SWA Newsletter: March 2023

Hi Everyone,

I hope everyone is looking forward to Provincials next weekend as much as I am. Between teams, the banquet, a non-TC venue, and additional awards, it has been quite a change from our standard competitions, and I'm excited to see it all roll out.

As you may know, Dwayne (Executive Director) officially left the SWA on March 8th. It has been a bit hectic since, and I want to apologize for anything that has been missed or fallen through the cracks. It is a busy time, and we appreciate everyone's support as we transition someone new into the role. We are actively working through a number of fantastic applications for the role, with interviews beginning this weekend. We are excited about those who have applied, and we look forward to confirming someone for the role within the next week. Keep your eyes out for an announcement!

Announcements:

  1. NCCP Competition Introduction Coaching Course: An NCCP Competition Introduction course is being held April 22-23 in Saskatoon. The deadline to register is April 14, 2023. This course may be paid for using Training Centre MAP funding.

  2. Provincials Registration: The Banquet is sold out! If you cannot attend, please feel free to "give" your ticket to someone else, as they are fully transferable and you only need to tell us the name of the person you are claiming a ticket for at the door. A start list will be released ASAP. I'm sorry for the delay.

  3. Updates to the IWF Technical Rules: Athletes can no longer weigh-in completely undressed. All athletes must wear undergarments. No weight allowance will be provided. In accordance with the CWFHC decision for Junior Nationals 2023, all athletes ages 18 and under must wear a singlet during weigh-ins (with a 0.3kg weight allowance). More information can be found here.

  4. WCH (Weightlifting Canada) Updates: Please see the attached memos for more information.

    1. New WCH Safe Sport Policy

    2. Junior Nationals has been moved to June 3-4, 2023

    3. IWF Grand Prix in Havana, Cuba, from June 8-18

    4. 2023 CWF Youth, Junior, & Senior Weightlifting Championships in Delhi, India from July 11-16

  5. 2023 Senior National Championships in Scarborough, Ontario: Typically, the SWA is able to nominate up to ~4 unqualified athletes under the age of 24 to attend Senior Nationals as an opportunity for upcoming athletes, particularly Youth and Junior athletes that are beginning to compete at the international level or are expected to soon, to gain experience at a higher-level competition. If you, or your athlete, are interested in being considered for this opportunity, please email Lucas (Pres@saskweightlifting.com) and/or Nick (nkorchinski@saskweightlifting.com) on or before March 31, 2023. Currently, these athletes will be entirely responsible for their travel and accommodation expenses, but the SWA will help provide coaching at the event. More information for those who have qualified and funding (reimbursement) details will be released ASAP. The SWA will not organise accommodations or travel for Senior Nationals.

Reminders:  

  1.  Criminal Record Checks for Coaches and Volunteers (Letter): If you are due for an updated Criminal Record Check, or have not completed one, and are actively coaching, officiating, or volunteering with the SWA, please remember to complete yours and submit the letter to Dwayne (edir@saskweightlifting.com) as soon as you can. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Dwayne (edir@saskweightlifting.com).

  2. 2022-2023 SWA Rankings, Certificates, & SWA Records: These are up-to-date with local results. If there are any errors or omissions, please let me know.

  3. TC Volunteer Hours Submission Form

  4. 2023 Western Canadian Weightlifting Championships (Nov 2023 in Winnipeg): The 1st qualifying event for Team Saskatchewan will be Senior Provincials on March 25. The May competition, Nationals (Jr/Sr/Masters), international qualifiers (E.g. Ogopogo, NA Open), international competitions (IWF/Masters), and the final qualifier in October will all be eligible for team competition.

  5. Volunteers Needed: We plan to recruit more volunteers to help grow the SWA and expand our reach. Please let me know if you are interested in any of the below-mentioned roles. We need your help!

    1. Social Media (Commitment: Variable): We are looking for 1-2 people to help promote upcoming events, highlight training centres and athletes, and improve our presence on Instagram and Facebook. We are also interested in having someone take over the SWA social media during Provincials to promote the event and participants. 

    2. Choose-your-own-adventure: Do you have an idea for improving the SWA and the skills to execute it? Please get in contact and let us know! 

Schedule & Qualifying Standards Updates:

  1. Jr Provincials (May 6): Link will be live here at 5:00 am, Mar 17

    1. Host Location: Ignite Athletics in Saskatoon

    2. Registration opens for Junior & Youth Athletes: Mar 17

    3. Registration opens for Senior & Master Athletes: Mar 31

    4. Registration closes: Apr 15

  2. Jr Nationals has been moved to June 3-4, 2023: Please see the attached Competition Regulations.

  3. Reminder: All competitions (Other than the Winter Games) will be organized by entry total. Please remember to input a recent competition or training total with registration.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

All the best, 

Lucas King, 2Lt. BKIN. MBA

President, Saskatchewan Weightlifting Association

IWF TCRR Update

Updated IWF TCRR: a new version of the IWF TCRR has been implemented. Please see the link for more details.

