RODS launch into the new season



After completing the 2007-08 season as one of the most successful seasons in RODS history – 1 swimmer named to the 2008 Canadian Paralympic Swim Team, 1 coach named to the 2008 Canadian Paralympic coaching staff, and 1 athlete named to the Canadian Youth team. The RODS opened the 2008-09 season with a new vision, a new 4 year plan for the 2012 Olympics in London and a 25% increase in enrolment. According to head coach Jeff Toth `their are very few things that could have made last season any better’

The RODS are looking into the future and the future is shining very bright. Over the past weekend the RODS competed in their first meet of the season The Saskatoon Goldfin Invitational. The meet was a prairie province (Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba) competition that is designed to get the swimmers back into the competitive arena and start training them at racing.

At this meet several wonderful things happened:

  • Head Coach Jeff Toth was named the 2007-08 Saskatchewan Coach of the year.
  • The Regina Optimist Dolphins were awarded the Regina and District Association's 2008 Citizenship Award for demonstrating a positive impact on the lives of persons with an intellectual disability.
  • Michael Qing was awarded the Canadian Special Olympics Male Athlete of the Year award for 2007-08
  • Samantha Bancescu was awarded the 2008-09 Mike Mintenko Scholarship
  • Scott McGillivray (coached by Head Age Group Coach Pete Wilkins) won the 11-12 High point performance award
  • Linda Duarte, Sam Acton, Max Moore, Taylor Moore, Sam Bancescu, Jess Winter, Alison Campbell, Cassandra Brassard and Scott McGillivray were named to Swim Saskatchewan High Performance teams
  • Head Coach Jeff Toth was named as the Head Coach for the 2009 Canadian Summer Games in Charlottetown, PEI.

This amount of awards being bestowed upon the RODS is indicative of how healthy the club is. Not only are they producing high level athletes and coaches the RODS are also doing everything they can to make swimming in Regina an all inclusive sport. It is very important to the team that we have an open, inclusive, multi-cultural, multi gender program that promotes discipline, pride loyalty and commitment. A Philosophy that is proving to work as all of the recent awards show.