Nippers | Batemans Bay SLSC

ABOUT.

Nippers is about learning, confidence, fitness and having fun in a safe beach environment. For Nippers, the beach is the classroom. They gain confidence by passing the ‘tests’ of swimming, body boarding, beach sprints, dolphin-diving, spotting a rip, having fun with new friends and discovering things about themselves all whilst increasing their fitness and building vital lifesaving skills. The skills gained in nippers will stick to the soul like sand from the beach and be carried for life.

Of Surf Life Savings Australia's 166,923 members, over 62,866 are nippers (5-13 years). This equates to nearly 40% of our total membership and shows just how significant the junior movement is within surf lifesaving. The nippers of today are the future of surf lifesaving tomorrow.

Do you want to know more? Find out how your child can become a nipper by joining us at Malua Bay beach on George Bass Drive Malua Bay most Sundays from 10:00 – 12:00 through October to April. If you have any questions or want to find out how to join reach out to our Nipper Coordinator Rhys Davies through email on Bbslsc.nippers@gmail.com via phone on 0410204667

NIPPERS
ACTIVITIES.

BBSLSC has a long-standing nipper program that has provided an avenue for both children in the local community and children from across the region to get involved with the Surf Lifesaving Community. We strive to provide a program that improves and enhances the surf lifesaving knowledge and skills in our youth through a program that delivers fun, fitness and fundamental life saving activities. Over the course of the nipper calendar year we aim for our nippers to increase their beach awareness, basic surf lifesaving skills, general fitness, beach and water confidence whilst enhancing their water and beach safety skills. Over the course of the season your children will participate in activities that consist of basic beach / surf awareness knowledge, water and beach physical activities and basic first aid.

During our program parents must accompany their child to their respective age group on the beach. All parents/caregivers are expected to remain on the beach throughout Nippers and must not be left on the beach. This ensures that the child’s Age Manager knows who they have in their care and that a parent is close should they need to contact them for any reason.

There are set activities and events for all Nippers to participate in. They are designed by Surf Life Saving Australia to combine the elements of education, such as team cooperation, knowledge of the beach and of surf conditions, as well as physical skills. The knowledge and skills learnt at Nippers are skills for life.

Most Importantly we aim to have fun!

WHY JUNIOR SURF LIFESAVING?

Junior Surf Life Saving (Nippers) is one of the fundamental areas of the Life Saving movement. Being a member of Batemans Bay SLSC allows your child to have an identity within Surf Life Saving Australia and know that they are part of a great national tradition that is identified worldwide. Our Club offers every child an opportunity to develop confidence and skills in and out of the water with the added bonus of having fun along the way.

Nippers is often seen as being for those kids that are good at swimming and surfing - this is not the case. It is vitally important that all children have knowledge of the hidden dangers of our beaches. During the season every child is shown (in a way that they are able to understand) a little about the dangers of the surf and ways to avoid getting into difficulties in and out of the water. This is part of the National Surf Education Program. This is an ideal way of introducing inexperienced and frightened children to the surf environment.

Children who satisfy the Surf Life Saving Australia standards of water proficiency can enjoy the water activities. These include swimming in the surf and board paddling. For those who are not ready to obtain water proficiency, there are beach-based activities to participate in until they gain the necessary skills and confidence. Beach activities include Beach Sprints, Beach Sprint Relays, Flags, Wades, Surf Education (theory), March Past, and other fun activities

Our program is designed to accommodate all capabilities and where necessary we will design specific activities to suit the group and/or individual to ensure everyone gets to participate. Our main aim is to increase community participation in surf sports and raising beach and water safety awareness in our youth through specifically design education programs and activities all whilst having the most fun possible.

WHAT DO THEY LEARN?

Whilst providing a platform for fun, enjoyment and competition at an individual or team level, all children are encouraged to participate in junior Surf Life Saving awards appropriate to their age group.

Surf Education is a series of graded activities that aims to teach children the basics facts about the beach, the water and the environment.

The Surf education program covers, Surf Awareness, Surf Safety, Surf Smart and Surf Rescue.

Nippers are also taught the fundamental skills of both the beach and water activities to prepare them for the carnivals should they want to enter into the carnivals.

HOW TO REGISTER.

Registrations for the upcoming season are now open. Registration is done through the SLSA members area accessed via: SLS Members Area - Login (hold control and click on the link or double click)

Step 1 – create an online member’s account for the nipper you wish to register ensuring you choose Batemans Bay SLSC as your club of choice*

Step 2 – Once registered, log into your new account and head to make a payment and choose Batemans Bay SLSC – on choosing the club you will be presented with the club’s bank details

Step 3 – Transfer the relevant joining fees to the club account**

Step 4 – BBLSC admin will complete registration.

*its important that each nipper is registered individually for insurance purposes so if you are planning on registering more than one child please create an account for each child

**if you are registering more than 1 nipper feel free to make 1 payment transfer for all nippers as per the fee structure

HOW CAN I HELP?

Surf lifesaving and Nippers is a volunteer run organisation and as with every volunteer run organisation it survives on member participation and local community support. By joining the club and nipper program you are already supporting our club and the broader Surf Lifesaving Organisation but if you are interested in helping further, we welcome all parents and guardians to also join the club and help out any way they feel comfortable. Each year we look for new members to be in hands-on roles such as Age Group Managers through to cooking the BBQ on Sunday morning. It is a community sport, and we need community participation in all aspects.