The Canterbury Christ Church University Swim Team

2013-2014 Committee Election Booklet

Notes All Candidates are expected to campaign fairly and to the best of their ability. Candidates can use training sessions, Socials, Social media and Word of Mouth to campaign. No Candidate is allowed to do anything that may harm any other Candidates campaign. The Election Results will be held on Monday 6th May**
**Subject to change

What is No Suitable Candidate? If you feel that none of the candidates are worthy of the positions of which they are applying for you can choose to vote for a No Suitable Candidate and call for a re-election of that position/s.

Positions on the Committee:

President Vice President

Squad Captain x2

Social Secretary x2

Applicants for President:

Nicola Marsden:
I'd like to put myself forward for the position of president. I believe that I would make a good candidate because I am dedicated and have some good ideas to improve the club. The first part of my plan is to increase the focus during sessions. For social swimmers, I have planned training sessions at different ability levels to bring to each training session; this will enable the social swimmers to improve skills and endurance at their own pace. For competitive swimmers I believe that monthly time trials should be held to enable swimmers to see their improvements and also have goals to work towards to motivate them. Entering a team to BUCS is also a goal of mine as I believe it will improve team moral and prepare swimmers for varsity as they will have had practice at a gala. I strongly believe if we set up land training sessions twice a week that are held in a park or a field we can play team games such as bulldog and tag ect, that although sound childish will increase levels of activity and create a more social environment which will go hand in hand with what the social secs are trying to achieve. I look to work closely with the VP pf sport to to build a strong relationship and to make swimming a well-known sport within the university. I'd like to put a section for clothing sizes on the sign up form to allow for swift organisation of ordering social wear and kit, this should be done within the first two weeks of term one so if we do get a team to BUCS everything is ready to go. I really want to be your president, I am dedicated and committed to creating a better swimming club for all. I hope to increase members and make everyone feel welcome and that their opinion matters. I believe my knowledge and experience of a swimming club will help me even more to make this happen.

Ryan Smith

Nicola Marsden

No Suitable Candidate

Ryan Smith:
As you know I am in my second year at university as well as my second your of being part of the swim team. In that time I feel I have not only got to understand the requirement of a role needing responsibility and dedication, shown in my time as a social sec, but got a good feel for what the team wants, likes, and what direction they would like to go in. I am passionate about our society, and especially after Sports Fed, I am confident they we can implement and see real change and improvement to our team and committee. If I were elected I would work towards the following: Work closer with the committee in their roles to see benefits to our team. Work with captains towards pooling resources outside of the university for more training, and where possible for next year, more pool time. Help the social secretary's in expanding the idea of a team, and help to limit the extent of the barrier between competitive and social swimmers. Remain constantly dedicated to every aspect of the team, and help promote our society to other sports like this year in joint socials, to the SU, and to the community through charity work where applicable. Hold more committee meetings in person and establish over the year month by month plans with the committee to remain on task, and open to new opportunities. Create a new committee role in the first term known as Fresher Rep, whom can better communicate the wants, needs and queries of their fellow Freshers, which will help us help them, and create greater communication to the lower years. Work with captains and VP to ensure teams are appropriated from Sports Fayre and training to ensure we can compete at other events, and work towards inter team competitions to better ready swimmers for Varsity 2014.

Vice-Presidents: Harry Pierpoint Jack Donovan Catherine (Cat) Salkeld No Suitable Candidate

Harry Pierpoint:
I would like to apply for the role of Vice President next year. After being at Christ Church for nearly two years, I have grown to love the team and really want us to get bigger and better. If elected Vice President, from day one I will strive to get swimmers performing at their best and have the confidence to compete in Varsity. Having been social secretary this year, I have knowledge of how the committee works and areas that need improving: * My first priority would be to get more pool time, more training means fitter and more dedicated swimmers. If this isnt possible, more land training in any area will be pushed: group running, spinning classes or even occasional games of football or rounders to encourage teamwork and motivation. * I realise that some swimmers are just casual swimmers. But they should not be forgotten. I will arrange a tailored programme each week for the slower lanes with a focus on building stamina. When challenged, I believe people will rise to the occasion and take their swimming more seriously. * I will continue to promote the team in every way possible, from freshers week to Sports fed, everyone should know our team. I will work alongside the Social Secs to encourage charity events and joint socials, as well as be in constant contact with the Students Union. * Working alongside the President, I will keep our Committee on track with regular meetings and aims and objectives for the term. Individualism should be eliminated and we should tackle problems head on as a group. Overall, my dream is to have the most improved team award by Sports Fed, and with enough effort and devotion, this is certainly achievable.

