Pooling Tiger Sharks’ talent

By Marc McGowan
THE world’s best swimmers are converging on Melbourne for the world championships this month, but the next batch of stars will be on display at the Casey Tiger Sharks’ Encouragement Meet on 31 March.
The competition will be held at Cranbourne Indoor Pool and events start at eight-and-under and go up to 14 and over.
The club’s bi-annual meet is regarded as the first step towards potential qualification for the state championships in the years to come.
Swimmers that have won medals at state level are not eligible.
Casey head coach Ben Hiddlestone is a big fan of the format and believes it goes a long way towards entrenching the participants in the sport.
“If they get in and enjoy it, it can be a hook for the rest of their swimming careers,” he said.
“You should see the kids when they get their first medal; everyone gets competitor’s ribbons.”
Hiddlestone keeps an eagle eye on proceedings to pick out the ‘diamonds in the rough’.
“I look for kids that don’t have fear and just want to race. That attitude is gold,” he said.
“During the day, I keep an eye out for those kids who might have that bit of extra talent that I’m always looking for.”
Hiddlestone is also eager to cash in on the smorgasbord of swimming greats preparing to dive into Rod Laver Arena’s temporary pool.
“If you look on the Swimming Victoria calendar, it is just our championships and the world championships (on in that time period),” he said.
“Obviously, we’re trying to hit a different target market. Kids don’t even have to be at a swimming club; just put an entry form in and race.”
Entry forms can be found on the Swimming Victoria and Casey Tiger Shark websites, as well as at the Tiger Sharks’ two bases at the Casey Arc Pool in Narre Warren (Melways reference: 110, D4) and Cranbourne Indoor Pool (Melways reference: 133, J6).
Entries close on 21 March.