WORTHING OTTERS
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ABOUT US Who are the Worthing Otters? We were set up during the summer of 2005 in order to enter a team in the Sussex Youth Games Aquathlon. Now we operate under the umbrella of Worthing Swimming Club but we have strong links with Worthing Harriers, Worthing Excelsior Cycling Club and VC Jubliee. Our aim is to offer young people aged between 8 and 16 the opportunity to participate in the sport of triathlon. Who are the Otters’ coaches? Our Head Coach is Niki Treacy, who in the past has been a national age group champion and has won, world bronze and European Silver Triathlon medals and is a Level II Coach. Ann Maloney and Julian Stevens are BT Level I Coaches. Do you have insurance? Worthing Swimming Club is affiliated to British Triathlon which provides insurance cover for our triathlon related activities. Each qualified coach is also covered by their respective licences. Do I need to buy lots of expensive specialist equipment? No, you need some basic equipment such as a roadworthy bike of any description & an approved cycle helmet but there is no need to splash out on expensive gear. Where and when do you train? Our main base is at Worthing Aquarena, Brighton Road, Worthing. We hold a weekly session on Saturdays throughout the year with the exception of short breaks at holiday times (e.g. Christmas, Easter etc). However, the venues that we use do vary depending on which discipline we are featuring for each age group. We publish a 12-week programme in advance of each quarter so that everybody knows where to go. How good do you have to be at each of the disciplines to join the Otters? We welcome all standards of ability to join us and you can do as much or as little as you want. You must be able to swim 50 metres though. Most people who come along haven’t done anything like this before and you may find it a little difficult at first but don’t worry - everybody does. It is still fun to have a go and if you decide to go in for a race the satisfaction of completing your first multi-sports event will be immense what ever position you come or time you do. Our aim is to offer everybody the chance to take part in an organised race but if you just want to come along to training that is cool too. Can parents get involved? Most certainly, we are very keen for parents or other interested adults to become involved in helping to run the club. We recognise that everybody has a lot going on and we are very grateful for any time that you can give us. If you are interested in becoming a coach there are grants available through Worthing Borough Council to help with the cost of the course fees for triathlon or discipline specific qualifications. We will be happy to advise and endorse applications. Worthing Otters will pay the annual British Triathlon membership subscription for any qualified coach prepared to lead one session a month. We are a Clubmark Club and as such we have to conform with certain Child Protection rules which include carrying out CRB checks on our coaches but these are not intrusive and we will manage the process so that it impacts on you as little as possible. Coaching is not everybody’s cup of tea but the Management Group is always looking for a fresh input of ideas and we would be glad to welcome new members to our meetings. We meet quarterly to discuss how the club is performing and agree ways of improving what we do. At the moment it is a fairly informal arrangement and there is plenty of opportunity for you to get involved at what ever level you like. Finally, even if you can’t commit to playing a formal role within the club your attendance at sessions and help with marshalling intra-club events is very valuable and we do appreciate all the help we get. If you are interested in helping out please contact Otters HQ. This page was last updated on 01/06/09. |