Relevant changes affecting all athletes include changes to weigh-ins and athlete rankings.

For weigh-ins: Athletes are no longer permitted to weigh in undressed. All athletes must weigh in wearing undergarments.

Senior athletes have no weight allowance for undergarments unless specified in the Competition Rules and Regulations.

In accordance with the CWFHC decision for Junior Nationals 2023, all athletes ages 18 and under must wear a singlet during weigh-ins (with a 0.3kg weight allowance).

For rankings: Athlete Classification for the Snatch and the Clean and Jerk is now based on the following criteria:

1. Best result – highest first; if identical, then:
2. Best result’s attempt number – the Athlete who achieved the result earliest according to the Calling Order.

Athlete Classification for the Total is now based on the following criteria:

1. Best result – highest first; if identical, then:
2. Best Clean & Jerk result’s attempt number – the Athlete who achieved the Total result earliest according to the Calling Order.

If you have any questions about the updated TCRR, please email offcls@saskweightlifting.com for clarification.

Tanner Treen, Chairperson

SWA Officials Committee

SWA Member Notice - Executive Director Job Posting

Hi Everyone,

I'm emailing you today to inform you that Dwayne will be leaving the SWA as of Wednesday, March 8th, 2023. The Board and I want to take this opportunity to thank Dwayne for his ongoing dedication and commitment to the SWA over the past 3.5 years. Dwayne came into the organization during a particularly tumultuous time and helped us begin to move forward positively toward where we are today. He has been at every competition over the past few years and contributed tremendously to the success of the Saskatchewan Winter Games in February 2023.

We appreciate everything he has done for us and contributed to the SWA over the past few years as the SWA's first-ever Executive Director.

With Dwayne leaving the SWA, we will be looking to hire a new Executive Director as soon as possible.

SWA Executive Director Job Posting

  • Job Description

  • Applications may be submitted directly to me, Lucas King, by emailing a cover letter and resume to Pres@Saskweightlifting.com, please reference the job title in the subject line.

  • The deadline to receive applications is March 16th, 2023, at 11:59 pm.

  • Interviews will be conducted primarily in Saskatoon on Sunday, March 19th, 2023

If you know anyone interested in this position or who may be a good fit for the role, please feel free to share this job posting with them.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Thank you,

Lucas King, 2Lt. BKIN. MBA

President, Saskatchewan Weightlifting Association

DEVELOPING GRIT IN SPORT

SWA/Sport Medicine Council of Saskatchewan

 Present

 Developing Grit in Sport

This mental training session will be focused on developing grit in sport. Grit is the combination of passion and perseverance over long terms, and has been shown to be a better predictor of long-term success over other traditional markers. Participants will be led through some exercises meant to grow more grit as an athlete, and will be discussing some tips on how to refocus your mind and persevere after experiencing setbacks in sport.

 When:            Thursday, February 16, 2023

                        7 - 8 pm

 Where:           Online, through the SWA Zoom Account

 Who:              SWA members, parents/guardians of SWA members

                      

Cost:               No cost

 Registration: Online through the SWA website

           

SWA Newsletter - February 2023

Hi Everyone,

Thank you to everyone who contributed to such a successful competition on Saturday at 306 Weightlifting! Masters Provincials was a great success, with 20 different athletes breaking Provincial records across all age categories and many athletes qualifying for Provincials, Nationals (Jr/Sr/Masters), and international Masters competitions. Yesterday, the Board discussed ways to build off of the competition's success, and we look forward to hosting a Masters-only competition during the 2023-2024 season. Similarly, Junior Provincials will likely be a Youth and Junior-only competition next season. As participation and membership rise, we are looking at new ways to support the membership and create memorable experiences.

Good luck, and thank you to all our Officials, Volunteers, Coaches, Managers, and Athletes competing next week at the 2023 Saskatchewan Winter Games! It will be a blast, and I will see you there.

Announcements:

  1. Board Changes: Thank you to everyone who expressed an interest in the open Member-at-Large position. We are excited to announce that Emma Love was selected to join the Board and will serve in the role until AGM 2023!

  2. Volunteers Needed: Over the next few months, we plan to recruit more volunteers to help grow the SWA and expand our reach. Too often, I/we must say "no" because we don't have the capacity at the Board level. Please let me know if you are interested in any of the below-mentioned roles. We need your help!

