It wasn’t quite the beach, but Sydney’s most innovative and unique Nippers club has signed off on a successful fifth season with a sporting carnival every bit as fun as their coastal peers.


Last Sunday the members of the Wet’n’Wild Sydney Nippers Club gathered at the Prospect Park for their final week of a program designed to foster not only a love of water but also to teach skills that will help keep children safe in an aquatic environment.  



Established during the 2012/13 season as an opportunity for children living in Western Sydney to have access to the same beach education opportunities as their coastal based peers the program closely mirrors the popular Nippers program.



In fact some past graduates have gone on to join Sydney clubs as they’ve developed a passion for lifesaving and want to take their skills further.



Ensuring the safety of their children around the water is a significant driving factor behind the decision of many parents to enrol their children in the Wet’n’Wild Sydney Nippers Club.



“My daughter’s confidence has grown so much around the water through the program. I too have also learnt so many things about the beach that will help keep my family safe. We will be looking into a beach club next season because this program has shown us how worthwhile the travel is for Nippers is”, said Nathan Wakefield.



“My son has always loved to water and we’ve always wanted to take him to the beach but it’s very far for us to go every week. Wet n Wild Nippers has given us the opportunity to have the best of both worlds through not only the beach activities, but also the safety messages that come along with each session,” added another mother Deborah.   



Throughout the season two coastal visits were hosted by North Steyne SLSC and Towradgi SLSC respectively which allowed these aspiring lifesavers to complete a session with their peers.



And it was clear through the reactions of four Nippers; Brooklyn (U6), Isabelle (U9), Madeline (U10) and Jayden (U12) of just how much fun being in the water was for them.



“I love nippers because we get to have fun and make friends,” said Brooklyn.



“We come back to nippers every year because I love learning about the beach and ways to stay safe and save people in the water. Going to the real beaches is always the best time,” added Isabelle.



“I love how we play heaps of games but then we also get serious when we have to learn the rescue stuff. It’s so fun and I love it,” Madeline said.



While for Jayden the program was about learning skills that he could share with friends.



“I love how Nippers is fun but we also get to race and get competitive. So many of my friends at school don’t understand how scary the beach can be, but because I do Nippers I can help me and them at the beach to stay safe,” he said.



During the 2017/18 season over 150 youngsters aged up to U13s participated in the program over sixteen Sundays where they learned new skills, made new friends, and participated in the season ending carnival which included sprints, flags, and water races.



 



Thursday 1 March 2018