A hearty welcome to the August edition of News Splash! In this month’s issue we bring you news on two indabas which were recently hosted at the SSA head office in Johannesburg; one to streamline the registration process for LTS instructors and the other to set targets for SSA’s mass participation programme. We report on a very successful club swimathon and on WPA’s celebration of Women’s Day. On the podium celebrates our recent victories in the pool and we also inform you about some exciting upcoming events. As always there’s our regular column: Sink or Swim. Happy reading and swim on! 

An LTS Instructors’ Indaba that was held on the 30th of July in Johannesburg looked at ways of streamlining the registration of current and new LTS instructors and at clearing up concerns regarding the education and training of LTS instructors. The indaba was open to members of the LTS National Technical Committee (NTC) as well as the LTS Provincial Technical Committees (PTC) and rationalised many of the current processes set in place to regulate the LTS industry in South Africa.

An Extensive Task

Since the constitutional acceptance in 2007 of swimming instructors as part of SSA, the serious endeavour of regulating the standards of teaching swimming has become part of SSA’s core business. Getting the LTS courses, LTS qualifications and current and new LTS instructors registered is part of this regulation process.

At an LTS conference held in 2009 to encourage life time participation through education and development, a set of resolutions were put on the table to further the development of the standards of teaching swimming. The most important resolution that was immediately accepted was that the education and training of swimming instructors would be vested in the authority of the NTC and PTC’s.

An Instructors’ Information Bulletin, circulated this year with regulations on how instructors should register through their PTC’s as well as an explanation of the continuous learning pathway for instructors to stay accredited, was met with much apprehension though. Registration also didn’t show the keen uptake that was hoped for.

Concerns Raised

From the side of the provincial affiliates at the indaba there were some concerns on the practical feasibility of continuous learning workshops because of geographical restrictions and communications problems. For delegates living in vast rural areas the registration requirements, especially getting police clearance, were hard to meet and for many the processing of documents was ineffective and sluggish.

Successes and Solutions

The indaba was able to solve many of the immediate concerns and misgivings on instructor registration and with a new plan to recognise instructors’ prior learning in order to get them registered, the numbers of accredited instructors should hopefully increase soon.

Despite the difficulties in getting the regulating process off the ground, there have been some great successes regarding education and training with CGA taking mammoth strides, not only getting instructors on board, but also making money through presenting LTS courses. CGA president, Cathy Doyle was instrumental in the success of LTS in her affiliate and addressed delegates at the indaba on some of CGA’s organisational principals and processes.

Perhaps the most embracing resolution to the teething problems of regulating the LTS industry came from the NTC. The committee will visit all the affiliates over the next couple of months to assist PTC’s with setting up administrative processes and to assist non-existing PTC’s with establishing the bodies in the provinces. All 16 regions will be visited.

The LTS National Technical Committee consisting of Penny Quinlan: HR & Communication, Biffy Joubert: Education & Training, Dawne Nissan: Instructor & Swimming Awards, Sybeth Hughes & Betty Dlhamini: Co-opted Members, Vivienne Kalan: Public Safety Standard & Legal Framework, Julie Adam: Chairperson and Odette Randelhoff: Media & Marketing (top right picture) will visit affiliates to help set up effective PTC’s in the provinces

The recent Provincial Liaison Officers’ (PLO) Indaba chaired by newly appointed SSA mass participation manager, Eileen Xhakaza set the objectives and targets of SSA’s Mass Participation Programme (MPP) to the 12 PLO’s responsible for achieving the goals of the MPP in the provinces.

SSA’s Mass Participation Programme is aligned with the SSA’s vision of eradicating drownings and making every child in South Africa a swimmer. The MPP thus advance water safety education and swimming lessons in schools and to the general public. The development of clubs at municipal swimming pools, the registration of these swimmers and the expansion of the number of black swimmers are further objectives.

The focus of the programme is specifically on Learn to Swim, Club Development and Schools Swimming with 6 target audiences that were identified. They are children, parents, educators, volunteers, the disabled and the general public. The strategic objectives of the programme is to increase participation awareness, to develop and support existing clubs, to implement training and develop programmes for instructors, coaches and officials, to support and uplift school sport, the upgrading of facilities and to host effective recreational activities.

