Dunedin Swim Coaching Board members named

Dunedin (Friday, 21 December) – A team of five people with strong swimming and sports administration backgrounds have been appointed to the new Dunedin Swim Coaching Board, formed to oversee the coaching of the sport in the city.

DCC General Manager Operations Tony Avery says the new Board has come about in response to the recommendations of the independent panel that had reviewed the city’s swim coaching needs.

The board members are:

• Lindsay Dey (Chairperson) – Wide range of roles in the sporting field and current President of the Dunedin Triathlon and Multisport Club

• Matt Heaton - President of the Waves Swimming Club

• Sean McMahon – Chairman of the Otago Swim Coaching Academy (OSCA)

• Kay Alexander – Swimming Otago Selector and Otago Swimming Technical Panel member, who also has involvement with Waves and OSCA

• John Brimble – Chief Executive, Sport Otago.

Mr Avery says the board represents a broad range of the community.

“Collectively the board has a broadly based background in sport and swimming, plus there is considerable business and administration acumen.

“Their role will be to manage squad based swim coaches’ services at Moana Pool. This is a positive initiative and there is genuine excitement in the swimming community about what a board like this can do,” he says.

“It is an opportunity to develop Dunedin as a major centre for swimming that will be able to attract elite sportspeople here to train. The Board will also be able to provide clear pathways for developing young swimmers, from learn-to-swim to elite squad level.”

One of the Board’s first tasks will be to manage a process to appoint new coaches next year.

John Brimble’s involvement will be for an initial one-year period, providing a strong link to the Independent Panel’s work that he was a part of. In addition, Sport Otago will provide the Dunedin Swim Coach Board with administration and set-up support in the initial stages.

The new board was appointed by a panel made up of Councillor Bill Acklin, the Chair of the Council’s Community Development Committee; Mandy Grainger, President of Swim Otago; Mr Brimble and Mr Avery.

ENDS

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