Jack Donovan:
Having been with the team for two years now, I am well aware of our strengths, of which there are many, and areas which can and will be improved. I know I'm preaching to the converted when I say that swimming is a great sport and is something which everyone should enjoy. As such, this includes both the social swimmers and the competitive swimmers; two integral parts of the team. As VP, and with the assistance of both the club and committee, I would particularly like to work on strengthening the team. By Varsity 2014, we will have a good, confident team ready to smash Kent in the pool. This will involve both the social swimmers and the competitive swimmers. How will we do this? Multiple swim sessions. Land Training. Local galas. Tight-knit-massive-sick-wun socials. These things will bring us closer together as a team. As much as it might bankrupt us and make us miss a few lectures, the stuff outside the pool is as important as turning up to training on Mondays. Why chose JD for VP? With two years in the team under my Speedo waistband, and the apparently positive extra skills you get with a degree, Ive got the enthusiasm and organisational skills you need in your VP to make sure concerns are voiced, the President is chilled, and that we look good. Ultimately though, I want to see Christ Church swimming go places. Weve got a great team, lots of ideas and such awesome enthusiasm. Lets use this. Vote JD as VP.

Catherine (Cat) Salkeld:

I'm very organised and will be 100% committed if I get the role. I like to think I am an approachable person so people can feel comfortable coming to me with any problems they have and I would be prepared to let the committee know of any issues that come up. I will be on hand for anyone who needs my help whether it be a committee member or any swim team member and I will try and come up with fun ideas that benefit the team and also the community (i.e. charity swims/ mini competitions within the team, water polo?).

Captain x2 Ethan Patton Holly Campbell Jack Somm Ethan Patton:

I would like to have a stronger role within the committee this coming year and I know Jack is also going for captaincy which could benefit us as we have good communication. Most people do swimming for a bit of fitness and the odd few compete once a year for varsity. For this reason I would like to introduce the idea of a maybe running a few fitness sessions (with my own PE and sports science knowledge) every week which would benefit the team for training and competition as well as boost morale.

Holly Campbell:
I think I will be a good captain because I feel that I can help make the competitive side of the swimming better by helping to get us going to BUCS this year and working with Tony to help with the coaching again next year. Also with the less competitive swimmer s I hope to help them improve over the year and get them swimming more wither just for fitness or fun but more swimming. I am fun approachable and will improve the swim team.

Jack Somm:
I would like to put my name forward as Captain for year 2013/14, I believe I would make a good captain as I believe the ability to talk and motivate people is something that comes easily to me and seeing as a new academic year will be upon us and we will be trying to encourage CCCU swim team to become bigger and better, I believe I can aid in doing so, alongside the rest of the committee. There are specific things I would like to try and encourage, considering the way the club has been in previous years. We need try and make CCCU swim club more attractive towards a wider variety of students, I would like to try and get 2 sessions in a pool running weekly (if possible due to high demand of the pools in the local area), and I think in order to make the club more productive, I want to encourage committee members to work together and have regular meetings in order to make sure things run smoothly. Swimming as a sport is not as highly ranked as say, Rugby, football, boxing, netball, and hockey at Canterbury Christ Church University. Therefore we need to make our team more well-known: getting involved more with other teams on socials, running some charity events through the year whether they be big or small will hopefully make the club one of the universities bigger clubs. Social Members: We have a lot of social members each year, and to my acknowledgement, social swimmers decrease through the duration of the year. As a committee member I would hope to find a way to make the club more attractive towards and set activities for them. Competitive swimmers: Varsity is the biggest event of the year and it is definitely something we need to begin training for as soon as the year starts, having records of individuals personal best times allowing us to see improvements for the year. Hopefully gaining the expertise of the current 2012/2013 coach, Tony, who gave us so much help in order for us to do well as a team at varsity. We can go for a 5th win in 6 years!

Social Secretary x2 Andrew Fleming & Emma Kent (Running together) No Suitable Candidate

Andrew Fleming & Emma Kent:

We've got some cracking ideas for initiations and next years socials, for example; cardboard box fancy dress - you get the chance to be creative and turn your box into anything you want and where it for the night, alongside various other themes including Goth and Cross-dressing We have the whole of the first term of socials already planned, plus we want to bring back best and worst dressed with some rewards (and punishments) to spice things up a bit! Beware the cone of shame!! On a slightly more serious note; we are flexible; able to deal with unexpected events (usually courtesy of the SU). We're willing and able to deal with other sports teams in order to get swimming noticed and participating in the wider student body. Mostly importantly we are both happy to look like tits if it means people are going to have a good time (and we're not afraid of a challenge or two)! Most of all we want all the team to get involved with socials as much as possible next year and of course get the Freshers twatted!!

Voting will open soon but feel free to start campaigning from 9pm on Monday 22nd April.