership is for a 12 month period from 1st October to 30th September each year. The annual membership fee includes affiliation to Swimming NSW, Swimming Australia and insurance coverage.

Changes this season include:

• New COVID-19 Conditions for entry to the pool and for training
• New Membership Categories and prices, resulting in lower membership fees for many swimmers. You can now choose to join as a Recreational Swimmer if you don't swim Club Races, or a Club Swimmer if you don't swim at external swimming meets. Your membership can be upgraded at a later date if required.
• COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate or Medical Exemption must be uploaded with your club membership application.
• No physical membership cards - you will need to download a copy of your membership card from Swim Central to show to Council Staff when requested.
• All people entering the swimming centre will be required to use the Service NSW QR code and show Council Staff proof of vaccination.

 The Club Membership Fees for 2021/2022 are listed below. The fees include the Swimming NSW and Swimming Australia Membership fees. 

• Dry/Supporter: $23
• Recreational Swimmer: $50
• Club Swimmer: $70.00*
• Full Swimmer: $86.00

 Additional Fees apply for Masters Membership.

 * Free Membership for 8yrs & Under

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

Sponsors

We receive great support from our club sponsors and we thank them for this support.

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Welcome

How great was it to start the season last Saturday morning. With community sport being able to commence the Committee quickly decided to get the ball rolling immediately. It was great to see familiar faces, not just on phone and computer screens in FaceTime, Zoom, Teams or whatever other technology everyone was using to stay in touch with each other.

With the loss of some weeks at the start of October, two weeks off at Christmas (Christmas & New Year's Day both fall on a Saturday) and a mass of Area, State & National meets during the season, the race program for the season will look a bit different this year. The Competition Committee is working on completing the season program now all the meet dates are known and this will be published soon. In the meantime, take the opportunity to swim your qualifying swims for your upcoming championship events.

When published the season program will be available on the club website at https://www.merrylandsasc.asn.au/clubraces. Please take time to review the season program and plan your swims early.

Committee 2021/2022

The Executive and Committee Members elected are:

Executive Members

 Committee Members

COVID-19 Safety Plan & Protocols

As we all know Public Health Orders and Guidelines are constantly updated and they play an important role in setting the protocols the club is required to comply with. A new COVID-19 Safety Plan for the club has been developed in line with the current Public Health Orders.

We ask for your assistance in complying with the protocols & plan in place. We will communicate changes as they occur and these updates can be found online at https://www.merrylandsasc.asn.au/news

Please remember:

• You must check in using the Council QR code at pool entry;
• Anyone (coach/athlete/parent/official/spectator) who is unwell for any reason should not attend any training, competition or club activity;
• If you become unwell whilst at the pool please advise us and leave immediately;
• Protect yourself and others from getting sick by following good personal hygiene practices and maintaining physical distancing. We have hand sanitiser available for your use;
• Swimmers should not share any equipment including goggles, drink bottles or towels;
• Maintain social distancing when at the swimming centre. We have designated areas around the pool and ask for your assistance in complying with these;
• Access to the club room is available for officials only to retrieve equipment required for club use;
• If you wish to wear a mask whilst at the pool we recommend that you bring this with you.

PLEASE CHECK YOUR SWIM CENTRAL PROFILE AND ENSURE YOUR CONTACT DETAILS (PARENTS & CHILDREN) ARE UP-TO-DATE

Championship Eligibility

The Club By-Laws set out the Eligibility to Compete in Championships (By-Law 21). Some key points to remember are:

• Only Financial First Claim Members are eligible to compete in Championships;
• Entrants must have swum that stroke and that distance in the current season.

It is therefore important to plan your swims so that you have swum the stroke and distance if you plan to compete in the Championship for that stroke and distance. The season program sets out the Championship dates to allow appropriate planning of your swims.

There are many situations that may arise which impact on swimmers plans. These situations may mean for example that the pool is closed for club races or the individual swimmer may have circumstances which preclude them from swimming at a particular time (for example COVID-19 health guidelines constantly being changed and updated). All members must continue to comply with health guidelines that are in place and there may be circumstances arise which impact on your ability to swim the stroke and distance in eligibility preparation.

As such the Committee strongly recommends that swimmers plan and undertake their eligibility swims as early in the season as possible, rather than leaving these swims to the last week available before the Championship event is to be swum.

A failure by a swimmer to swim an eligibility swim will preclude their participation in that Championship.

Club Captains

Nominations for the positions of Male and Female Club Captains are open and close at 9.30am on week 4 (13^th November, 2021). 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 (27^th November, 2021).

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.

Membership

Club Membership is for a 12 month period from 1st October to 30th September each year. The annual membership fee includes affiliation to Swimming NSW, Swimming Australia and insurance coverage.

Changes this season include:

• New COVID-19 Conditions for entry to the pool and for training
• New Membership Categories and prices, resulting in lower membership fees for many swimmers. You can now choose to join as a Recreational Swimmer if you don't swim Club Races, or a Club Swimmer if you don't swim at external swimming meets. Your membership can be upgraded at a later date if required.
• COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate or Medical Exemption must be uploaded with your club membership application.
• No physical membership cards - you will need to download a copy of your membership card from Swim Central to show to Council Staff when requested.
• All people entering the swimming centre will be required to use the Service NSW QR code and show Council Staff proof of vaccination.

 The Club Membership Fees for 2021/2022 are listed below. The fees include the Swimming NSW and Swimming Australia Membership fees. 

• Dry/Supporter: $23
• Recreational Swimmer: $50
• Club Swimmer: $70.00*
• Full Swimmer: $86.00

 Additional Fees apply for Masters Membership.

