4. Youth

Welcome to another exciting season with Trigg Island SLSC's Youth program! Youth members are the lifeblood of the club — every time you dive into the surf, learn a new skill or make a new friend, you're building the future of surf lifesaving. Every contribution, from helping on the beach to lending a hand at events, adds to the strength of the club and the experiences it can offer.

Director of Youth: Kirk Phillips — youth@triggisland.com

2026–27 Youth Committee

A typical Sunday

Surf Sports training doesn't run during Youth Club time — the two are kept separate this season so Sunday sessions stay focused on Youth Club activities.

What to bring

• Hi-vis vest (labelled)
• Bathers or wetsuit (if you get cold)
• Sunscreen (apply before arrival)
• Towel, hat and a long-sleeve shirt for after water activities
• Goggles, a labelled water bottle, and warm clothes for cooler mornings

Competition uniform

• Club cap (red/green/white) and club bathers
• Hi-vis vest compulsory for all aquatic activities
• Club apparel is available from the Merchandise Shop, outside the operations shed

Club equipment

Club boards and skis are for Youth members' use during designated activities only. Equipment must be returned, cleaned and stored correctly — report any damage to your coaches immediately.

Trigg Island Youth's focus for 2026–27 is a "feet on the sand" approach — blending fun, fitness and lifesaving into every session, with activities for U14/U15s and U17s run separately and as one combined group.

This season's goals

• Build cohesiveness, camaraderie and connection — to the Club and to each other
• Improve retention and grow our numbers
• Build a culture that makes progressing from Nippers into Youth an easy, exciting step
• Make space for every interest across the Club, including Surf Sports

What you can expect on a Sunday

Sessions mix fun group activities with lifesaving skill-building — sometimes blended together, like practising board rescues and first aid alongside SRC and Bronze Medallion training. Expect a rotating mix through the season, such as:

• Beach games — giant dodgeball, tag games, a minefield blindfold challenge, frisbee competitions
• Water-based fun — board rescues, a try-a-ski day, bring-a-floatie day, pontoon relay, wet towel bucket relay
• Skills and awareness — mock first aid events, surf awareness signals and signs, IRB day
• Guest incursions — paramedics, lifeguards and Club leaders sharing what they do
• Bigger group days — body surfing competitions, team sandcastle competitions, bring-a-friend day

Youth members are eligible to complete their Surf Rescue Certificate and Bronze Medallion — the essential education and skills that lead to becoming a patrolling member. Courses run throughout the season, but we encourage eligible members to complete them as early as possible. Patrols are a voluntary weekend service, with a set number of hours required if you want to compete — see Patrols & Lifesaving and Awards & Training.

Check out all the awards available in Award Pathways Overview

Surf Life Saving WA (SLSWA) runs a set of Youth Pathways for youth members from U14 to U17. They let you take on real roles around the club and across the state, and they formally record the service you give. There are three parts, and they all add up to the same record:

• Youth Pathways courses: free SLSWA courses that train you for a role as an official, Age Manager, coach or trainer.

• The Youth Recognition Program (YRP): the record of hours that earns you Bronze, Silver and Gold recognition.

• State youth camps: four-day January camps in Margaret River for members nominated by their club.

You do not have to pick just one. Most youth members end up doing a bit of several: patrolling on a Sunday, helping an Age Manager with the Nippers, and officiating at a carnival later in the season.

Youth Pathways courses

SLSWA runs four free courses through the season, in person and online. Each one introduces a role you can then take on at the club, with an experienced member mentoring you. Hours you spend in these roles count towards your YRP record.

2026–27 course dates

SLSWA may add dates during the season and announces them on its website, in eNewsletters and on social media. Download the 2026–27 Youth Pathways calendar, or see Youth Pathways Courses on the SLSWA site. To ask about other dates or locations, email youth@slswa.com.au.

Competing and patrolling count too

• Surf Sports: board riding, swimming and beach sprints, from club events through to state, national and international competition. See Getting Into Competition to get started, and Competition Eligibility & Patrol Requirements for the patrol hours you need to compete.

• Lifesaving: your Surf Rescue Certificate (from age 13) and Bronze Medallion (from age 15) are what let you patrol. Later they lead to specialist services such as drone patrol, lifeguarding and jet ski operations. SLSWA also runs the Rookie Lifeguard Program. Full course requirements are in 4.4 Lifesaving Pathways.

The Youth Recognition Program (YRP)

The Youth Recognition Program was previously called the Youth Leaders Program. It's how your involvement is formally recognised. Rather than a course you sit, it's a record you build: you log your hours across three parts of surf lifesaving (Lifesaving, Training and Surf Sports) and are recognised at each level you reach. A minimum in every part means the program rewards doing a bit of everything, not one thing over and over.

