Eastern Saints Water Polo Club S.A
History
As part of the recently created position of SAWPI Chief Executive Officer which I have undertaken, I have, under the direction of the SAWPI Board, endeavoured to provide a more attractive, marketable product within the current club frame work of SA Water Polo. To this end a 4th club was established during the 2007-8 season. It is hoped that with the advent of a 4th club, the local competition will benefit from an increase in the number of people playing, the quality of competition and the integration of players from the current schools competitions to the SAWPI clubs.
The club, known as the ‘Eastern Saints’ is based in the northern end of the eastern suburbs of Adelaide and has schools and swim clubs in the North Eastern metropolitan corridor as its feeder network. With St. Peters College pool as its home training base, quite obviously the club will have strong links with the Saint Peters College and Saint Peters Old Collegians Water Polo fraternity.
The concept has been embraced enthusiastically by SA Water Polo and the Department of Recreation and Sport, who have generously provided financial support over 3 years to assist the 4th club concept to grow.
In this, it’s 2nd year ESWPC will consist of 1 A Grade Men’s team, 1 B Grade Men’s team (which is a SPOC team) x2 junior boys teams (U 15 & U17), an U15 mixed team and a B Women / U17 Girls team. All ESWPC teams will practice at Saints on Monday nights in Term 1 & 4 and play in the SAWPI club comp which is held on Tuesday & Wednesday nights at the AAC and SPSC pool commencing Tues Oct 21st – Wk 2 Term 4.
As the CEO of SA Water Polo I am committed to the growth and development of the Eastern Saints and wish to acknowledge the support of the following people.
Mr Tom Cundy, George Forrest & Mr Will Middleton c/o St.Peter’s Old Collegians
Mr Paul Hadfield and Mr Daniel Ganama c/o St. Peter’s College.
Mr. Graeme Litster, ES junior coach.( Past SA junior & senior coach)
Mr. Marshall Morley, A Grade playing coach.( Past AUS Senior squad member )
Regards
CEO Jon Harmer
GIRLS AND WOMEN JOIN EASTERN SAINTS WATERPOLO CLUB
In mid 2008 a group of three SAC year 8 girls who had swimming backgrounds, decided they wanted to play a team sport involving water….so they discovered waterpolo, and started up a school waterpolo team. In mid 2008, wanting more waterpolo fun and experience, they discovered the brand new Eastern Saints club. With great excitement and enthusiasm they joined, becoming the FIRST girls to do so. Even though they were still new to the sport, their hard training was rewarded, by being chosen to represent SA in the East Coast Challenge in July 2008 in Melbourne. It was a steep learning curve, but the girls represented their club and their state with pride and dedication against the strong level of competition and experience of other state teams.
On their return, the girls encouraged their friends and families to join in, and by the late 2008 Eastern Saints had entered a mixed U14 and B Grade women’s team for the first time in its short history.The girls were also chosen for the ECC 2009, in Sydney and continue to be active members and leaders in the club in 2009, often supporting and mentoring younger less experienced and new players to the sport.
Slowly more females are realizing what an exciting and fun sport waterpolo is, and our numbers have been increasing. Our goal as a club is to have a strong membership of females as well as males across all the age ranges, and to continue to grow in skills and abilities as well as in membership numbers.
EASTERN SAINTS WATERPOLO CLUB ESTABLISHES A COMMITTEE
In late 2008 a group of parents from SAC whose girls had just joined the club, were approached to set up the first Eastern Saints official committee, of chairperson, treasurer, secretary and general committee member. Not knowing anything much about the sport, and even less about how to establish or operate a sporting club, they none the less, driven by their daughters passion, took up the challenge.
And so it was that by March 2009 Eastern Saints became officially incorporated with its own constitution and first bank account. It was indeed a significant achievement, based on much question asking, hard work and common sense, when there were no answers to be found! The committee has since grown in membership, and together with the great help from the SPOC young men, has become a very professional and effective working group. Work load is shared evenly with every one freely volunteering their time and various expertises. We have recently had a half day planning day, where we have planned activities and strategies to address marketing, recruitment and fund raising needs for 2010 and beyond.
It is a very exciting time for Eastern Saints, with much growth and skill development in its members becoming more and more evident. It has been a notable experience for the committee to be involved and share in this journey from the very beginning, and start to see the results from all the work come to fruition.
We look forward with excitement and anticipation towards 2010!
Eastern Saints Water Polo Committee Membership 2010
Chairperson;
Maritza Manojlovic
Treasurer;
Joanne Forte
Jan Stephens
Secretary;
Joy Booth
Committee Members;
Margo Burns
Dawn Garrett
Liz Perry
SPOC Representative ;Tom Cundy, Will Middleton, Michael Lebon
In mid 2008 a group of three SAC year 8 girls who had swimming backgrounds, decided they wanted to play a team sport involving water….so they discovered waterpolo, and started up a school waterpolo team. In mid 2008, wanting more waterpolo fun and experience, they discovered the brand new Eastern Saints club. With great excitement and enthusiasm they joined, becoming the FIRST girls to do so. Even though they were still new to the sport, their hard training was rewarded, by being chosen to represent SA in the East Coast Challenge in July 2008 in Melbourne. It was a steep learning curve, but the girls represented their club and their state with pride and dedication against the strong level of competition and experience of other state teams.
On their return, the girls encouraged their friends and families to join in, and by the late 2008 Eastern Saints had entered a mixed U14 and B Grade women’s team for the first time in its short history.The girls were also chosen for the ECC 2009, in Sydney and continue to be active members and leaders in the club in 2009, often supporting and mentoring younger less experienced and new players to the sport.
Slowly more females are realizing what an exciting and fun sport waterpolo is, and our numbers have been increasing. Our goal as a club is to have a strong membership of females as well as males across all the age ranges, and to continue to grow in skills and abilities as well as in membership numbers.
EASTERN SAINTS WATERPOLO CLUB ESTABLISHES A COMMITTEE
In late 2008 a group of parents from SAC whose girls had just joined the club, were approached to set up the first Eastern Saints official committee, of chairperson, treasurer, secretary and general committee member. Not knowing anything much about the sport, and even less about how to establish or operate a sporting club, they none the less, driven by their daughters passion, took up the challenge.
And so it was that by March 2009 Eastern Saints became officially incorporated with its own constitution and first bank account. It was indeed a significant achievement, based on much question asking, hard work and common sense, when there were no answers to be found! The committee has since grown in membership, and together with the great help from the SPOC young men, has become a very professional and effective working group. Work load is shared evenly with every one freely volunteering their time and various expertises. We have recently had a half day planning day, where we have planned activities and strategies to address marketing, recruitment and fund raising needs for 2010 and beyond.
It is a very exciting time for Eastern Saints, with much growth and skill development in its members becoming more and more evident. It has been a notable experience for the committee to be involved and share in this journey from the very beginning, and start to see the results from all the work come to fruition.
We look forward with excitement and anticipation towards 2010!
Eastern Saints Water Polo Committee Membership 2010
Chairperson;
Maritza Manojlovic
Treasurer;
Joanne Forte
Jan Stephens
Secretary;
Joy Booth
Committee Members;
Margo Burns
Dawn Garrett
Liz Perry
SPOC Representative ;Tom Cundy, Will Middleton, Michael Lebon