Future swimming champions dive into inaugural Pho3nix JX Clinic
Education
The first clinic for the Pho3nix Junior Excellence Program (JX) kicked off on Monday at the Melbourne Aquatic Centre, driven by the partnership between Swimming Australia and the Pho3nix Foundation represented by Mana Global Sports and Entertainment Group.
Children aged 9-13 took advantage of the opportunity to learn from Olympic swimmers Andrew Lauterstein, Joshua Beaver and Kenrick Monk on the eve of the 2023 World Championship Trials in Melbourne. Developing healthy habits in the pool, cultivating persistence, resilience, confidence, and goal setting, the Pho3nix JX Program aims to recognise and inspire young swimmers, building commitment to and enthusiasm for the pathway into senior swimming and success in and out of the pool.
Seventeen thousand participants are expected to go through the Pho3nix JX Program this year, adding to the over 200,000 that have participated since the program launched in 2007. Most of the Dolphins team competing at this week’s World Championship Trials are graduates of the JX program including Olympic medallists Mollie O’Callaghan, Isaac Cooper and Ariarne Titmus.
Swimming Australia Interim CEO Steve Newman said the JX Program has had a tremendous impact over an extended period of time and would play a key role in developing swimmers on the green and gold runway to the 2026 Commonwealth Games Victoria and the 2032 Olympic Games Brisbane.
“Some of the best swimmers this country has produced over the past decade or so have come through the Junior Excellence Program, and the Pho3nix Foundation’s support will ensure thousands more swimmers will have that same opportunity,” Newman said.
“We continue to learn and develop the program each year; however, its continuation for well over a decade is proof of its impact.
“The Pho3nix Foundation’s support will deliver real outcomes for all participants as they progress through various stages, developing the skills and aptitude required to compete at senior level.”
The Pho3nix Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation which supports pathways from participation to progression into professional sport but also strives to encourage more kids to be more active, more often.
Chris McCormack, Pho3nix Foundation board member and Mana Global Executive Chairman says, “We are committed to supporting programs which encourage participation in sport among our youth. The Pho3nix Junior Excellence Program participants can become shining examples of the positive impact that sport, particularly swimming, can have on their personal development, health and wellbeing, along with being a key part of the ever-growing global Pho3nix Foundation movement.”
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