Developing our most important asset
Being involved in surf life saving gives members an opportunity to develop skills and knowledge in a variety of different areas. The core intent of members is ‘saving lives in the water’ and this is predominately a lifesaving focus, however, without the opportunity to participate in surf sports and other areas of surf life saving such as training, coaching and administrating we wouldn’t be the peak lifesaving body we are today.
The skills and knowledge developed as a lifesaver are not only for use within surf lifesaving, they are transferable to all aspects of everyday life. You need only look to the community to find surf lifesavers as builders, nurses, teachers, lawyers and politicians In fact no matter where you look in the community there will be a surf lifesaver in disguise just waiting to get to the beach to serve the community and save lives. Surf life saving not only develops great surf lifesavers, but great Australians.
Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) is an organisation that provides a range of different opportunities for members to participate and develop their skills and knowledge. Some of these opportunities include:
Patrolling the beach as a Bronze Medallion or Surf Rescue Certificate holder
Providing beach patrols or other services as a holder of other awards such as First Aid, Resuscitation and Radio awards
Members of support operations
Surf sports athletes
Surf sports coaches, officials, team managers, chaperones, etc
Junior Activities age managers
Club leaders and administratorsThe following information can be found on this page:
Opportunities for everyone
Development Programs
Leadership opportunities at the peak of surf life saving
Opportunities for everyone
Surf life saving has something for everyone, regardless of whether you are a strong swimmer or not. Below are brief descriptions of some of the more common roles within surf life saving. If you are interested in any of these speak to someone at your local club and ask them how to get involved.Patrolling Lifesaver
The Surf Rescue Certificate and Bronze Medallion (including the Certificate II in Public Safety) are the two entry level awards for someone who wishes to become a fully qualified patrolling lifesaver and/or water safety officer. These awards require an individual to have a reasonable swimming ability as holders of these awards may be required to rescue individuals in the sea. These awards provide a range of skills including surf awareness, rescue skills, first aid and resuscitation.Award Lifesaver
For those members who are not strong swimmers but who still want to patrol the beach, are able to complete lifesaving awards which do not include a swimming component. Such awards include First Aid, Resuscitation and Radio awards. Members who hold these awards are still able to patrol the beach by providing specific skills.Trainer
Trainers are required to complete a trainer’s course and they need to hold the award that they are training. For example, if you wish to train the First Aid certificate, you must hold the First Aid Certificate yourself.Assessor
Assessors are the people responsible for assessing that people have completed the requirement for surf life saving awards. To become an assessor, you are required to complete an assessor’s course and they need to hold the award that they are assessing.Members who wish to extend their skills in training and assessing may wish to do a full Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAA40104).
Coach
Coaches provide an important role in developing and improving the skills of members in surf sports. Coaches may choose to specialise in one discipline (e.g. beach sprinting) or choose to coach in a number of disciplines. Coaching accreditation comes in three levels (Level 1, Level 2, Level 3). Level 1 coach’s accreditation is the level most suited to new coaches at club level.Official
Officials are those people responsible for the conduct of surf sport events. There are a range of different roles undertaken by officials including referees, starters, judges, recorders, marshals, etc across all of the surf sports disciplines. Again, Officials accreditation comes in three levels (Level 1, Level 2, Level 3). New officials will need to complete a Level 1 Officials accreditation.Age Manager
Age Managers have one of the most important roles in surf life saving. They are responsible for caring for and nurturing the future Australian surf lifesavers. Their role is to both help develop our young people into the lifesavers of the future and to provide that supportive environment in which they can learn and develop.Administrator
As with all volunteer clubs, strong administration is important in ensuring that the club operates effectively. If you are interested in the administration of the club, there are a range of different roles that you may be able to get involved with. These might include some specific roles for junior activities such as an Age Managers coordinator or the Junior Activities chairperson. You may also like to play a responsibility specific role such as a treasurer or secretary. One day, you may like to become the club president.
Development Programs
Surf Life Saving Australia provides its members with experiences, knowledge, skills and understandings that challenge the individual to understand themselves (their strengths and limitations), within a wider context that is impacted on by the uncontrollable elements of weather and water. Surf lifesavers are trained to use both discipline and established practices (management), and, initiative and flexibility (leadership). They train in skills that are used in both expected, known circumstances, as well as in contexts that are characterised by the unknown.SLSA must tread a fine balance between practices that venerate the past and those that will invent its future. Today we live in a world that is characterised by a changed concept of change. No longer does change move in a straight line in incremental steps; it is characterised by discontinuity; it is abrupt; it is inconsiderate of the status quo. Change is non-linear, and the future is a journey of discovery. Leadership is the compass that provides direction and gives purpose to our organisation.
Leadership development within SLSA takes place at differing levels of the organization; club, branch, state and national. Each has a particular focus, and each prepares members for movement through those levels. It is recognised as a critical element to the health and well being of SLSA.