Specific targets

In terms of participation awareness the PLO’s must reach 75 new schools annually, at least 150 children must learn to swim, 10 activity programmes are to be run, while 4 portable pools must be installed. PLO’s will also have to establish 2 new municipal relationships and get 4 new clubs going. When it comes to training and development, at least 5 LTS instructors need to be trained and 10 technical officials, 10 coaches and 20 administrators have to be added to the SSA ranks.

Eileen feels that it is important to address imbalances through quality school sports programmes and that the SSA registration process accommodates clubs and participants from disadvantaged communities by allowing clubs and members to pay a reduced fee to ensure life-long participation. Transformation must be adhered to from grassroots level, which is community clubs, right through to the executive committee of the organisation. The process of transformation, in achieving change in SSA must strive to build community based clubs, strengthen school sport and build the ethos of a non-racial society.

No light task awaits the 12 PLO’s responsible for achieving the goals of the MPP under a new SSA Mass Participation Manager, Eileen Xhakaza. Eileen has been involved in sport ever since she started teaching 16 years ago. In 1994 Eileen was the first black teacher at Mondeor High – previously a model-C school – where her love for sport intensified, while at the same time she became aware and concerned about black non-sport participants in her school. In the end she did a Masters at the University of Johannesburg on the subject and is currently busy with her PhD proposal

Around the world swim clubs are the foundation of competitive swimming and successful swim federations. An active and healthy community driven swim club can do wonders to promote swimming and water safety awareness, as Khayalitsha Aquatics recently proved with their first club swimathon.

Newbie’s to the world of aquatics and only three years in existence with a membership of around 60 swimmers, 25 of them competitive and the rest “learn-to-swimmers”, Khayalitsha Aquatics’ enthusiasm for swimming was apparent when they hosted their very first entirely community driven 12 hour swimathon on Saturday 31 July 2010.

The club got a couple of local sponsors – Sasko, Speedo and Second Skins – on board to help with provisions and prizes and then organised the swimathon to make the local community aware of their brand new indoor heated swimming facility at Blue Downs. The steering community of the swimathon even secured a 10 minute insert on national morning radio to promote the upcoming event.

The Blue Downs pool was finished in January this year as a 20 by 25 metre municipal facility and is now the second home to this Western Province Aquatics affiliated club. Previously the club only had the outdoor Khayalitsha municipal pool as training facility, but with the new addition swimming throughout the year is now an exciting possibility.

Everyone a Swimmer

The swimathon also aimed to promote water safety and swimming as a sport to the greater Khayalitsha community with free entry on the event day and free swimming lessons throughout the event and in addition invited Vineyards Swimming Club to support them by occupying extra lanes.

For the actual swimathon a separate lane was set aside the entire day with 1 swimmer swimming a 25 meter length at any time in relay fashion. A total of 101 swimmers participated with or without aids – like noodles or flippers – and a whole 37 kilometres were swum over the 12 hour period.

The youngest swimmer was 3 years old and the oldest 47. Trophies were also handed to the male and female swimming the most lengths with a 10-year old girl, Miche Pikkan, taking the honours over 38-year old Ricoh Harley with 127 lengths over 116 by Harley. Congratulations to the club for helping further SSA’s vision of every child a swimmer!

Club members and supporters of Khayalitsha Aquatics recently swam 37 kilometres in a 12 hour Swimathon at the new indoor swimming facility at Blue Downs in the Western Cape to promote swimming and water safety. Mini water polo and free swimming lessons also formed part of the event. Photographs courtesy of Steven Gonzales

Western Province Aquatics (WPA) celebrated Women’s Day at the Long Street Indoor Pool on the 9th of August 2010 by hosting a fun filled aquatics day. Learn to Swim and water polo were very well supported, while a physiotherapist and message personal were also at hand to pamper the ladies on their special day.

Nazli Gaidien from Paarl Aquarius reassures a rather sceptical Pumla Takota during her very first swimming lesson (top left). Sarah and Kimberley Kay of Pinelands High and Ray Bester of Walmers Club cheer young female water polo players new at the game on (top right). LTS instructor, Lara Farrell gets Fatimah and Aatika Cassiem to kick on their backs (bottom left), while Narisa Mdalose of Pinelands High reaches out for the ball during skills practice for water polo (bottom right). Photographs courtesy of Steven Gonzales

Many of South Africa’s top swimmers recently starred and shined in top international events around the globe. Congratulations not only to the medal takers, but to every athlete who went out there to give the champions stiff competition and in the process bettered their own efforts.

