Kaia is a driven and very focused swimmer that always comes to practice on time with a smile on her face. Coach Kate says that Kaia has been working hard preparing for the competition this coming weekend, and has really improved all of her figures. She has been wowing her team with her amazing back layout too! She is always listens to feedback and is a pleasure to coach.
Way to go, Kaia!
At the October 21st all club practice, OSSC swimmers participated in the 4th annual Synchro-Thon with their inter-club teammates. The collective fundraising goal of $10 000 was SURPASSED by the eight teams who completed hundreds of laps in the one hour time frame. Many thanks to the organizers and volunteers who made this event possible!
Another successful Halloween Year! Please visit the Halloween Page for a photo gallery. CLICK HERE!
The October Novice Athlete of the Month is Juliette Digings!
Juliette Digings is on our Pink Novice team. She always has a great attitude no matter the task, works well with others and leads by example. Juliette even got her right leg splits flat this month! Coach Hadas can’t wait to see how much Juliette will improve over the course of the year. Way to go, Juliette!
We understand that tagging – soliciting for donations from the public – can be daunting for both parents and athletes but there are a few tips we’d like to share to make the experience positive and rewarding for all concerned.
Before you go…..
Team members should wear a uniform, jacket, or something identifying them as a member of the club. If you are new to the club, you may be able to borrow a shirt from a team member. Alternately, we would recommend you wear black yoga pants and a sporty red or white, unmarked t-shirt or yoga jacket. Hair should be neat and tied back in a ponytail or bun. It is important to project a good image, as you are there representing the club to the public. One tip that works well: think about your athlete wearing his/her medals or display their ribbons won at competitions and events; put up a poster showing pictures of club activities and team pictures. This gives a personalized touch and provides a jump-off point for conversations.
Onsite Tagging Tips
Please note young swimmers must be chaperoned by an adult at all times. This is for the safety of our swimmers.
If you are in the first time slot for tagging, it is courteous to check in with the Customer Service Desk, letting them know that you are with OSSC and that you have a prearranged tagging time slot.
Find an appropriate place to stand that is not in the way of merchandise or the exit/entry points of the store. It will be communicated to you if the Store Manager has specific requests for where you can set up.
Prepare your son or daughter to be positive, to smile and say hello – engaging with people; this will help you to be more successful; it is hard for shy children, but it really makes a difference.
If there is room, show off some flexibility – perform some splits or poses; demonstrating your skills developed through synchro swimming will engage the public and encourage conversation.
It is not appropriate to be using electronic devices such as cell phones, gaming systems or iPod’s during tagging. This does not leave a positive impression of our sport.
Remember to smile and to show respect at all times. The store owners are doing us a favour by allowing us to use their facility for this purpose so we want to ensure our club will be welcomed back.
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Susan St-Pierre, Marketing and Fundraising |
| Length of time on the Board:
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This is my 3rd year involved with the Board (the past 2 seasons, I have been the Board-appointed Secretary of the Board) |
| Length of time in OSSC:
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This is Kadia’s 5th season with OSSC. |
| Program in which your daughter/son participates: | Kadia is on the 13-15 National Stream team this season. |
| Why you want to be a part of the Board? | I like to be involved and work towards making OSSC the best club possible for our athletes, families and the sport. |
| Background: | I am born and raised in Etobicoke, and I played a lot of soccer at Centennial Park and dislocated my elbow pretty badly at the Olympium in a gymnastics program in grade 6, but I never tried Synchro Swimming as a sport
I married a French Canadian (Acadian) guy from New Brunswick (Jocelyn – don’t let his name fool you – he is a guy!). I work in IT and Consulting Services at DXC.technology. We also have an 8 year old son named Jacques. My daughter has moved from Pre Provincial to Provincial to National Stream teams, and I am always happy to talk with families that have any questions about the programs and expectations. I know that it can be confusing! |
| What’s your goal for the year ahead?
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Promoting OSSC as a fantastic synchro club within Ontario and Canada….and working at being a “morning person” with very early morning drop offs at the Olympium this season. |
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Cory Bayly, Vice-President, Administration and Governance |
| Length of time on the Board:
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First Year! |
| Length of time in OSSC:
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3 years |
| Program in which your daughter/son participates: | Juliette – 13U Provincial
Charlotte – AquaSquirts |
| Why you want to be a part of the Board?
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To serve in a unique way and contribute to lasting improvements for the club. |
| Background: | As a senior information technology executive, I have worked in many very interesting industries. As a result, I bring a unique perspective of working with great teams of people and to make lasting changes. I am truly excited about working with the other great board members to continue to raise the profile of the OSSC! |
| What’s your goal for the year ahead?
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Further the great mission of the club, in a professional and transparent manner. |
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Jeff Niehaus, HR & Membership |
| Length of time on the Board:
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< 1 Year (started 2017/2018 season) |
| Length of time in OSSC:
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4 years |
| Program in which your daughter/son participates: | Son (Christopher): 10U Provincial
Daughter (Sophie): 11-12HP |
| Why you want to be a part of the Board?
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I wanted to be able to give back to the club in a more substantial way, and ensure that the voices of all streams of the club (Recreational, Competitive Novice & Provincial, FINA High Performance) would be represented. I wanted to continue the great work that was done by the previous board to ensure that the Mission, Vision and Values of the club would continue to be front and centre as we grow the membership of the club. |
| Background: | I have a diverse Human Resources background (15+ years), where I have helped build successful work-teams, developed key organizational policies in line with organizational strategies, led performance-based review cycles and succession planning in several organizations across several sectors. I currently hold the position of Director, Human Resources at Save the Children Canada (international development INGO). In 2017, I completed a 3-year term as a Board Director (most recent position as Vice Chair) for a children’s mental health agency in central Etobicoke, where I was also on the HR & Finance and the Strategic Governance subcommittees, where we provided governance-level oversight and direction on HR, Finance and overall agency performance matters. |
| What’s your goal for the year ahead?
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Operationally, it is my goal to work with the Head Coach and her coaching staff to ensure we can offer the best stream-based programming and coaching (Recreational, Competitive, High-Performance) to the athletes so that the athletes can excel and be the best they can be in the sport. Board-wise, want to help continue to build the Governance model for the Club, and work with the other volunteer Board Directors to continue to build a sustainable volunteer-based operating model for future years’ success. |
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Merideth Muscat, Secretary |
| Length of time on the Board:
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2017-18 will be my first season as a board member
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| Length of time in OSSC:
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We are in the 3rd year with the club. |
| Program in which your daughter/son participates: | Provincial 13U |
| Why you want to be a part of the Board?
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Our family is relatively new to synchronized swimming and I joined the Board to gain a better understanding of how our club functions and I wanted to be a part of the group who’s mandate is to make the club the best it can be so it can to offer the best experiences to our swimmers. |
| Background: | Professionally, I am a Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner and I use the passion I have for my work, and for caring for others, to improving the quality of all the experiences I am fortunate to be a part of. |
| What’s your goal for the year ahead?
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My goal for this year on the Board is to meet all of the expectations of my role and support each member of the Board. I also hope to learn about the Board and its activities and be able to support our team of swimmers. |
