Welcome to all new and returning members to the 2010-2011 swim season. Last season saw some great team and individual results and with that, Keyano Swim Club put itself back on the map on the Canadian swimming scene. EKSC swimmers broke National Age Group, Tiny Olympic Prospect, Provincial and numerous Club records. The club established itself as the top team in the Northern Region and moved up the ranks at the Provincial Championships, winning the Age Group Champs last summer. On the national scene, a 4th place finish at Age Group Nationals and a 9th place finish at Summer Nationals, showed we are much more competitive in Canada. Twenty-one Keyano swimmers qualified and represented the team at various Provincial, National and International events throughout the season. More were invited to Provincial and National stroke and training camps. EKSC swimmers raced to podium results at all level of meets last season and personal bests were earned by all. These fantastic results are due to the dedication, hard work and purposeful practice that is the cornerstone of the EKSC swim program. As for the newest Keyano members, you will begin the journey of learning, challenging yourself and enjoying all this great sport has to offer. As in seasons past, Keyano swimmers will strive to be the best they can be.
This season is year three of the Olympic quadrennial and we are on track of realizing a club goal of qualifying athletes for London 2012. For this to occur, EKSC swimmers must continue to improve and become more competitive provincially and on the national scene. EKSC has gone from being a participant to a player and now must consistently show it can win! The club vision is;
“Swim to win...Win at life”
The EKSC Board of Directors and Office Staff continue to develop the governance and club operations and understand if the swimmers are to achieve their goals the club must operate in a way that allows the coaches to coach and the swimmers to swim at the highest level. That is why we are all here. Long term planning is the next big task this season. By putting the “what and how” behind the Club Mission and Vision, the road map to success will be much clearer and applied with greater consistency. The EKSC club website continues to be the main hub of communication, and I encourage all members to browse through it for information on the club and swimming in general.
This season we welcome a few new coaches to the team and with the returning staff, will lead this club to improved performances throughout the season. EKSC’s eager and hard working parents/volunteers will again host well run swim meets this season. Swim meets to be hosted include the Vorgee Novice Series Meets, Blue Bears and EKI. The goal is for all Keyano members to contribute to the success of the club and by working at swim meets is one area where all can contribute.
“Team First” is a motto that applies to all swimmers, parents, coaches, office staff, and support staff of the Keyano Swim Club. Every member of Keyano is on the “team” and is expected to contribute to its success in and out of the pool. To be a successful team, we need everyone supporting the club direction, policies and procedures. The following Team Philosophy is one that all Keyano members and staff strive to live by daily.
·Respect every team member. Treat everyone, including yourself, with respect, dignity, and consideration. Respect everyone’s, including your own, right to pursue goals consistent with team purpose.
·Accept that each EKSC member is important. Everyone has the opportunity to participate and to make a contribution. Your acceptance and support of all team members is expected and greatly appreciated.
·Acknowledge every team member. In our program, everyone counts. No one is invisible. Let everyone know that s/he is noticed and appreciated.
·Value Swimming Excellence. We choose to hold fast swimming, good training and thorough preparation in extremely high regard. Welcome difficult, goal-oriented challenges. Seek out challenges that will help you swim faster and win. Seek out opportunities to swim more, harder, and better. Act as if you want to train and you want to race. Relish and protect each opportunity.
·Contribute. We expect you to continually contribute to our program and to foster our mission.
·Support everyone’s action for excellence.
·Encourage everyone’s action for excellence.
·Challenge everyone to take action for excellence.
·Complement and applaud everyone’s action for excellence.
·Advocate EKSC. We expect every team member to act as an advocate for our program. Say nothing but good things about our program, our staff, and our team members. If you notice inadequacies, raise the issue within the club as per our policies on complaints, but continue to serve as an EKSC ambassador to the swimming world. We will not speak ill of any aspects of our program, members, coaches, or staff.
·Appreciate everyone’s respect, acceptance, support, encouragement, compliments, challenges, and appreciation.
·Make it fun. Enjoy your swimming. Express your enjoyment of training and competing. Please encourage others to talk about the fun. Please note that there is a huge difference between making the pursuit of swimming excellence fun and having fun at the expense of the pursuit of swimming excellence.
Through collective diligence in support of the Keyano Swim Club, its swimmers, its members, its staff and overall vision/mission, will continue to prove “Success is Inevitable”! Thank you for choosing to be member of the Keyano Swim Club for the 2010-11 season and we all look forward to more fast swimming.
