Curro joins swimming performance centres
Swimming South Africa (SSA) recently launched its swimming performance centres programme - a joint venture between the association and, at this stage 12 schools across the country - aimed at ensuring this sport continues consistently to produce more medals at world championships and Olympic Games than other codes.
Curro Nelspruit is one of the schools accredited to be swimming performance centres since it has the only Mpumalanga swimming pool accredited by SSA.
The school said it was proud to be one of the centres and aims to continue to develop a strong swimming ethos among its pupils, developing world-class swimmers for years to come.
Speaking at the launch, SSA president Jace Naidoo said he had decided it was time to stop bemoaning the absence of sponsorship and to be proactive in ensuring a bright future. As a result the programme was launched this past week and memorandums of understanding were signed with the schools.
SSA will ensure top-class coaching exists at the schools via its SA Qualifications Authority accredited-coaches education programme, and the school will provide the life skills and greater educational context required to ensure the success of future elite swimmers.
Traditionally top young swimmers have been coached at clubs, outside the school system which limited numbers because not all parents could afford it. By bringing the top coaching to schools, SSA believes it makes the sport available to more swimmers and has the added advantage of keeping the athletes in the school environment.
“It’s a win-win situation,” Naidoo said. “We have 12 schools so far and aim to increase that number to 20. Between them they have agreed to offer 50 bursaries to promising swimmers whom SSA has identified.
SSA chief executive, Shaun Adriaanse, explained that the project was in line with Sport and Recreation South Africa’s national sports strategy to make swimming a priority sport. “It also forms part of our long-term participation strategy which is aimed at keeping swimmers in the sport beyond their school years.”