Pan Pacific Championships

As an invited athlete, Roland Schoeman kept South Africa’s name high amongst many of the world’s best swimmers from Australia, Canada, Japan and the United States in this prestigious event hosted by USA Swimming in Irvine, California recently. He took a bronze medal in the 50m butterfly and was also part of the relay team who won South Africa’s other bronze at the championships. Lyndon Ferns, Graeme Moore and Gideon Louw were the other swimmers for the South African 4 x 100m freestyle relay team. The USA won the event, with Australia coming second.

IPC Swimming World Championships

Natalie du Toit was the brightest star in the South African team who recently completed at International Paralympic Committee's Swimming World Championships in Eindhoven, Holland, claiming six gold medals, one silver and one bronze. Her greatest victory, perhaps, came in the 5km open water swim, where she not only dominated the event, but also bettered the best time swum by a man in the event. Kevin Paul won silver in the 100 metres breaststroke in the men's SB 9 class in a South African record time, while Charl Bouwer collected two silver medals. He finished behind Dzmitry Salei in the 100 metres freestyle in the S13 category in 53.38 seconds, just 0.01 seconds outside the previous world record.

Youth Olympic Games

Chad le Clos was our definitive hero at Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games when he bagged one gold, three silver and one bronze medal for South African swimming. Another bronze went to Dylan Bosch in the youth men’s 200m medley. Le Clos won gold in the same race with his other medals coming in the youth men’s 400m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 200m butterfly (all silver). Le Clos and Bosch, together with Murray McDougal and Peter Keune were responsible for the other bronze medal-winning performance in the youth men’s 4 x 100m freestyle relay.

SSA/GPG Water Safety Campaign Launch

WHAT: SSA and GPG will officially launch their collaborative endeavour to bring water safety, swimming and swim club development to Gauteng communities at the start of the 2010 swimming season. By combining the efforts of SSA’s Learn to Swim (LTS) Programme with GPG’s Mass Participation Programme (MPP) – aimed at mass community participation in sports and recreation – SSA will further its vision of eradicating drownings and making every child in South Africa a swimmer.

WHEN: Friday 10 September 2010, from 10:30 – 15:00.

WHERE: Pimville Indoor Swimming Pool, Motjatji Street, Pimville, Soweto.

FINA Swimming Coaches Level 1 Certification Course

WHAT: A three day FINA Level 1 Coaching Certification Programme presented by Rocco Meiering from South Africa. The participants who successfully pass the final test will be allowed to apply to the FINA Office in order to receive the Coaches Diploma and ID card as FINA Certified Level 1 Swimming Coach, which will be valid for 4 years. The course is free, but travel, accommodation and meals are charged to participants.

WHEN: Friday 17 – Sunday 19 September 2010

WHERE: Lusaka, Zambia

CONTACT:  coaches.certification@fina.org

Last time Bart Bademeister was on the brink of swimming his greatly anticipated 40th birthday Midmar Mile, but still had to learn to relax before the important event. At long last Bart is at the starting line and ready to go! Bart writes…

There I was – on a cold, miserable morning on the 9^th of February 2008 with the wind coming up and a light drizzle starting – exactly 40 years after I exchanged my slumbering water dominated pre-reality for this world, dressed in nothing but a Speedo, a swim cap, goggles and big black numbers written all over my body, staring at the mass of choppy water I was about to cross.

Corralled like sheep into different camps according to the colours of our caps we huddled together against the wind – the experienced guys all wearing makeshift ‘raincoats’ out of refuse bags. We listened quietly to the safety coordinator announcing the delay of the start of the race because of adverse conditions.

For about half an hour I was doing diaphragm breathing and somewhere in the back of my mind I guess I was praying that they would just call the whole thing off so that I could go home without swimming; through no fault of my own. But eventually the starting signal came and a while later our white capped brigade was also led to the slaughter…

As soon as I was in the water though, I was okay. Well more than okay, truth is, I felt magnificent – light and buoyant and totally in the present moment. Being part of the wonderful adventure of living up to my own dreams and goals and presently doing just that!

I was concentrating on my breathing and my stroke and never had any fear of the unknown depths beneath me. Instead I felt very safe between my fellow swimmers in our shared effort to get to the finish. Although everybody was quietly swimming their own race with their own thoughts, I felt an awesome sense of camaraderie.

While none of these swimming bodies around me realised it, they were part of my birthday party, they were all part of my private, quiet celebration in the water; which became more jubilant with every stroke I was closer to the big ‘FINISH’-sign at the other end of the dam.

