Trinity Swim Report 2020
90 Pb’s -62% PB rate proves that there’s an exception to every rule.
It is always a little bittersweet when you know you’ve given your best and fallen a little short of your goals. I know that I was slightly disappointed with 4th place overall, not because I felt that anyone had given less than their best, but rather that I felt a group performance like that deserved a higher finish.
Here are some stats from the night to reflect on (good and not so good);
- Total number of PB’s- 90 Fantastic
- % PB rate- 62% Fantastic
- Lost points due to DQ’s- 5 Good
- Lost points due to selection changes (illness/injury)- 21
- Opportunity point differential (what we could have achieved if everything went right)- 122
- Position if 50% of opportunity differential is gained (61pts)- 2nd
Overall this was a performance that deserved a top 2 finish. However, it wasn’t to be. The coaching team was so proud of the efforts of everyone on the night. There were some incredible individual performances, ranging from record-breaking wins, like Harry Farmer’s 50 Breaststroke, to unexpected winning swims like Todd Hassett’s 50 Breaststroke to just great examples of TC fighting spirit, like Felix Cooper’s relay leg and everything in between.
Despite the abundance of PB’s, there’s also a concerning trend emerging and it’s the issue that will continue to prevent us from moving forward if left unchecked.
This is the third year in a row that I have written about this, with no change. We are an excellent swim team with winning potential, but we must find a core group of willing workers in senior school. For 5 years in a row, we’ve been less than 10 points behind Christ Church in the Yr 7-9 tally. Each year, we’ve been 100-200+ points worse off in the senior group. The puzzling thing is that the dominant junior teams of the past, continue to become the floundering senior teams of the present (based purely on points scored).
I don’t want to cast stones, that’s not my intent, but I have to try to find the reasons why a team scoring 200+ points in year 7 can gradually fall to a score of 99 points in year 12, without significant changes in personnel. This syndrome is not isolated to this year’s 12 group. It has been happening consistently and the trend is evident in the current year 10 and 11 groups. We must combat this slide now.
Maybe life is too full at Trinity, the talent pool too thin or the lure of greener pastures, too great, but to me, the solution is simple-
- As you get older and your parents have less influence on your decisions, you need to make the choice to be great.
- Train consistently in the pool, even when it’s hard and there’s no breakfast on offer.
- Join the swim club (and compete regularly. Memberships are1/2 price at Western Sprint for the rest of the 2020 season.
- Actively seek to engage in the process of bettering yourself.
- Listen to the advice of coaches and leverage off their experience.
- Don’t give up. Training becomes more difficult and PB’s harder to find as you get older, but you adapt mentally and physically, becoming a better all-round version of you.
- Embrace the work. Learn to love the idea of challenging yourself. It will pay dividends.
Thank you to the coaching staff, Siobhan, Ethan, Justin, Michael, Jakson and Leon, who gave as much as the boys on Thursday night. Their creative solutions and insightful observations helped calm and focus the preparation of the boys. Adam Gage was wonderful, all season. Please accept our thanks to Adam for the enormous load you shoulder and the incredible service you give.
Finally, please let me thank all of the Year 12 group and their families, who have worked tirelessly and without expectation of reward, for many years, to build the reputation and performance of the swim team. Your contribution has been significant and any success we gain in the future will belong, in no small part, to your efforts.
Let’s work together to fix the things we know need attention and strengthen our advantages, to make 2021 our year.
Dion Mepham – Head Coach
Last TC Top 100 for the 2019 – 2020 swimming season – 
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