SUMMERSTRAND NIPPERS CARNIVAL SUNDAY 25TH JANUARY 2009 AT KINGS BEACH.

SUMMERSTRAND NIPPERS CARNIVAL
25 JANUARY 2009.

I had been away quite a bit before this carnival. I had been at Wildcliff the previous week. And the week of the carnival I had spent three days in Johannesburg. This was quite hectic for me as I like to be able to work on teams and communicate the as much as possible to the Nippers in the week before a Carnival.

Saturday morning I had a wonderful 15kay run with Ben Carver and some other people we met that morning. After the run we swam out to the buoys at Hobie beach. I rushed off home for a shower and change and then back to the beach for the Level Test. Here we had 6 U10's going through their paces with a few U12's and one U14. Many of these youngsters battle with the sea swim and they like the comfort of having an adult with them as they swim. So I also had a few swims as well. A couple of us were stung by Bluebottles.

I had to go into the office to try to catch up with some of my admin work that I had missed out on being away as much as I had. I had planned to collect an army tent for the scorers but on Saturday morning we discovered that it was no longer available.

Saturday afternoon we met at Kings beach to set up the sprint and the flags arena's. Michael was there to lend a hand as were a number of parents (John, Clint, Donald, Warren, Dion, Deon). Sunday morning I was up early as I had agreed to meet Ben for a run again. I took our Scooter as Barbara would use my car and Jacqui used the bakkie. After the run I drove over to Kings beach and we started the set up of the Tent and taking the boards onto the beach.

Before we even start to talk about this carnival it is important that we acknowledge the hard work that organisers and officials put into the event. Everyone is a Volunteer. People who seldom receive recognition are the officials who no longer have a personal interest or a child in Nippers, but still spend a whole day on the beach. Thank you! Also Supporters, Parents and others who assisted in any way however small: your contribution is valuable and this is truly a case of Many Hands Make Light work!

Nippers started to arrive and we soon had a good team of Nippers for the day's activities. The weather looked perfect. It was a stunning PE “Day in Paradise” with a cool westerly flattening out the small swells. The U10's started off with Individual Malibu and I was surprised how well some of the newer Nippers did. We then moved over to the Flags where a set of heats were run. We had a small team of 4 girls and a substantial team of about 10 U10 boys. Each one of them took part in almost all the events. Malibu, Body Board, Long Run, Sprints, Team Sprints, Taplin & Surf swim,.

The day remained sunny throughout. The wind swung from West to South East but this did not affect the events too much except that the last few water events became difficult as sections would be directly into the wind and the Nippers were being pushed to the left as they went out to the buoys. For parents it was a day of drama as we watched our Nippers in some thrilling finishes. Also we witnessed some real bravery as Nippers who would not normally take part in water events went out despite their fears and misgivings.

Last Nipper in the water today was Caitlin Rogers who took part in the Iron Nipper contest. Caitlin has been an example of vasbyt for many years. She does not win races but steadfastly enters the event.

I know that I repeat myself but Nippers is a sport for the brave and those with heart. Flags is an incredible event for building character as those who are eliminated have to return to their team mates with a gracious manner. I watched the U12 girls flags finals and I was delighted to see how well they took defeat. Often with a smile and a spring in their step they would accept that they had been eliminated and as soon as they joined their team mates they would engage in conversation that did not excuse their failure to continue.

If you as a parent or supporter felt tired and frazzeled after this day on the beach, then how much more would the Nippers feel exhausted. And how much did they whinge? I heard very few complaints. And while we have a bit of time to sit and watch, the nippers use up the breaks to swim and surf.

Our team of U10's need to be propped up with some swimming ability. For the next carnival we should have Alexia Vaughn who took part in a few of the water events as a fun exercise as Lexie does not have a Level test yet and did very well in these events. We did not score well in the final tally were beaten by Kings beach and by Plett. The U12's and the U14's did very well today and they pulled us through to an overall win.

A couple of lessons: we should have a pack of black bags and hand to each of the clubs who are there as we tend to generate a huge amount of rubbish and it is not fair to leave this for someone else to clear for us. Also we did not have a table and chairs for the scorers. People like the scorers, starters and catchers have a non stop job moving from one event to another and don’t have time for a meal break. We should have someone to ensure that they are properly catered for.

I received these two notes which indicate that the admin and work that goes into an event like this is worth the effort:

“Thanks for organizing a great day and perfect weather. I am sure most of the kids batteries were pretty flat by this arvi and parents pretty frazzled. Summies has an awesome team spirit and i am wondering why it took me so long to finally get my SLA.
Have a great week and c ya Sunday”.

Thank you for a great day! AGAIN FOR ALL THE SUPPORT TO OUR CHILDREN ! Much appreciated!
Thank you for the life skills you and your team are teaching our children –
Congratulations! WELL DONE!

Thanks Peter. Great day on Sunday. Jaryd thoroughly enjoyed himself. Thanks 4 the encouragement and support. Much appreciated.
Thanks again for these e-mails. And ditto to all those who made everything possible on Sunday!
We’ll see you and yours on Friday for bring and braai starting around 6.30pm.
Lv Debbie


Results
East London 153 Points
Plett 458 points
Kings Beach 813 Points
Summerstrand 899 Points

I am not sure if I have missed it perhaps, but have you informed everybody that EC Champs has been brought forward to 28 Feb/01 March? If not, perhaps you can let everyone know in this week's email?

Well done, coaches!
Regards
Lee

Note from the seniors:
WATER & ELECTRICITY – SAVING PLEASE
We are requesting that all members use the water & electricity wisely as the costs are spiraling out of control. We need each & every member to get involved in this cost saving exercise.
GIRLS NIPPERS….This applies to you. Use those showers sparingly. A quick shower to clean off.

Level tests: If you are interested in taking part in Carnivals and in the East Cape Champs next year then you have to have qualified for the Level Test in your age group.
To qualify for a level test:
You need to swim a 400m in a pool either with a swim coach, a responsible adult or a Nippers Coach. Please phone me if you need help in this regard.
A copy of your Birth Certificate.
A competed indemnity form.
We need you to bring these documents to Nippers urgently if the Nipper is to compete in the next Carnival.
Please contact Liesl or Juan Nel at 0824428784 or sales@intertown.co.za to confirm that your Nipper has been entered for the next level test in two weeks time.

Marking of clothing: Please mark all clothing and kit. Every weekend we find Unmarked clothing lying around on the beach or in the change rooms.