A mark that was becoming clearer and clearer every time I lifted my head to see whether I was still on course. To me, every swimmer in my race was part of my triumph over a deep-seated fear of open, deep water; of finally conquering the skill of swimming and of achieving my own goals.

Craig Townsend describes quiet achievers as the most dangerous competitors in an excellent article: “The awesome power of the quite achiever”. To him Ian Thorpe, Pieter Van den Hoogenband, Inge De Bruijn, Alex Popov, Susie O'Neill and Lenny Krayzelburg all share the same quiet achiever attitude until they unleash their immaculate best form at big international meets. Find his article at:

http://swimming.about.com/library/mental_tips/bl_53_mind_training00.htm

In a related article Craig Townsend looks at how much confidence a swimmer should show. He says that all success in the pool will always draw some criticism from fellow competitors. The confidence you show will therefore also determine the amount of criticism you might face – especially when failing to live up to your verbalised levels of confidence. Read this very insightful article at:

http://swimming.about.com/library/mental_tips/bl_51_mind_training00.htm

Peter Walker gives great and very innovative ideas on celebrating a child’s accomplishments. From planting a tree, to making a video, to having a special family dinner with the achiever eating off a golden plate; all these are ceremonies a family can adopt to make a child’s swimming success a positive permanent memory. Find the article on the web at:

http://fatherhood.about.com/od/activities/a/celebrating.htm

• SAN Diving Recruitment Letter (74)
• SAN Diving Recruitment Centres with Dates (61)

Du Toit won the 5km in a time of 1:00.20 ahead of France’s Elodi Lorandi. Du Toit was utterly dominant in the swim, winning by more than six minutes. Lorandi finished in 1:06.48.

That brings the total medal tally for South Africa to 11 with du Toit winning 6 Golds, 1 Silver and a Bronze Medal.

Du Toit claimed gold in the 100m Butterfly, 200m Individual Medley, 100m Freestyle, 100m Backstroke, 400m Freestyle and the 5km Open Water Swim. She also won silver in the 50m Freestyle and Bronze in the 100m Breaststroke.

South Africa’s other medals came through Charl Bouwer (2 Silver – 100m and 400m Freestyle) and Kevin Paul who won silver in the 100m Breaststroke.

No surprises in the top two placings as the United States and Australia showed just why they are two of the powerhouses of world swimming.

Olympic hero Michael Phelps led off the American quartet and the USA were never challenged. Australia and South Africa though, were involved in a titanic struggle, with lead off men Eamon Sullivan and Lyndon Ferns recording identical first 100m splits of 49.19sec.

Coming out of the second 100m split, South Africa had a marginal lead (1:37.59 to 1:37.67) but in the third leg the Australians slipped past the South Africans. Twenty-five year-old Cameron Prosser screamed to a 48.38sec 100m with Roland Schoeman clocking 49.95sec and the Australians had an insurmountable lead over South Africa for the final 100m.

That lead allowed James Magnussen of Australia to relax on his 100m leg with Graeme Moore swimming the anchor leg for South Africa.

Du Toit took the lead from the word go, leaving behind Great Britain’s Stephanie Millward (1:10.31) and Canadian Stephanie Dixon (1:11.05).

In yesterday’s 50m Freestyle (S9) she clocked 29.65 to claim the sliver. Du Toit has now won 5 golds, 1 silver and 1 bronze medal.

In the men’s 100m freestyle (S13), Charl Bouwer collected his second silver medal of the competition and another South African record when he touched the wall in a time of 53.38. Bouwer finished behind Dzmitry Salei who swam to a new World Record time of 53.15, with Brazil’s Carlos Farrenberg collecting the bronze (54.47)

Bouwer ended 4^th in the 100m backstroke final but not without setting a new South African record of 1:02.61.

At the previous evening’s finals, Charl Bouwer won his first silver medal in the 400m Freestyle S13 Category and broke the South African Record in the event with a time of 4:11.77.

Tomorrow’s final day sees Natalie du Toit and Tiaan du Plessis take on the 5km Open Water swim.

Lining up in the 200m Butterfly final after qualifying sixth fastest in the morning’s heats with a time of 2:02.07, Le Clos drew lane 7.

The evening session though was a different story as Le Clos swam the fastest time of his career to earn yet another silver medal.

Coming into the Games, Le Clos had a best time of 1:56.86, which he set in April and the Telkom SA National Championships in Durban.

