Paul-Andre Walker, Staff Reporter
AFTER MONTHS of waiting, the Amateur Swimming Association has announced Jackie Walter as its new technical director.
Walter, who began coaching the national swim team in 1984 after being a swimmer herself, will have four main areas to oversee.
She will be in charge of managing the national swim squad, coaches development, club development and enhancing local competitions through foreign swimming participation.
Walter's contract will end after the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.
As manager of the national squad, Walter is expected to develop and oversee training plans for local-based national squad swimmers and co-ordinate with the coaches of overseas-based elite swimmers to ensure that Jamaica's interests are included in their planning.
The coaching development aspect of her job description will include the implementation of a Jamaican Swim Coaches Certification programme, Learn to Swim coaches training through Swim Jamaica and training programmes for students attending institutions such as G.C Foster and UTech.
ASAJ president John Eyre has expressed hope for the sport's development with the appointment.
"It helps us focus better than what we've been able to do in recent times," Eyre said yesterday. "A lot of opportunities are missed because we don't have the time and manpower to co-ordinate with coaches and swimmers," he said. Walter, who was happy with the appointment that was months in coming, is looking towards the work to be done.
"We (Jamaica's swimming program) definitely have a long way to go but as a start we need to step up in our region and then going on from that we can get more swimmers to the Pan-Am level, the Commonwealth level and then the Olympic level," she said.
Walter's first duties will begin next week when she, along with Barrington Brown and Catherine Lim Sang, will go to the United States for the American Swimming Coaches Clinic.
