>> Message from Club President

Dear OSSC family:

The 2007/8 competitive season promises to be an exciting year. We are thrilled that you have chosen to be a member of our team, building on the success and heritage of excellence of Olympium Synchronized Swim Club. Our coaching staff is led by Kerri Morgan and we are proud to have the most talented and qualified coaching staff return to coach with us yet again – a tribute to their dedication not only to the sport, but to our athletes. On behalf of the board, welcome to the team!

This year, we wish to offer opportunities for you to continue to build your knowledge and awareness of how to best support your athlete (these are designed just for you, so we can leave the coaching to the coaches!) and we will be arranging workshops again this year which will range in subjects from body image, to nutrition, to competition readiness for parents as well as athletes.

We invite you to attend the General Meeting and New Members Meeting in the early fall so please book your calendars with these dates as soon as they are released, as well as another notable event in September:

• Team building and networking is also important among parents, and so we have scheduled a great opportunity at our annual Euchre Night for Friday, September 21st at the Olympium to get to know other members in an informal atmosphere. We've kept the cost low to really encourage you to bring along friends to share in the fun and building of friendships with new members.

Based on the feedback of members, we are also looking to book a brand new Bowling fundraiser with the emphasis on family fun in October/November – so stay tuned for details!

The OSSC's Big Sister/Little Sister relationships are also a key highlight for the athletes during the year, and we hope to foster the athletes getting to know each other better through OSSC's annual Halloween Party , and the Synchro Ontario Burning Bright for Breast Cancer Tread-a-Thon .

While the terrific accomplishments of the OSSC's athletes as Canadian National Champions (a first in twenty years for Ontario to be National Champions for the 15 & U age category), as well as at international championships, are well known in the Canadian synchro community, we continue to need to spread the word of the benefits of synchro and the OSSC within our own backyard in Toronto. The board has taken the step to recruit athletes more widely this fall and we are placing a full page ad in the print version of the City of Toronto Parks & Rec Fall/Winter activity guide. The ad is designed to promote OSSC as well as recruit for our Kids N Sync and introductory competitive White Team evening program. For the first time this year, we will be offering evening classes every night during the week Monday through Thursday , and a Saturday afternoon option .

We have examined the new federal Children's Fitness Tax Credit qualifications, and will be issuing receipts for eligible fees paid in 2007 before tax time in spring 2008. This applies to our daytime competitive athletes, as well as athletes who will join our week-long summer camp (July 23-27, 2008), and the evening program.

We are thrilled to confirm that we are hosting two competitions this year! 

Provincial Trials Jan 26-27, 2008 AND Tier Championships May 29-June 1, 2008

The smooth running of the Olympium Synchronized Swim Club depends upon willing member volunteers who contribute their time, knowledge, experience and expertise to ensure we remain vibrant and strong for our athletes. Your ongoing support and commitment is the backbone of the collective positive attitude and success of our athletes.

With several events and opportunities throughout the year, there are many ways for you to get involved at OSSC – volunteer at a meet, make telephone calls, design a program brochure, find items for an auction, help out at a special event, or be part of a group or committee working towards a particular goal. No matter how you help, you'll make a big difference as you work with others to reinforce the foundation of our great club. At OSSC, your time and talent go along way!

T ogether
E veryone
A chieves
M ore

Regards,
Cynthia Caskey