The Coolum Surf club is entering its 100th year. It has been at the heart of Coolum since 1919 and for so many, it is your club for life. This year Surf Lifesaving Queensland is celebrating the official 50th anniversary of Nippers. 100 Years of Coolum Surf Lifesaving. 50 years of nippers in Qld. There has never been a more exciting time to join the 11,000 nippers in Qld and be a Coolum nipper.
The team at Coolum Surf club have been working really hard for months now to design this coming Summer’s nipper program to be the best ever. The focus this summer, as it has always been, is on Fun, Family & Friends. Nippers come to Coolum Nippers looking for many things. Some want to be surf lifesavers. Some want to learn to be safe on the beach themselves. Some want to make new friends in a healthy, inclusive environment. Some want to compete at surf lifesaving carnivals. Some choose nippers as their summer sport of choice and a way to keep fit between netball, rugby or AFL seasons. No matter the reason for choosing Coolum Nippers there will be something for you and together we will help keep Coolum beach safe and welcoming.
A Nipper at Coolum has so much opportunity for fun and learning. On Sundays Nippers runs from 8 am to 10 am (a bit shorter for the U6 & 7 age groups). Nippers run, swim, paddle boards, learn lifesaving skills and play games with their friends nearly every Sunday morning over summer. But Nippers is not only on Sunday. Coolum Surf Club makes training available to Nippers most weekdays to improve skills and fitness. Coolum Nippers takes teams to surf lifesaving carnivals across the Sunshine Coast and the State where nippers compete with other lifesaving clubs for fun and bragging rights. There will be opportunities to contribute to the community and raise funds for the surf club and there is an opportunity to wear the Club clobber with pride.
Another wonderful thing about Nippers is the opportunities it provides to the oldies. It takes a village to raise a child. It takes a large village to run a nipper program. We are expecting over 200 nippers to sign up for Coolum Nippers this year. The nippers do not stand around on the beach getting bored. With great volunteer help, there is always action. Nippers needs you. Coolum Nippers is a great place to start your surf club volunteering journey. Perhaps you were a nipper in your youth and are coming back to nippers with your kids. Perhaps you have never seen a beach before. There are roles available for everyone. Every year we need age managers, water safety, carnival officials, coaches, a gear steward, a committee. Many nipper parents love their nipper experience so much they now contribute to the club as patrolling members, first aiders and in other volunteer positions.
So how do you get involved? Information about how to get involved in on the Coolum surf club website – coolumsurfclub.com.au. This year anyone over the age of 5 can join Coolum nippers (no longer do you need a sibling in an older age group). Coolum nippers are holding a sign on day, 2- 4 pm on Sunday 26 August in the club rooms at the Coolum surf club. Sunday sessions start on 21 October, which is a little later than normal due to the placement of school holidays, Coolangatta Gold and Rainbow beach nipper carnival. Nippers is not a learn to swim program and each nipper is required to pass a proficiency assessment involving a pool and beach swim. Pre-season training has commenced and if your child needs some swimming coaching, join nippers and come along to the Coolum pool on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Come along to the club on 26 August to find out more. And remember – always swim between the flags.
By James Blackmore
Junior Activities Chairperson