 * Free Membership for 8yrs & Under

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

Squad Enrolment

It’s time to complete your squad enrolment if you haven’t already done so and you plan to train over the summer season.

All swimmers must complete new enrolment forms and their club membership. The steps to follow are:

1. Review the new COVID-19 Conditions
2. Download your COVID-19 Digital Certificate (PDF) from Services Australia
3. Complete your Club Membership renewal, including uploading your COVID-19 Digital Certificate
4. Complete your Squad Enrolment
5. Purchase your Squad Multi-Session Pass and any new equipment you need
6. Download a copy of your Membership Card

Swimmers must not attend sessions if unwell, for any reason. It is also possible sessions may need to be cancelled due to COVID-19 outbreaks.

Full details of squad enrolment and changes to training for this season can be found at https://www.merrylandsasc.asn.au/news

Sponsors

We receive great support from our club sponsors and we thank them for this support.

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

In the Media

An article about our club was included in the Auburn Review online edition this week. To read it online visit https://www.localnewsplus.com.au/review

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Season Conclusion

Today is our final Saturday of club races for the season. The weather really turned it on for us last week. Thank you to everyone who arrived earlier than normal to allow us to start the 1500m Championships just after 6.30am. We know swimming is a water sport, we just want the water in the pool, not everywhere else!

Highlights of the season include new club Championship records and a stack of PB’s swum at meets including the Merrylands SwimFest, Area, Metropolitan, State & Open Water Championships. Congratulations to all of our swimmers on your achievements and to our great coaching team who work tirelessly to prepare our swimmers.
Thank you to everyone who has participated and contributed to another successful club season:

• Committee members
• Club Captains
• Everyone who helped set up, officiate & pack up
• Learn to Swim instructors & helpers
• Swimmers
• Coaches

We are holding a breakfast bbq at the conclusion of club races today, so please stay around to enjoy the breakfast as we say goodbye to Merrylands Swimming Centre for the next few months.

NSW State Open Championships

The State Open Championships were held last weekend. You can read the full report here.

NSW Junior State Age Championships

The State Junior Age Championships are being held this weekend at SOPAC. We have 2 swimmers who have qualified for individual events:

Joseph Assi: Event 53 - 100m Breast; Event 77 - 50m Breast
Matthew Vicic: Event 31 - 50m Butterfly

In addition Joseph Assi, Joab Hada, Unish Shrestha & Daniel Vicic will represent in two relays, Event 21 - 4 x 50m Free & Event 59 - 4 x 50m Medley.

Congratulations to our swimmers and coaches on qualifying for the Championships. We wish you all good luck and may the whale be with you.

Squad Training

Training moves to Guildford Swimming Centre next week (from Monday, 29th March, 2021). Sessions will be held in the outdoor pool and are scheduled to return to Merrylands in October. Please complete your squad enrolment to confirm that you plan to train whilst Merrylands is closed. The coaches will then confirm your days and sessions for training. See here for details.

Season 2021/2022

Registration for next season will open in September 2021 and club races will commence in October 2021. Stay tuned to the club website and FaceBook page for details as they are available.

Whales Challenge #3

Last Saturday we saw the 3rd & final Whales Challenge for the season contested. Congratulations to the Maroon “Turner” team who took the honours from the White “Emery” teamand ended up winning the season challenges 2 – 0, with the first challenge a tie between the teams.

Club Championship Results

Congratulations to all swimmers who competed in the 1500m Freestyle Open Championships last week. The results are here.

Season Championship Ribbons

Whilst we have not been able to hold championship presentations during the season we do have championship ribbons available for any swimmers who would like to receive them for their 1st, 2nd or 3rd placings in the championship events.
If you would like to receive your championship ribbons please let Margaret know and she will make arrangements for them to be provided to you.

Club AGM

The Annual General Meeting of the club will be held on Monday 24th May, 2021 in the Club Room at Merrylands Swimming Centre, commencing at 7.30pm.
The Annual Report of the club will be presented, together with the election of Office Bearers and Committee positions. Nominations for positions must be submitted to the Secretary at least 30 days prior to the meeting. We encourage all members to attend the AGM.

Annual Presentation

The Committee is still working through the logistics of holding the Annual Presentation to celebrate this season. We will communicate information to all members once this is finalised.

School Meet Results

Congratulations to Joab Hada who was successful at the Cumberland Zone Swimming Carnival. Joab went on to compete at the Parramatta Diocesan Carnival and made it to the NSWCPS Championships where he swam a PB in the 50m Freestyle. Congratulations Joab

MSW 5-8 Years Development Meet

The 5-8 Years Development Meet will be held on Saturday 17th April 2021 at Guildford Swimming Centre. The meet will commence at 2.00pm (warm up 1.00pm).
Entries close in Swim Central on Wednesday 7th April 2021. See here for details.

McCredie Park 40 Year Anniversary Meet

The postponed McCredie Park 40 Year Anniversary Meet will be held on Sunday 2nd May, 2021 at Guildford Swimming Centre. The meet will commence at 10.00am (warm up 9.00am). Entries close in Swim Central on Monday 26th April 2021 or when entries reach a timeline finish of 3.30pm. See here for details.

Masters Long Course Championships

The NSW Masters SC Championships will be held at SOPAC on Saturday 10th April 2021 & Sunday 11th April 2021. Entries close at 12.00pm on Friday 2nd April 2021. See here for details.

Upcoming Events

Sponsors

We receive great support from our club sponsors and we thank them for this support.