national sports co-ordinator

sspa's new national sports co-ordinator

Background:

At the recently held SSPA Annual General Meeting in Anglesea, the role of a National Sports Coordinator was moved to become an appointed position of the National Council for the following twelve months and an Office Bearer of the SSPA from the 2010 AGM. Given the number of sporting achievements and opportunities that have recently arisen for short statured people within Australia, it was agreed that this position could help in coordinating and communicating such opportunities to our membership.

The role statement for this position is as follows:

· work in conjunction with the SSPA State Sports Coordinators

· liaise with international sporting associations such as the DAAA and DAAUK to remain informed about international sporting competitions for people with short stature, e.g. the World Dwarf
Games

· liaise with the Australian Paralympic Committee to remain informed about participation opportunities for people with short stature

· investigate opportunities for people with short stature to participate in national disability sporting events

· assist in the organisation of SSPA national sporting weekends

· create and maintain a national database of people with short stature who are interested in or currently competing in sport

· develop relationships with peak sporting bodies

· investigate mainstream sporting opportunities for people with short stature to participate in

· regularly inform members of the SSPA about forthcoming national and international sporting events through state newsletters, the national journal, email and all SSPA websites.

The National Council of the SSPA appointed Tom Carney to the position of National Sports Coordinator.

Meet our new National Sports Co-ordinator:

I would like to introduce myself to those members who don't know me yet. My name is Tom Carney. I live in Nar Nar Goon, a small country town in Victoria. I work on the family owned dairy farm doing tractor work and other odd jobs. I also maintain a website for a fabric store.

My involvement in the SSPA came through the Sspitfires, the Melbourne based basketball team. I also had the honour of being the assistant coach of the Australian World Dwarf Games basketball team that went to Northern Ireland in July this year. I now have the privilege of being the newly appointed National Sports Coordinator for the SSPA and I hope to be able to provide information and opportunities for people with short stature to be involved in a range of sports.

One of the first things I would like to create is a national database of short statured people interested in participating in such sporting opportunities. If you are one of these individuals, please can you e-mail me the following information about yourself:

Full name:
State and City:
Date of Birth:
Sports you are currently playing:
Sports you are interested in playing:
Email address:

This information will help me gather what sports should be targeted at SSPA sporting events and will help me stay in touch with you.

On a National level, I would like to update you on the plans for the Australian Paralympic Team. The Committee will shortly be conducting sporting tests to assist in identifying future Paralympic Talent as they head towards the London Paralympic Games in 2012.

For more information about the Australian Paralympic team, this link will be helpful: http://www.sspa.org.au/ParalympicTS.htm

Other Talent Search days and more information can be found at http://www.paralympic.org.au/Sport/TalentSearch.aspx

If you are interested in attending any of the Talent Search days, please go to the above website to fill out a registration form.

If anyone has any sporting interests or ideas for the SSPA please feel free to contact me.

Cheers,
Tom Carney (carney_tom23@hotmail.com)

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