Under 7 Nipper Sarah is looking forward to October when she can get back to the Brunswick river and beach on Sundays for water fun and safety training.
Eve Jeffery
It’s that time of year when the weather is staring to get warm. We drag our old bathers (swimmers, togs, trunks) from the bottom of the drawer, we decide they are too small, we promise to go on a diet and then we buy new ones before heading off to the beach.
Each year millions of swimmers are watched over by the volunteers of Surf Life Saving Clubs and the seeds of this service lies in the juniors, or Nippers as they are known.
Nippers is about learning, confidence and having fun in a safe beach environment. For Nippers, the beach is the classroom. They gain confidence by passing the ‘tests’ of swimming, body boarding, beach sprints, dolphin-diving, spotting a rip, having fun with new friends and discovering things about themselves.
The skills gained in Nippers will stick to the soul like sand from the beach and be carried for life.
Of the SLSC’s 153,000 members, over 58,500 are Nippers. Anyone between five and 13 is eligible to join. This equates to nearly 40% of the total membership and shows just how significant the junior movement is within surf lifesaving.
The nippers of today are the future of surf lifesaving tomorrow.
Brunswick SLSC
The Brunswick Junior Surf Life Saving Club are welcoming new and existing members to sign-on at 9–11am this Sunday September 8 and the following Sunday September 15 at the Mullumbimby Pool. Bring your bathers.
All Bruns Nipper activities take place on the beautiful Brunswick ocean beach or river – and hang around for the BBQ afterwards.
For more information contact [email protected] or go to the website www.brunswickslsc.org and click on the JAC-Nippers tab. The season starts on Sunday October 14 – 9.15am for a 9.30am start.
Byron Bay SLSC
The Byron sign-on days are September 15 and 29 to coincide with the Surf Club Open Day.
Many of the kids who love to compete throughout the season have already started training and love not only the training but the social aspect of getting together with their friends and going for an early morning paddle.
Byron Bay often puts on perfect conditions for young Nippers and allows them to safely be in the water learning all aspects of surf lifesaving and water safety. It’s a great part of the world to be a Nipper.
Byron Bay Junior Surf Lifesaving would love to see more young Nippers getting involved and particularly parents who have the opportunity to gain their bronze medallion through the club and also become a part of this fantastic organisation.
Visit the club website: www.byronbaysurfclub.org
For more information about what Nippers do, visit the website: www.sls.com.au/nippers
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