Sophie Hawkins (Member / Past Junior Club Captain)

Hi, my name is Sophie Hawkins and I am your Seacliff Junior Club Captain for 2011/2012.  I would like to share with you some of my thoughts and experiences from being a Seacliff member since I joined as a Tiny Tot in 2005.

In 2011/2012 I am proudly represented Seacliff as Junior Club Captain.  I was so privileged to be chosen by the other kids.   I remember when I first became competitive it was a  Junior Club captain that I looked up to and she became my mentor, she gave me so much support, friendship and encouragement and I’m sure it helped me to be a bit of who I am today.   I hope to use my time as club captain to inspire other club members and to help all age groups develop to be the best they can be.  I think the Club Captains have a lot of influence on the younger kids, so I hope I do the job right so they can look up to me too.

I love to compete so I think Seacliff are fortunate to have a number of very talented volunteer coaches that give up their time to coach us.  I feel extremely lucky that these coaches have been top in their fields and that they are happy to share their expertise and experiences with me to help to make me great. There are also a group of mum’s & dads (just as great) that come out to help and support the kids that don’t want to get too competitive.

When I represent Seacliff at carnivals I wear my black and white with pride. I think we have a great group of kids, that are well behaved and good sports and it is a really good feeling to be in our tent at the beginning of a carnival with all of the excitement.  We have been getting more competitive over the past few years and it is also great to hear Seacliff member’s names being called out for winning medals and to see them proudly wearing them on the beach.

I have been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to have competed at interstate competitions 6 times since being in U10. It is really exciting to be lining up with people you have never raced before and to experience water conditions that we rarely get in Adelaide. You can learn so much from these trips and have lots of fun at the same time.

I was also fortunate enough to be selected in the State Development Team in 2010/2011.

For this challenge I was representing South Australia.  We competed against Tasmania and Victoria.  SA won the Southern States Challenge that year. I now have friends from other clubs too that I love to catch up with at carnivals.  I hope I get more opportunities to represent our state in the future.

I have made so many great friends at Seacliff from all age groups not just my own. Every time we train together or go away on a club trip I feel that our friendships just get stronger. I know that everyone looks after everyone and I am sure that I will have these friends for life. I am looking forward to meeting some of our younger kids this season and offering them the same friendliness that I received when I started as a tiny tot.

Finally I would like to say that Seacliff Club and Seacliff Coaches have supported me and provided me with the opportunities to make me strive to be my best.

My greatest achievement so far would have to be winning the Gold Medal for the board race 4 years in a row at State Titles. I couldn’t have done this without the training and encouragement offered from all of the Seacliff Coaches.

Seacliff is a wonderful club and a great place to be.  It offers whatever you are looking for.  You can train to be a champion or you can just come for some fun and friendship.

For me, “well I want both”, but I will always love the friends that I have made the most.