LETTER FROM ESA CHAIRMAN

Following ESA Annual General Meeting earlier in November. Our Chairman Tom Rock has written an open letter to our members.

Dear Parents and Swimmers 

I thought it appropriate to update you on our/your club’s position as we approach 2022.  You will not be surprised that we have just held our Annual General Meeting “AGM” for 2021.  Before I start let’s just say it’s been a very challenging 18 months for us all.  We have managed to get through the Covid-19 restrictions and come out stronger. For those of you who may have lost a relative or close friend to this pandemic our hearts go out to you. 

As a club we are one big family and our goal over the past 18 months has been to keep you all safe and free from catching the virus whilst swimming.  Your committee, coaching team and facilities management have all worked tremendously hard together in providing you all with a safe training environment. Both you as parents and swimmers have also made your contributions by working with us to facilitate the safe measures and precautions we have introduced for your return to the pool.  

As a committee it is not only your safety we have had to consider, but that of your coaching team and their families for this to work successfully.   I am so pleased that we have got there with all of your hard work and cooperation in following the issued guidance.  But don’t forget we still need to be cautious in order to maintain the safety of us all over the coming months.  

We have held our AGM and initially, I would welcome those parents who attended and volunteered to join our/your committee.   I would also thank Mick Evans who has volunteered to take on the role of Everton SA’s Head Coach. This will afford us all the opportunity to see some new training goals and hopefully, for you to see the achievements / improvements of your child in the pool.  We are a competitive swimming club which means your coaching team are training your child to compete in swimming competitions as a team member or individual competitor.   No matter where your child is in our club’s structure you will see they are being trained to swim fast with timed swims and working on their stroke technique, diving and competitive turns.  

This leads me on nicely to the need to have your support on both poolside and within our club.  We have recently held a club presentation to a number of parents about the club and the need for parents to get involved.  A few parents who attended volunteered to come down onto poolside to help out, but we need more of you to come forward and get involved, just talk to us as the hardest thing is to take the first step.    Just look at how you can help out: 

  1. Chaperones on poolside or at Galas 
  2. Poolside Helpers to work with our Coaches on poolside 
  3. To be trained to Teach and Coach our swimmers  
  4. To be trained up to become a club official such as a Timekeeper or Judge 
  5. Help at functions such as Easter Course and Christmas Party / Presentation Evening 
  6. Join our committee and help with the duties expected of its members 

As we approach Christmas, we will be holding our Club’s Christmas Party (Saturday 18th December) and Annual Club Gala (Saturday 27th November and Saturday 4th December) for the first time since lockdown prevented us from doing so.   In the New Year we will have our annual awards night which allows us to present the trophies to the swimmers who competed in the annual Club Gala.  If you have any trophies at home please bring them to the gala on Saturday and give them to either your coach or a committee member.   If we are all successful in keeping Covid at bay as we move forward, we are aiming to hold the 3 1/2 days Easter Course at the University of Liverpool Sports Complex in 2022.   

Just to remind you all what your child gets out of Everton SA is down to all the volunteers who work to make the club what it is and give back to it by giving their time to help out.

With thanks,

Tom Rock 

Chairperson ESA