Leadership opportunities at the peak of surf life saving
SLSA offers a number of opportunities for member development at the peak end of the membership development pathway:Leaders Conference
Sir Adrian Curlewis Scholarship
National Leadership College
Leadership Network
Forum Series
Leaders Conference
The aim of the Leaders Conference is to provide an opportunity for existing leaders within SLSA (at all levels) to participate in a high-level leadership development program, with a particular target of club presidents. It is aimed at leaders in the 30+ age category and will be very useful for leaders who have a limited surf lifesaving background and those leaders who have re-entered the organization after an extended period of absence. The conference will provide participants with an environment that will enable them to refresh and extend their leadership capabilities.Outcomes of the Leaders’ Conference will include:
Participants that have refreshed and extended their leadership capabilities
Awareness raised of the issues, responsibilities and accountabilities in leadership within SLSA
Some alignment between the challenges of leading and managing a club and addressing some of the current societal issues is provided
SLSA has a resource pool of innovative, skilled and knowledgeable senior leaders
Leaders within SLSA think at a strategic level
Participants have had an opportunity to network and share ideas regarding leadership issues in surf life saving
Sir Adrian Curlewis Scholarship
The Sir Adrian Curlewis Scholarship is awarded to surf lifesavers as recognition of exceptional contribution to surf life saving and who have been identified by their states as the leaders of the future. The scholarship is in memory of one of surf lifesaving’s greatest leaders, Sir Adrian Curlewis, who was the President of Surf Life Saving Australia for 42 years.The aim of the Sir Adrian Curlewis Scholarship is to provide an environment in which scholars can harness the knowledge, experience and networks provided by SLSA to grow as an individual, with benefits for themselves and surf life saving. While involved in the scholarship scholars will plot their own course through a structured self learning environment tailored to their needs – therefore no scholarship year is the same.
Scholars will use the scholarship as a platform to raise their personal profile within surf life saving. There will be opportunities to capture information from passionate and influential people from all around the country, both from within surf life saving and external to the organisation. For the duration of the scholarship scholars will be under the guidance of mentor and state and national support staff – preparing them with the confidence and direction to exit the scholarship ready and able to take their leadership involvement in surf life saving to the next level.
Outcomes of the Sir Adrian Curlewis Scholarship will include:
Increased exposure to surf life saving programs at all levels
Amazing networking opportunities within surf life saving and externally
Ability to personally meet and workshop with high profile Australians
Growth in personal leadership strength and character
Access to SLSA and state infrastructure and administration
And loads of opportunities beyond you wildest imagination…
National Leadership College
The National Leadership College is the accumulation of year on year development of the nationally delivered leadership program. The focus of the national program has moved from a ‘camp’ to a ‘conference’ to what is now a ‘college’.The college assumes participants come into it with some previous exposure to leadership training, preferably from within the surf life saving leadership pathway, but it could also come from their careers outside of surf. The college philosophy is ‘interactive shared learning’ and relates SLSA’s leadership competencies to grass roots surf life saving. This is achieved through key note speakers and a focus on facilitator lead workshops.
Potential participants can come from a range of different backgrounds, interests and areas of focus within the club environment – although it is preferable that they have been involved in previous state leadership training. These future leaders are most likely patrol captains, chief instructors, club captains, age managers etc.
Outcomes of the National Leadership College will include:
Exposure to surf life saving at a national level
Opportunity to network with other likeminded participants from around the country
Growth in self confidence and the self-power to make things happen
A perception of your own personal leadership qualities and competencies
Another step up the national leadership pathway
Share opinions and workshop current issues
Be inspired by industry professional guest speakers
Become part of the Leadership Network
And lots lots more…
Leadership Network
The leadership Network is a new concept to SLSA. It is being developed to provide an ongoing support network for those members who participate in national leadership programs such as the Leaders Conference, Sir Adrian Curlewis Scholarship and National Leadership College.The Leadership Network will work like an alumni, where members can share experiences, knowledge and ideas in a likeminded environment. It is envisaged the network will be chiefly brought together through a bi-annual e-newsletter that communicates the latest thinking in areas of leadership, management and areas directly related to surf life saving.
Forum Series
The SLSA Forum series was formally established in 2007, following a number of successful National Youth Forum’s (2003-2006) and a National Women’s Forum (2006). These forums have been designed to provide an opportunity for like minded surf lifesavers to share their experiences and for Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) to develop a core base of issues based leaders and advocates. The forum identifies a key issue or target group each year.
How do I get involved?
To get involved in any of the national development programs watch out for the Circular (available on the SLSA website) promoting the program and calling for applications. It might also be a good idea to make your branch/state office aware that you are interested in these programs so that they can keep you in mind when opportunities become available.We love to see new faces so keep an eye out for the next program that interests you and don’t hesitate to apply!
For further information: sstewart@slsa.asn.au
Page updated: September 2008