Gold usually takes at least two years, so it's worth starting early. SLSWA has a separate recording sheet for each level.

Hours can be earned two ways:

• At Trigg Island: patrolling, helping with Nippers, club officiating, training and competing.

• Through SLSWA: the Youth Pathways courses above and the hours you then spend in those roles, plus the state camps.

State youth camps

Each January SLSWA runs two four-day camps at its South West Development Centre in Margaret River. They're a big part of the youth program: you meet members from clubs all over WA, build leadership and teamwork skills, and have a lot of fun. Up to two representatives from each WA club can go to each camp.

Places go by club nomination. SLSWA sends out the expression of interest in its Circular each July, and the club puts forward its representatives. If you'd like to be considered, tell the Youth Committee early: there are only two places per camp. More detail is on SLSWA's Youth Camps page.

How to get started

1. Talk to the Youth Committee. They can help you choose the roles that suit you. You'll also need the club youth coordinator's details for the form.

2. Fill in the Youth Pathways Expression of Interest form on SLSWA's Youth Recognition Program page. Tick the Youth Recognition Program and any roles you're interested in (Youth Age Manager, Youth Coach, Youth Official, Youth Trainer). You'll need:

   • your name and current age group

   • your club: Trigg Island SLSC

   • the club youth coordinator's name, email and phone number

   • a parent or guardian's name and email

   • a mailing address

3. SLSWA emails you with what to do next.

4. Book a course from the dates above, and start logging your hours.

Questions for SLSWA go to the Youth team at youth@slswa.com.au.

Download the program brochure.

Download the SLSWA Youth Programs and Requirements for 2026/27 Circular.

Surf Life Saving WA runs a Youth Leaders Program tracking positive involvement across Lifesaving, Surf Sports and Training, with three levels of achievement — Bronze, Silver and Gold — recognised from U14 through to U19. Taking part gives Youth members exposure to the different sides of surf lifesaving, recognition as a volunteer, and opportunities to attend camps run by Surf Life Saving Australia — all valuable for future employment or scholarship opportunities.

Club recognition awards

Each season, Trigg Island SLSC celebrates the hard work, dedication and achievements of its Youth members:

• U15 Lifesaver of the Year — outstanding patrolling service during the season
• Youth Club Achiever Award — outstanding contribution by a Youth Member (U14–U17) across Lifesaving, Training, Leadership and Surf Sports
• Youth of the Year — considered from among nominated Youth Club Achievers
• Youth Athlete of the Year — sporting excellence and contribution to Surf Sports, ages 15–18
• Youth Official of the Year — outstanding contribution to officiating during the season
• St Mary's Award — recognising a rising star in the Youth category

Regular events

• Volleyball Night — North Beach Volleyball Centre, 5pm–8pm, bar open for parents (subsidised by the Youth budget)
• Movie Nights — dates to be announced
• Around the Island Team Challenge — a club-wide team activity plus the Youth end-of-year BBQ
• BBQ Breakfasts — first Sunday of each month, after Youth sessions (helpers needed for setup, cooking and pack-down)
• Youth Camp — SLSWA South West Camp, Margaret River, a Friday-to-Sunday weekend of activities, teamwork and leadership (around $150pp including transport, accommodation, activities and main meals; $50 deposit required; essential registration via TeamApp)

New for 2026–27

• Sunset Swim & Smoothie Day
• Ping Pong & Pizza
• Pancake Day
• Cook-off — groups take turns cooking up bacon-and-egg muffins, a sausage sizzle and more

Exact dates for these are shared via TeamApp and the "What's Up!" noticeboard as the season progresses.

Training

As you grow, there are opportunities to take part in training sessions beyond Sunday Youth — designed to build skills, fitness and confidence in the water and on the beach. Because training times can shift with weather, coach availability or event scheduling, weekly updates are shared via TeamApp and WhatsApp — make sure you've joined your age group in the app. Surf Sports training is scheduled separately from Sunday Youth Club activities this season, so the two no longer overlap.

• Weekly schedules — released via TeamApp by Coach Andrew Mosel; 1–2 swim sessions a week are recommended
• Disciplines — boards, skis, boats, beach events, Rescue & Resuscitation, March Past, First Aid Competition, Champion Lifesaver
• Competition — carnivals at Metro, Country, State and Australian level; entry process, uniform requirements and team selection (participation vs high performance) are covered in Surf Sports & Competition

How parents can help

As a family club, Trigg relies on every family sharing the load. Ways to help on Sundays include kiosk duty, BBQs, event set-up and pack-down, and RSA bar service. There's also an Officials Pathway — an online plus practical course covering judging, marshalling and recording races at carnivals; contact the Club Administrator if you'd like to get involved.