Junior Development
“The 2022/2023 Nipper Season was very successful. It was great to see hundreds of Woolamai Beach SLSC caps around the island across the summer on our Nippers’.”
This season carried forward many of the innovations from the two previous COVID affected years, with split session times, capped group numbers, beach zoning, individual group zoned water safety and we also expanded enrolment. Though mindful of COVID and its impact, we were excited to reinstate the BBQ, social activities and club gear for sale. Challenges were overcome around expanding the program, writing software programs for enrolment all while we were dealing with floods, toilet blocks disappearing and other emergencies. These were just another challenge after two years of COVID, we were used to adapting.
Thank you to the outgoing Director of Junior Development Charles Tuchtan for the support behind the scenes in helping me to transition along with Jason Close (current CLUB PRESIDENT and past Nipper Coordinator). This year the joint winner of the 2023 Stewart & Carol Irving Nipper Award along with Vicki Tuchtan who has been managing our Facebook page, newspaper articles, assisting with proof reading, legal documents and more. Thank you to Stewart and Carole along with Vicki and Charles.
Thank you Ivan Webb for over 1000 amazing photos, along with Athol Hill and a few others who have also contributed. With groups across two beaches. We really appreciate all the extra support for the wonderful photos of our nippers.
Nipper numbers began to rise again with numbers increasing to 306 nippers in 17 groups across the two beaches. Volunteer members supported the program, we had 17 Age Managers, 32 Assistant Age Managers and 12 Junior Age Managers, 90 qualified water safety, 8 first Aid, 2 Beach Coordinators and parent helpers from 203 families. Families helped with set up, pack up, beach organisation and admin, BBQ, social events such as movie nights and parent evenings.
Phillip Island Nature Parks and Bass Coast Shire were supportive of our programs and permits. Always helpful when asked. A challenge we faced at Smiths Beach was storage of our equipment as the toilet/ storage facility had been demolished. With the help of Troy and Maddie Hungerford we were able to secure and Troy transported the boards on a daily basis to Smith and home again while Maddie was running the water safety volunteers at Cleeland Bight.
Across both beaches Kathy O’Keeffe coordinated 17 Age managers and 32 Assistant Age Managers and 12 Junior Age Managers (Many took two sessions per day). Seven new Age Managers went through their paces to be qualified. Each Age Manager needed to train and/or update Child Safety Courses. Michael Butler known as ‘BOO’ ran the Smiths Beach operation with efficiency, running water safety, Age Managers and Junior Age Managers for the Under 12 and 13 groups, helping to prepare them with skills in the surf. Many smiles were to be seen on both beaches and children had fun learning surf and water safety skills. Michelle Martin managed a small team of Doctors, nurses and first aiders to provide first aid across 2 beaches for 3 hours each day. Thank you.
Many local businesses support Nippers through our raffle. A big thank you to our major sponsor SMASH (drink bottles) and Community partners Bass Shire Council and Phillip Island Nature Parks.
Thank you to Jason Close and Donna Brunt for the amusing and entertaining raffle videos each day of the program for the past few years. They will be hard to beat as we enter a new era as we have a new raffle team forming this coming season.
This season saw families coming and going for 3 plus hours each day. The Buzz and vibe was amazing and Nippers HQ and the BBQ were a hub of social activity. A mostly sunny season with a timely cold chill come through the morning after a new shipment of hoodies, saw club gear skyrocket. Thank you to Fiona Blackmore for her dedication to decking our Nippers’ in club gear.
This year we also saw the introduction of an Environment Education session lead by Louise Smith with a small team of Junior Members. Our club takes environmental issues and sustainability seriously. The kids visited the Environment tent to participate and had so much fun and happy to say there were no single use water bottles in sight on our beach.
Fun was had at the movie night for Nippers while parents relaxed on the deck and by the bar, Mums enjoyed a Champagne/soda water at the Champagne Sunset and the dads had an afternoon beer/soft drink at the club bar a chance to get together and have a chat. Thank you to the social committee team and Donna. Water safety and Junior Age Managers enjoyed pizza and were often seen socializing on a daily basis and hanging out together for hours showing the strength of the club culture of our club.
To run a successful Nippers program each year it takes a community of volunteers each contributing to the program and we thank you ALL. Behind the scenes there was another group of special volunteers that worked behind the scenes to make it happen. Thank you to Bre Goodger-McGrath, Alex Westster (winner of the club Admin award!!!) Jason Close, Kathryn O’keeffe, Vicki Tuchtan. With the exception of Alex none of this team have any Nippers at the club and will be stepping down next season. Thank you so very much for your years of service to Nippers and the club! A big thank you to Michael Butler (no nippers) who stepped into the role as beach coordinator of Smiths and Jules Hay who will be taking over Kathy’s position.
On the last day we said a final thank you to Troy and Maddie Hungerford, Kathy & Peter O’Keeffe. We thank them for their dedicated service to the club in the Nippers arena. It was a lovely was to complete the season as a community of volunteers.
Signing off for the 2022/23 season.
Tanya Pinnock
Director of Junior Development