    1. Provincials Awards & Accreditation (Commitment: Until tasks are completed): Dwayne & I are looking for someone to assist with finalizing designs & plans for individual and team awards for Provincials. We are also working on ordering a backdrop for photos and bulk lanyards with personalized cards for Athletes, Coaches, and Officials at Provincials. We know roughly what we want and have received quotes/mock-ups, but we are looking for another set of eyes to help make sure we nail it. This is a very short-term commitment, and designs need to be finalized ASAP. 

    2. Social Media (Commitment: Variable): We are looking for 1-2 people to help promote upcoming events, highlight training centres and athletes, and improve our presence on Instagram and Facebook. We are also interested in having someone take over the SWA social media during Provincials to promote the event and participants. 

    3. Choose-your-own-adventure: Do you have an idea for improving the SWA and the skills to execute it? Please get in contact and let us know! 

  3. Provincials Registration: Waitlist total registration is now open! The Board decided to open registration early to this group to allow athletes to plan further in advance. Don't forget to register for the Team Competition! Lastly, 20 tickets are now available for the banquet! Please remember a ticket will be included with each athlete's registration. More Banquet tickets may become available if athlete registration does not reach capacity.

  4. Provincials Photographer: You may have noticed a photographer at the last session of Masters Provincials on Saturday. He was there doing a trial run ahead of Sr Provincials in March, where we are planning to have a photographer take photos of all athletes that will be provided to the athletes free of charge! Keep an eye out for more details as we get closer.

  5. 2023 Western Canadian Weightlifting Championships (Nov 2023 in Winnipeg): The 1st qualifying event for Team Saskatchewan will be Senior Provincials on March 25. The May competition, Nationals (Jr/Sr/Masters), international qualifiers (E.g. Ogopogo, NA Open), international competitions (IWF/Masters), and the final qualifier in October will all be eligible.

Reminders:  

  1.  Criminal Record Checks for Coaches and Volunteers (Letter): If you are due for an updated Criminal Record Check, or have not completed one, and are actively coaching, officiating, or volunteering with the SWA, please remember to complete yours and submit the letter to Dwayne (edir@saskweightlifting.com) as soon as you can. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Dwayne (edir@saskweightlifting.com).

  2. 2022-2023 SWA Rankings, Certificates, & SWA Records: These are up-to-date with local results. If there are any errors or omissions, please let me know.

  3. TC Volunteer Hours Submission Form

  4. NCCP Competition Introduction Coaching Course: The SWA hopes to hold an NCCP Competition Introduction course soon. This will cover the theoretical and practical components of the Competition Introduction certification. If you or anyone you know are interested in becoming a Coach, please email Dwayne Dreher (edir@saskweightlifting.com) to be added to the contact list for upcoming courses. These courses may be paid for using Training Centre MAP funding.

Schedule & Qualifying Standards Updates:

  1. Sr Provincials (Mar 25):

    1. Registration opens for Waitlist Qualified TODAY (Achieved waitlist total): Feb 13

    2. Registration closes: Feb 26

    3. Late registration closes: Mar 5 (Fees: Regular fee + $100)

  2. Reminder: All competitions (Other than the Winter Games) will be organized by entry total. Please remember to input a recent competition or training total with registration.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

All the best, 

Lucas King, 2Lt. BKIN. MBA

President, Saskatchewan Weightlifting Association

Sleep and Performance Monday, February, 13, 2023: 7 PM

SWA/Sport Medicine and Science Council of Saskatchewan

 Present

 Sleep and Performance

 The SWA in conjunction with the Sport Medicine and Science Council of Saskatchewan present the following session entitled, Sleep and Performance.

 When:                        Monday, February 13, 2023

                                    Start time: 7 pm

                                    Sixty (60) minutes in length

 Where:                       Online, Via Zoom

 Who:                          Saskatchewan Games

Athletes, Coaches, Managers, Parents/Guardians, and all SWA Members

Description:   

A 1 hr educational session on sleep quality and quantity deprivation, effects on sleep through travel, nutrition, exercise and mental, medical considerations, screen time and how to sleep better.

Instructor:                   Joel Lipinski                   · 

Registration: (no cost)            

To register:

https://saskweightlifting.com/courses/sleepperf-4kk74-5a3d2-g26db-d3t8e

SWA Newsletter - January 2023

Hi Everyone,

Happy New Year! We are off to a great start already, as the first competition of the year sold out 2 weeks early at 70 lifters! It's been several years since we have had a competition this large, and it will be exciting to have everyone back at 306 Weightlifting on Feb 11.

I also want to thank everyone again for coming to the AGM and Town Hall in December. The new Board has already started work on a few exciting initiatives based on the feedback and made a few changes at our first Board meeting last weekend. I look forward to continuing to move forward with the new team and finding ways to grow the SWA.

