2011_SLSNZ_SurfRescueMag

24
HIGH PERFORMANCE:
Coach’s corner
CONTINUED
Fortunately, the Individual Performance Plans for each
athlete have shown us exactly how they’ve been
tracking for the last six months and will continue to
do so over the next year.
Most of them are in pretty good shape at the
moment, which is great, although there are a couple
just getting over injuries.
From the overall High Performance program, I’m
really happy because we’ve got a really good tracking
system in place now and we’ve also got a lot of good
events on offer for them to train and trial for. Things
are looking good at the moment.
Things have been pretty busy for me as well
- I started up Bartlett’s Swim School in Mount
Maunganui in August and we’ve got nearly 400 kids
enrolled for the last term.
New sport series
boost for NZ
The athletes have demanded it -
now they’re going to get it.
The most exciting thing for us is that we’ve got two
local schools and two local kindergartens involved,
which allows us to get kids who haven’t swum before
into the program. There are around 50 kids who
haven’t had any previous swim training before, which
we’re stoked about.
It’s an absolute treat on a daily basis - I get to deal
with the very top end and I get to deal with the kids
who are just starting out. It’s a great cross-section of
kids to coach.
That’s it from me for now – see you on the beach!
The new Sonic Race Series will kick off in
Whangamata on December 17, offering prizes
and bragging rights to New Zealand’s top surf
lifesaving talent.
The series will feature five rounds of top-end
ski, board, swim, sprint and flags racing, with
ironmen and iromwomen getting six rounds,
including a grand final at the Oceans 12
under-14 national championships.
“After the success of the centenary season,
it’s important to keep moving in the right
direction and add an edge and something
new to the surf sports calendar,” SLSNZ sport
development manager Brad Edwards said.
“Athletes have been asking for this sort of
thing and we’ve managed to introduce it in a
way that will boost the existing events in the
process which has also been identified as a
strong priority for the sport.”
The series will start with the joint Northern/
Eastern region carnival in Whangamata – which
also doubles as a national trial – and will take
in each of the four regional championships,
starting with the Central Regionals at Oakura
on January 15.
The Eastern Regionals – formerly the NRCs –
will follow at Mount Maunganui on January 28
and 29, followed by the Northern and Southern
championships on February 18 and 19.
Athletes will need to compete at three of
the five rounds, with the top-10 ironmen
and women qualifying for the decider during
lunch time on the third day of the Oceans
12 championships at Mount Maunganui on
February 25.
The winners of the grand final races will receive
Sonic paddle boards valued at $2250 each.
A working group including John Bryant, Matt
Sutton, Travis Mitchell and Andrew Newton
brought ideas from athletes and clubs to help
shape the race series concept.
With Rescue 2012 just one year away the
introduction of more top level racing couldn’t
be more timely.
Edwards is confident the series will have double
benefits – as well as providing more high quality
racing and the added incentive of series titles
and prizes for athletes, the events themselves
will get a boost with elite-level racing.
“In the past, the NRCs (now the Eastern
Regionals) have been right up there with the
nationals, for our top athletes. Ultimately
we’d love to lift the standard and profile of the
Central, Northern and Southern championships
to get them up to the same level.”
After each round, points will be tallied and
posted on the SLSNZ sport web site,
sport.surflifesaving.org.nz
YOUNG GUN: MIDWAY’S CORY TAYLOR WILL BE CLOSELY WATCHED THIS
SEASON. PHOTO: MARK DWYER/LAVA MEDIA