Hello Everyone,
I hope you are all doing well. I understand it has been a hectic week for those trying to figure out what is going on with Junior Nationals. I hope this email will provide some clarity as to what is going on. It is an exciting time for our Junior and Senior athletes who will have the opportunity to compete in-person National Championships for the first time in a few years. We are excited to have seen the expansion of team sizes for Junior Nationals, which will allow a greater number of athletes to compete this year.
Over the coming months, we will continue to refine and improve our approach to communication with our members and TCs through social media, greater utilization of the website's blog section, and town halls. If you have any suggestions for improvement or would be interested in seeing us host periodic informal membership/TC meetings, please let me know.
Updates:
April 23 SWA Competition: Registration deadline extended to April 15 (Tomorrow) at 11:59 pm. This is a qualifying meet for Junior Nationals (Final) and Masters Nationals.
2022 Junior Nationals (Regulations & Registration): All athletes who meet the minimum standards outlined in the regulation document are eligible to compete with no restrictions on team size or weight class numbers. The SWA will cover flights, accommodations, transportation at the event, and registration fees with a $300 participation fee. Payment and confirmation of participation are due Apr 30, 2022. Based on the team size and make-up, the SWA Board will fund 1-2 Coaches & an additional 0-2 Managers. Selection will be based on requirements from Canadian Weightlifting, team size & gender requirements, and qualifications (including affiliation to participating athletes) of interested parties. If you are interested in participating as a coach or manager, please submit an expression of interest to Dwayne (edir@saskweightlifting.com) ASAP & by Apr 24 at the latest. More information will be provided to those interested. We are uncertain if Level 4 (Entry-level) technical officials will be eligible to upgrade at this event.
Canadian Weightlifting Gender Equity Technical Official Training Initiative: More information can be found here.
2021-2022 SWA Rankings & SWA Records: These are up-to-date & will generally be updated within one week of each competition. If there are any errors or omissions, please let us know.
2022-2023 Platform Coaching Requirements: Starting October 1, 2022, all coaches must be Competition Introduction Certified to be eligible to coach their lifters on the platform at an SWA sanctioned competition or be supervised directly by a qualified coach & be actively pursuing completion of certification. Coaches may be eligible for reimbursement of completed courses. Please consult https://saskweightlifting.com/course-reimburse for information regarding the courses required and reimbursement.
Important Dates:
Apr 30-May 1: NCCP Competition Introduction Course hosted in person by the SWA - Registration closed
May 28-29, June 11: Online NCCP Competition Introduction Course hosted online by the BCWA. For more information, please contact Raf Korkowski (rafkor@shaw.ca).
Sept 24-25: Ma Strength Level 1 - Chinese Weightlifting Technique - Registration fee $250; full-price $500 subsidized by the SWA (Limit 25)
Sept 26-27: Ma Strength Level 2 - Coaching & Programming - Registration fee $250; full-price $500 subsidized by the SWA (Limit 25)
June: SWA Membership Survey
Aug 2022: SWA Strategic Plan Review
Nov-Dec: SWA President & Member-at-Large Election Nominations & Voting
Early Dec: SWA AGM & Election Results
2021-2022 Competition Schedule:
Apr 23: SWA Meet (Hybrid/Online) - See above
May 20-22: Canadian Senior National Championship (Kelowna, BC) - Registration closed
May 28: SWA Meet (Hybrid/Online) - Registration opens April 30 & closes May 14. Details coming soon.
June 4-5: Canadian Junior National Championships (La Prairie, Quebec) - See above
June 8-12: Masters Pan-American Championships
July 8-10: Canadian Masters Championship - The qualification deadline is June 30th. Registration is limited on a first-come-first-serve basis. The SWA will fund the travel expenses of a coach as selected by the SWA Masters Committee. Please contact Dwayne (edir@saskweightlifting.com) & Jil Reid (jilreid99@gmail.com) for more information.
July 28-Aug 8: Commonwealth Games - SWA athlete Alexis Ashworth has been selected as a member of Team Canada in the 71kg class - Leader-Post article
Tentative 2022-2023 Competition Schedule (Registration will open ~6 weeks & close 2 weeks advance):
Late Aug or Early Sept: "Casual" SWA Meet (Hybrid/Online) - NOT a Westerns or Nationals Qualifier. This may be removed.
Sept 15-18: 2022 North American Open Series 2 hosted by USAW and CWH - Interested SWA athletes are encouraged to participate with results eligible for Westerns & Nationals (Tentative) Qualification
Oct 15: SWA Meet (In-person ONLY, Subject to Doping Control) - Qualifier for Westerns & Nationals
Oct 22: Saskatchewan Winter Games Trials - Only for Winter Games athletes qualification
Nov 19: Western Canadian Championships in Alberta (In-person only)
Dec 3 or 10: Junior Provincials (Hybrid/Online) - Last qualifier for Junior Nationals & Saskatchewan Winter Games
Mid-Late Jan: 2023 Junior Nationals (Tentative & may impact the timing of the Dec meet if moved)
Early Feb: Masters Provincials (Hybrid/Online)
Late Feb: Saskatchewan Winter Games in Regina
Mar 25: SWA Provincials (In-person ONLY, Subject to Doping Control) - May require qualification & include a Banquet/Awards Night (Based on membership feedback)
Apr/May: End of Season "Casual" Competition (Hybrid/Online)
May 20-21: Canadian Senior National Championship
Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, concerns, or feedback.
All the best and Happy Easter,
Lucas King, 2Lt. BKIN. MBA
President, Saskatchewan Weightlifting Association