More than forty club leaders from across 24 clubs came together on Saturday, 7th March, for an inspiring day of learning, reflection, and discussion centred on the theme “What Makes a Great Club Great?”
Hosted by Swim Ireland, the event saw 46 people registered and 41 in attendance, with the sessions focusing on leadership, communication, planning, and governance – all key pillars of sustainable club success.
The day began on a motivational note with guest speaker Shirley McCay, ex-international hockey player, World Cup silver medallist, and Tokyo Olympian. McCay shared her journey through elite sport and reflected on the vital role her home club played in shaping her achievements.
After a shared lunch, discussions turned toward the responsibilities of club leaders — Chairs, Secretaries, Treasurers, CCOs, committee members, and coaches — in ensuring their clubs are left stronger for future generations.
Key topics explored included:
- Strong Leadership: Club chairs Shelley Adams (Ards), Paul McQuillan (Lisburn), and Rachel Hardy (Bangor) spoke about the positive impact effective leadership brings. Groups then examined the potential pitfalls when leadership is lacking.
- Effective Communication: Secretaries Jolene Scullion (Cookstown) and Rob Dann (Alliance) discussed how clear, open communication keeps clubs peaceful and united, while poor communication can sow confusion and mistrust.
- Strategic Planning: Committee member Liz McAree (Olympia and Larne), CCO Rorie McBride (Swim Belfast), and membership secretary Jen McGrady (Ards) emphasised the importance of long-term planning to maintain club progress and prevent stagnation.
- Governance Best Practice: Although briefly touched upon, this session highlighted safeguarding and compliance as essential foundations for club integrity.
The day concluded with an engaging presentation by Justin Deegan, Club Manager at Swim Ireland. He spoke about the power of healthy partnerships between coaches, participants, parents, and clubs — describing them as “built on trust and shared purpose.” Deegan explored how poor communication can erode relationships, replacing joy with pressure and teamwork with blame.
Throughout the day, attendees engaged in lively, interactive discussions, sharing ideas and experiences to strengthen their own clubs.
Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, with one club leader commenting, “That was so helpful – I wish the whole committee had attended. I’ll make sure they come next year!” Others praised the event as “fantastic,” “informative,” and “relevant,” with one attendee summing it up simply: “Thank you for today — it was awesome.”
The conference closed with a shared sense of motivation and purpose, as participants left ready to apply new ideas and insights to help their clubs continue to thrive.