SPORT
Swim@GGS makes a splash
We are excited to welcome Andras
Jo-Kovacs as Coordinator of the Aquatics
Program as we launch the next phase of
the program at Guildford Grammar School.
Alongside a newly branded and reinvigorated
Learn to Swim program, heating of the
Senior School pool and the refurbishment
of the Preparatory School pool, we will be
introducing additional opportunities for
students across the school.
Aquatic environments are a quintessential
part of the Australian way of life. Beaches,
lakes, rivers and backyard pools are ever
present in our environment. Being a
confident swimmer allows us to be safe, have
fun and achieve personal excellence in our
water based activity of choice.
We have designed and modified our program
to welcome students to our pool, irrespective
of their motivation to swim and increased the
flexibility of our approach.
For students whose drive for personal
excellence is in long and short course
performance, we will continue to provide
appropriate extension, technical development
and pathways, enhanced through our
relationship with the Guildford and
Kalamunda Districts Swimming Club. We are
also encouraging our confident swimmers
to represent the school in Open Water
Swimming and Aquathons to broaden their
competitive opportunities.
For those motivated by being part of an
‘all-of-school’ team, who want to swim
‘for House’ and ‘for School’, we will be
strengthening our team swimming culture
and working to increase our depth. In 2020,
we will begin to target mixed events and
part of this cultural change is to embed these
opportunities for both our boys and girls.
We encourage all students who have
previously represented their House and
School, or those who would like to try, to
come to the pool and be part of building
something bigger and better. For us to do
this well requires an all of school push, which
means our basketballers, rowers, tennis
players, athletes, cricketers and netballers
coming along as often as they can. More
frequent session times, in both mornings and
afternoons, allow for students to manage
their schedules.
Our water polo players and triathletes,
alongside their sport specific skill sessions,
have flexible opportunities to do a variety
of swimming-based cardio and water-based
strength work. Their inclusion under the
aquatics umbrella adds to the diversity of
goals within the program and increases our
numbers and provides a positive effect on
the social environment - more people in the
water, more fun!
For our athletes, swimming is a low impact
way to improve cardiovascular fitness, as
part of a balanced strength and conditioning
program. Swimming also supports the
development of life and water safety skills
and for those interested to give back to our
communities patrolling our beaches with Surf
Lifesaving.
For some of our students their motivation
is more personal: they use swimming to
help manage mental health, to improve
well-being, to sleep better, for stress relief,
for friendships, fun or fitness.
Whatever the motivation to ‘Swim at GGS’
now is the time. We look forward to seeing
you on the pool deck!
Christine’s journey
from Minkey to champion
Year 11 student Christine Aitken is making a name for herself in the sport
of hockey, being selected to represent the State twice last year.
24
Christine’s passion for hockey didn’t start
by choice, it was the only sport on offer
at her school! Starting with the Minkey
program in Pre-Primary, she quickly became
what her mum calls ‘a hockey tragic’! court; the pace is fast and exhilarating.
The interpretation of the rules differs
slightly between states so the WA girls
had to learn on their feet and adjust their
game continually!
Christine was selected to represent
Western Australia twice last year. First of
all, she was selected to play as striker at
the 2018 National under 15 Girls Indoor
Championships in Goulburn, NSW. She
was Vice Captain of the team and felt
extremely lucky to have been selected as
she had only started to play indoor hockey
that season. Indoor hockey is very similar
to field hockey but with six players per
team on a much smaller, hard surface Last August, Christine was selected for
the School Sport Australia under 16 Girls
Hockey Championship on the Gold Coast.
Again she played striker and was a
leading goal scorer.
In both competitions, Western Australia
finished fifth overall.
For now Christine is focusing on her
school and club hockey, especially as
she is now in Year 12.