BOARD 2010 - 2011 COACHES & MANAGERS PRESIDENT Victorian Institute of Sport Annabel Sides Women & Coach Dalibor Maslan Men Asst Travis Bloom VICE PRESIDENT Coach Marcus Corr Swim Scott Gargoura Coach SECRETARY VWPI Athlete Development Program Marcus De Luca Tier 2 Girls Coach Sheila Langley FINANCE DIRECTOR Tier 3 Girls Coach Darren Steere Girls Mentor Greig Richardson Simon Wallace-Smith Program Coach COMPETITIONS DIRECTOR Tier 2 Boys Coach AJ Edwards Tier 3 Boys Coach Luke Gavin Glen Piper Swims Coach Simon Gardner COACHING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Goalkeeping Coach Tan Diptas Ryan Moody 20 & Under National Championships MARKETING DIRECTOR Jnr Women Coach: Greig Richardson Perry Gaylard Asst Sheila Langley DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Coach Manager: Linda Fuscaldo John Perrott Jnr Men Coach: Travis Bloom REFEREES DIRECTOR Manager Craig Treloar Daniel Flahive 18 & Under National Championships OFFICE STAFF Jnr Women Coach: Sheila Langley Manager: Steve Blunt Gillian Manson– Executive Officer July 2009 – Present Jnr Men Coach: Luke Gavin Manager: Lyn Celotti Tony Ryan – Administration Officer July 2007 - Present East Coast Challenge – 14/U Carmen Stocks – Bookkeeper Girls Coach: Darren Steere Manager: Cathy Steere April 2008 - Present Julie Makohon – Sports Development Boys Coach: Luke Gavin Manager: Perri Randall Officer August 2008 - Present Aust Schools Championships Girls Coach: Jono Wallace-Smith HONORARY SOLICITOR Manager: Steve Blunt John Howie Boys Coach: Luke Gavin Manager: Lyn Celotti VWPI Annual Report 2010 -2011 PRESIDENT’S REPORT Congratulations to all those members selected as State, National League and It is with pleasure I present the Annual Report Australian representatives either as players for Victorian Water Polo Incorporated (VWPI) or officials. A particular congratulations to for the year 2009/2010. those who were recognized at the AWPI awards including Victoria Brown (Senior It has been a fruitful twelve months as VWPI Player of the Year), Rowena Webster continues to develop, grow and become more (member NWPL Team of the Year), Sam sustainable. McGregor (Senior Player of the Year, member AWPI Team of the Decade and I would like to sincerely thank all those who NWPL Team of The Year), Daniel Flahive ensure our sport is administered and (Referee of the Year) Also to Sam McGregor managed in a professional manner. These and Blake Edwards who have held the people include: captaincy role of the Australian Senior Men's Team and Australian Junior Men's Team Board members who have spent a lot respectively, these are significant of their personal time in managing achievements. The Victorian Tigers club has their various portfolios and in some seen another successful campaign this year cases assisting in other areas the women's team placing 3rd and the men's the office staff Gillian Manson, Julie team 2nd. Our junior state and club teams Makohon, Tony Ryan and Carmen have also had successful campaigns. Stocks for their ongoing hard work for the development of the sport VWPI life members were also recognised, Ian the Marketing sub-committee, who Mills was this year inducted into the AWPI have guided new approaches to Hall of Fame and Jeanette Gunn was support the strategic plan awarded the Harry Quittner medal for the MSAC staff for the support they services to Women's Water Polo. provide to VWPI staff at the VIS, including the program The recognition and rewarding of volunteers head coach Dalibor Maslan for their and players in Victoria for their contribution ongoing support of our high on an annual basis is an area that I performance athletes encourage VWPI to address in the near tiered program coaches who support future. the pathway program for promising athletes The funding of the Association is supported competition co-ordinators, pool by members' registrations and match fees. controllers, referees, coaches, Continuing Government grants were also managers and officials for the received from both VicHealth and SRV which Association, regional associations, contribute to our development programs. schools and the clubs who put in such These grants will be repeated in the an enormous amount of work to forthcoming year and certainly do assist in making our sport the success it is implementing the programs in our strategic plan. The funding from VicHealth has been Schools Sport Victoria and Australia significantly increased as part of a new for their support of the Australian project that will focus on increasing schools competition participation of women and girls at all levels AWPI staff and board for their of our sport, from the board and support, in particular of the VIS subcommittee level, through to coaches, program and also for their recognition officials, referees and players. This project of the ongoing work in Victoria to grow will also allow us to focus on sustainable water polo from the grass roots to the organizational change to support VWPI to elite level further develop a water polo environment that funding bodies VicHealth and Sport is