Announcements:

  • Board Changes: After multiple terms with the SWA Board as a Member-at-Large, Vice-President, and for a short time as President, Kelly Brown has decided to step down as Vice-President and vacate his position on the SWA Board. We want to take this opportunity to thank Kelly for all of his work over the last few years as we have worked to restructure the SWA and bring in many new changes. Kelly has done a lot for the SWA and, on many occasions, kept the organization functioning when it otherwise would not have. We look forward to seeing Kelly continue supporting and growing the SWA Adaptive program he has developed in partnership with Saskatoon Autism Services. We'd also like to thank Tanner Treen for accepting the nomination to Vice-President by the SWA. At this time, we expect Tanner to serve in the new role until AGM 2023, but this is an ongoing discussion within the Board.

  • Open Member-at-Large Board Position: As a result of Tanner's nomination to VP, a Member-at-Large position is now vacant. The Board will discuss how to address this vacancy and consider appointing someone to the role at our next Board Meeting on Feb 12. If you are interested in being considered for this position until AGM 2023, please email me (Lucas King, pres@saskweightlifting.com) by Feb 5. If the position is filled, priority will likely be given to someone from outside of Saskatoon and/or representing a group, skill set, or perspective that the Board lacks.

  • SWA Town Hall Mon, Jan 30 from 6:30-7:30 pm: Open Q&A discussion with no formal agenda. A Zoom link will be distributed by email and posted on the website during the day on Jan 30.

  • Officials Compensation: Certified Officials will now receive $20 per session for officiating at SWA competitions. This is an evolving change that will be updated throughout the season.

  • Casual Competitions or Athletes: We are working on creating a new stream of competitions that will be streamlined and targeted towards newer and more casual athletes. This is an evolving concept we hope to roll out to a limited extent this season and more fully during the 2023-2024 season.

New Information: 

  • Training Center Membership Program: This document was approved by the SWA Board on Jan 8, 2023. It is the same document distributed previously with the addition of a minimum of $20 per member in MAP funding for each Training Center meeting the document criteria.

  • Canadian Youth Worlds Team looking for Team Lead: The deadline for Expression of Interest is Feb 1, 2023. See attached CWF Memo for more information.

  • NCCP Competition Introduction Coaching Course: The SWA plans to hold an NCCP Competition Introduction course soon. This will cover the theoretical and practical components of the Competition Introduction certification. If you or anyone you know are interested in becoming a Coach, please email Dwayne Dreher (edir@saskweightlifting.com) to be added to the contact list for upcoming courses. These courses may be paid for using Training Centre MAP funding.

Reminders:  

  1. Online Officials Course, Level 4, Next Jan 28 or 29: The SWA Officials Committee plans to conduct online Level 4 Technical Officials certification courses ~2 weeks before each major SWA competition in 2023. These will cover the theoretical and practical components of the Level 4 Technical Official certification. If you or anyone you know are interested in becoming a Technical Official, please email offcls@saskweightlifting.com to be added to the contact list for upcoming courses.

  2. Saskatchewan Winter Games: If you are interested in competing (youth and junior) or being considered as a Coach or Manager in your region for the 2023 Saskatchewan Winter Games from Feb 19-22 in Regina, please contact Ken Trofimuk (Kenbod@saskweightlifting.com) or Dwayne Dreher (edir@saskweightlifting.com).

  3.  Criminal Record Checks for Coaches and Volunteers (Letter): If you are due for an updated Criminal Record Check, or have not completed one, and are actively coaching, officiating, or volunteering with the SWA, please remember to complete yours and submit the letter to Dwayne (edir@saskweightlifting.com) as soon as you can. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Dwayne (edir@saskweightlifting.com).

  4. 2022-2023 SWA Rankings, Certificates, & SWA Records: These are up-to-date with local results. If there are any errors or omissions, please let me know.

  5. TC Volunteer Hours Submission Form

2022-2023 Schedule & Competition Updates:

  1. Masters Provincials hosted by 306 Weightlifting is SOLD OUT at 70 lifters. No additional spots will be made available.

  2. Timelines for Sr Provincials (Mar 25) have changed:

    1. Registration opens for Qualified (Achieved Qualifying total): Jan 27

    2. Registration opens for Waitlist Qualified (Achieved waitlist total): Feb 19

    3. Registration closes: Feb 26

    4. Late registration closes: Mar 5 (Fees: Regular fee + $100)

  3. Reminder: All competitions (Other than the Winter Games) will be organized by entry total. Please remember to input a recent competition or training total with registration.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

All the best, 

Lucas King, 2Lt. BKIN. MBA

President, Saskatchewan Weightlifting Association

Pres@saskweightlifting.com