NZCT has awarded the QE II Swim Club a grant of $8,000 to assist with coaching costs.
Club Administrator Pip Smith said "We have a squad of sixty members who will all benefit from this. These members range from your sports triathlete training for fitness, a Surf Life Saving member who is also training to be the best they can be, a fierce competitive swimmer trying to move their way up tier system, or those just wanting to solidify their technique and speed having just learned all the strokes from a local learn to swim facility. Being part of the QEII Swim Club brings a camradery that just popping into the pool for a swim doesn’t quite cover."
Our fabulous coaching service is provided by Kauhoe Coaching which consists of Head Coach Charles Porter and Assistant Coach Satori Dobbie, both of whom are ex-competitive swimmers. They are there to share the successes of our swimmers and bring a nurturing, supportive, and enthusiastic vibe to each individual in their swimming journey.
Last year, the council introduced a "pool entry" fee to our squad members (on top of them paying squad fees which usually covers coach costs) which resulted in many families in the area struggling to have their swimmer (in a few instances more than one) engage in the sport as they had previously. We have held off putting off increasing our squad fees to cover coach costs as a result, just to keep the families engaged.
The generosity of the NZCT with this grant means that as an organisation we are able to continue to provide the ongoing swim coaching services of Kauhoe Coaching in a time when all families particularly want or need is to see their tamariki or whanau members be immersed in something which provides positive benefits for their health and wellbeing, as well as the skill and expertise that Kauhoe Coaching brings that is all things swimming!
QEII is very much one big family. Recently Charles had a “big” birthday and recently on our Heja App (which we use for information sharing with our members as it comes to hand) one of our competitive swimmer’s mum, when offering birthday wishes said, “We’re lucky to be in your team!” Another said “Iona is loving her swimming and her QEII family.”
Kauhoe Coaching is the heart and soul of the QEII Swim Club and NZCT’s assistance with the costs of this provision means so much to a whole group of swimmers.