Western Sydney Whitewater Club Development Program

A Western Sydney Whitewater Club Development Program

1. The Western Sydney Whitewater Club is a local club-run pathway for the development of canoe slalom and all other whitewater disciplines ranging from beginners to elite level: 

The Slalom Academy.  

This club-run pathway will be complementary to, and work in close collaboration with, existing state and national development pathways run by PaddleNSW and Paddle Australia, respectively.

2. The overarching goal of The Slalom Academy is to provide an inclusive and friendly environment for the learning, mastering, and enjoyment of the sport of canoe slalom.

3. Similar to academies for the study of music, foreign languages or the arts, The Slalom Academy will have a grade structure based on canoe slalom ability levels, which will be aligned with those of Paddle Australia.

4. The grade structure in The Slalom Academy will initially consists of six levels with associated colours (akin the belt colours in martial arts) and ability levels, ranging from a beginners level (Purple) to elite level (Red), via four intermediate levels (Blue, Green, Yellow,Orange), as summarised in Table 1.

5. All WSWC slalom members are welcome to participate in The Slalom Academy and will train with their respective grade group usually from the start of the second week of NSW School term until the last week of the term. 

6. Applying criteria outlined in Table 1, WSWC slalom members will be assigned to one of the five groups by the WSWC club coach, in consultation with the NSW Development Pathway coach.

7. Each grade level in The Slalom Academy will have a customised training program and corresponding fee structure.

8. As paddlers progress in their canoe slalom ability level, they can be nominated for “graduation” from one level to the next by the WSWC club coach or NSW Development Pathway coach and will be subject to the nominee meeting the ability criteria for the next ability level. Paddlers who change grade level halfway the term will be charged a proportional fee, according to the fraction of the term spent in each grade level.