Maroubra Nippers

Sunday, 18 March 2012: 8:45am at Maroubra Beach

Maroubra Nippers is an education, activity-based program that teaches children about surf safety and life saving awareness and skills. When I arrived at the beach I did not know what to expect. There were people of all ages, some wearing bathing suits and swim caps (the participants/Nippers) and people wearing regular clothes (parents, family, etc.). The participants did a run/swim exercise in which they ran as a team and swam in the water against a rip. I was amazed at the athleticism of the participants no matter the age. I also noticed the support and encouragement that was displayed by not only the people watching them, but among the participants themselves. They were concerned with their teammates and rooted each other on throughout the whole event.

 

I was quite surprised at the dedication displayed by the children. They did not seem competitive between one another and most importantly, it looked like they were having fun and enjoying themselves! This made me happy because in the end, sport should be about learning life lessons and enjoying oneself… not about who is the best! I am excited to see more Australian events. It definitely makes me realize how different it is from American sport!