Introduction from the Chairman

However, before doing so allow me a moment to express my thanks to everyone involved in the club, the 300+ swimmers who try so hard in their training sessions and gala’s. The parents for turning up and bringing their children along and finally to the volunteers, without whom there would be no club, this group includes everyone who teaches, coaches, organises and generally helps with the operation of the club and its events.

I must thank specifically the retiring committee members, many of whom have performed significant roles for a very long time indeed; your legacy is a credit to your tireless and unstinting support. I am grateful for the solid foundation that you have left behind. Thank you then, one and all!

I have three children who swim with Crusaders and each is a product of the superb hidden gem of “Learn to Swim” and they are now in the embryonic stages of their competitive swimming careers. They do not win every race but do come away from both races and training having had great fun with their friends and coaches. They are keen to participate and keen to do their best. I can ask for no more. The fun element is something that I believe is important for the whole club.  I have the view that parents, coaches and swimmers need to be having fun, otherwise what is the point?

Within the club we each have the opportunity to make and develop lasting friendships so as a club we will be looking for ways to do this by developing the broader “team”.

To this end we have a vision to “make Crusaders the local club of choice”.  We appreciate that in doing this we will need to recognise and take account of the needs of each of the key stakeholders in the club; the swimmers, the parents, the coaches, teachers and volunteers.

To do this I expect us to focus on improving our communication, to raise the already high standard of coaching and teaching through the development and support of our volunteers, and finally to provide more opportunities for parents and families to get involved in the social side of the club.

We have established a Coaches, Teachers and Volunteers Forum, providing each person who works on the poolside with a network to help their personal development and to know the wider community of volunteers better.

We will look to promote the club more widely in order to attract a wider community of swimmers and through our pool of younger talent and the efforts of the coaching team we hope to enthuse the group to move forward and achieve greater competitive success over the next few years.

I see opportunities for providing opportunities to our older swimmers to take advantage of doing what they enjoy, competition. We will also look for each of them to take greater personal responsibility within the club, perhaps through coaching or roles at galas and thereby reinforcing the sense of team spirit and oneness.

Whilst it is necessary for us to raise fees in line with increasing expenses, through the popular Swim Shop, the club maintains a reasonably healthy financial position. However to realise the ambitions that we have for the future we are hoping to improve this by actively seeking club sponsorship through local organisations and also by organising and running a series of open meetings, i.e. Formal Galas where we host other clubs from around the area.

So I am sure you will agree we have an exciting and challenging couple of years ahead of us if we are to realise the ambition that we have for our club. The committee are a small group of individuals, the coaches a slightly wider group of people, all of whom are volunteering their time and energy to make Crusaders an organisation where all of our children can engage in enjoyable and purposeful activity in a safe environment. There is a tremendous amount of work involved and I would ask each of you to consider what part you can play in helping shoulder the load.