When he touched the wall he had clocked 1:56.85, but it was the Hungarian Bence Bizco who had the fastest time on the day with a time of 1:55.89.

Biczo led from start to finish but Le Clos had to dig deep in the final 100m. As he turned for the final 50m, Le Clos found himself behind Poland’s Marcin Cieslak, but a 30.28sec surge took him past Cieslak and back into second.

The South African Swimming team will return home with an outstanding 6 medals – 1 gold, 3 silvers and 2 bronzes.

In the final though it was Cesar Cielo of Brazil who had all the firepower. Cielo posted the fastest time in the World this year with his 23.03seconds. The Brazilian also moved up to 10^th on the all time lists. Nicolas Santos’ 23.33sec puts him 5^th in the World and Schoeman’s 23.39 is now 6^th best in the World. Schoeman did however finish as the top Commonwealth swimmer and therefore puts him in a good position to defend his Commonwealth Games crown in Delhi.

Jean Basson had to settle for 6^th in the 200m Freestyle, clocking 1:47.43. Basson finished 4^th at the Olympic Games in 2008 and set an African and South African record at the World Championships in Rome in 2009 in this event.

Lining up in the 400m freestyle final in the S9 Category, du Toit was too strong for the field winning by a whopping 17sec. From the start she took the lead and progressively moved ahead. After 100m she was 2 seconds ahead of Great Britain’s Stephanie Millward. By the halfway mark that lead was 5 seconds. A 100m later and she had a 10second gap.

After 4:30.64 du Toit had won Gold Medal number 4.

Having set a new South African record in the mornings heats, Challis Wright was unable to find the same form in the final of 100m Breaststroke (S14). In the morning he clocked 1:12.12 but was only able to clock 1:12.25 in the final for a 5^th place finish.

Despite finishing 7^th in the 400m Freestyle S10, Shireen Shapiro still bettered her previous personal best time of 5:05.88 which she swam in the mornings heats to 5:03.90 in the final. Achmat Hassiem though was not able to duplicate that performance. In the heats of the men’s 400m Freestyle S10 he clocked a personal best of 4:27.17, but had to settle for a 4:27.38 in the finals.

In the 50m freestyle (S10), Charl Bouwer finished 4^th with a personal best time of 24.87. Marike Naude, despite finishing 8^th, clocked a personal best time of 33.18 in the 50m freestyle (S13), while Sarah Shannon also swam her way to a personal best in the 100m freestyle (S3) in 2:51.52.

World Record Holder Pavel Poltavtsev was unstoppable and won in a new world record time of 1:05.96 (previous record 1:06.93).

Ironically Paul was in the lead after 50m but was unable to maintain his pace and Poltavtsev was able to pass him. At the half way mark, Paul clocked 35.46sec to the 36.12 of the Russian.

Paul’s preparation had been meticulous, having competed at the German National Championships in June and setting a world record in the 400m Individual Medley.

Paul is no stranger to these high-level competitions, having won the Gold Medal in the 100m Breaststroke in Beijing at the Paralympic Games.

Not to be outdone, Natalie Du Toit won Gold in the 100m Freestyle. Du Toit screamed through the first 50m in 30.43sec, before slowing down in the next 50m (32.36sec) to touch the wall in 1:02.79, over a second ahead of runner up, Great Britain’s Stephanie Millward.

Du Toit has now won three Gold Medals (100m Butterfly, 200m Individual Medley, 100m Freestyle) and one Bronze (100m Breaststroke).

Charl Bouwer had to settle for 4^th in the 100m Butterfly S13 category improving his personal best from time 1:00.76 to 1:00.62.

The second half of the race he was closing down rapidly on Chang, recording a 27.98 split for the second 50m to the 28.34 of Chang. In the end though he ran out of pool length and had to settle for the silver.

He later combined with Murray McDougal, Dylan Bosch and Pierre Keune in the 4x100m Freestyle to win a Bronze Medal. Le Clos led off the relay and handed over in third position to McDougal who hauled the South Africans into second. Dylan Bosch, who had won Bronze in the 200m Individual Medal behind le Clos, was able to keep the second spot, but Pierre Keune had to give way to China’s Jianbin He. The Gold Medal was won by the Russian Federation (3:23.91), ahead of China (3:24.46) and South Africa (3:24.66).

The fantastic performance displayed by the young quartet in the 4 x 100m Freestyle creates a great platform to build on towards the 2014 Commonwealth as well as the 2016 Olympics Games.