safer, more accessible, inclusive and and Recreation Victoria and the equitable. SRV funding will continue to contract managers who support the support organisational development and VWPI staff in their work recreational water polo opportunities. Funding arrangements will support additional staffing. VWPI Annual Report 2010 -2011 Low female participant numbers is an It is pleasing to see the development of our ongoing challenge for our sport and first full operational plan supported by a fully significant work needs to be done in this area. approved budget to support achieving the It is worrying this year that the women's and strategic plan. girls' competitions have been truncated. This indicates that there is a need to look at There has been a full contingent on the board female leadership across the sport, look at for the past couple of years and achieving a new participation opportunities for women diverse board membership of youth, and girls, create an environment for experience, skills, passion and gender participation that sustains involvement of balance will be an ongoing challenge and one women and girls and review the balance I put to the new board and membership to between high performance and tiered work towards. Seeking ever stronger programs and the support of clubs on the representation at this level, to move the ground. This balance is something the new Association forward with strategic leadership, board will need to focus upon. action and by taking firm responsibility to stand accountable for the carriage of water It was pleasing to see the numbers of U14 polo in our state is a challenge that requires and U12 players participating this year, the ongoing commitment and succession growth of this age group will be critical to planning. future sustainability of water polo in Victoria. I encourage coaches of these teams to focus I will not be nominating for the board for the on participation rather than competition, coming year. Having served on the VWPI allowing more boys and girls and their Board over the last 5 years in a number of parents to have fun and build a life long positions, including coaching director, passion and association with the sport we all secretary and now President, I feel it is time love. for a change and for new drivers to move the sport forward. I have enjoyed my time on the Another area that presents a challenge to board and have worked with some great VWPI and all aquatic sports is the availability people on the board, staff, from the of facilities to support the growth of membership and from our stakeholders introductory, beginner, recreational, organisations. I look forward to continuing to competitive and high performance play and be involved at club level. participation. Meeting this challenge will require collaborative approaches to facility Annabel Sides development and use at national, state and President – VWPI community levels of the aquatics sector. VWPI has taken some initial steps in this area, developing a pool access strategy and forming closer relationships with more facilities. The board this year has undergone some significant review and self reflection thanks to a grant from VicHealth that has enabled us to work with vicsport to undergo a governance review. Some items that the board has progressed include: development and approval of a new strategic plan, thanks to those who provided input further development of a new constitution that is to be presented for consideration by the membership development of a governance calendar, board induction program, board roles and responsibilities and a board charter VWPI Annual Report 2010 -2011 VICE-PRESIDENT’S REPORT courses were well supported by the greater community and have been an important Throughout the 2010-2011 season, VWPI source of knowledge to our members. In has had another great year of successes, addition to the aforementioned programs the both in and out of the pool. board has focused on the implementation of a new 4 year Strategic Plan, completion of a Firstly, through VIS coach Dalibor Maslan, new Constitution, & creation of a Marketing & the development of players across all age Sponsorship plan/committee. Overall I feel it groups has significantly improved. In his first has been a very productive year for the year, Dailbor has been instrumental in Victorian Water Polo Board. introducing the Tier 2 & 3 programs which will hopefully result in many more Tier 1 athletes. I would also like to express my excitement at our first international tournament in Both our men and women Victorian Tigers Melbourne since 2005 World Championships. had another strong year with both teams This is a great opportunity to showcase making the finals. Congratulations to the Victoria and watch great water polo at the women for competing in the finals for the inaugural 2012 Pan Pacific Water Polo fourth consecutive year and more importantly Championships. for winning the bronze medal, their first National League medal since the inception of Last but not least I would also like to take this the women’s competition in 2004.