Club Awards and Records

Oak Bay Orcas Records

Oak Bay Orcas Awards

The Oak Bay Orcas Swim Club has a variety of awards that are given out annually to celebrate our swimmers across sportsmanships, leadership, performance, spirit, and dedication. 

Oak Bay Orcas Award Winners 

Oak Bay Orcas Awards Criteria

Junior Sportsmanship (TROPHY)

This award will be given to a junior swimmer who consistently displays sportsmanlike conduct, including the following: 

• Positive attitude; 

• Consideration of others, including coaches and swimmers; 

• Respect for all swimmers regardless of performance; 

• Respect for officials and other volunteers; 

• Acts in an inclusive manner to all swimmers, including new members;

• Acts as an ambassador for the Orcas; 

• Acts as a positive role model; and

• Regularly observed cheering and encouraging fellow teammates and competitors. 

Recipient to be determined by the coaching staff. 

Senior Sportsmanship (TROPHY)

This award will be given to a senior swimmer who consistently displays sportsmanlike conduct, including the following: 

• Positive attitude; 

• Consideration of others, including coaches and swimmers; 

• Respect for all swimmers regardless of performance; 

• Respect for officials and other volunteers; 

• Acts in an inclusive manner to all swimmers, including new members;

• Acts as an ambassador for the Orcas; 

• Acts as a positive role model; and

• Regularly observed cheering and encouraging fellow teammates and competitors. 

Recipient to be determined by the coaching staff. 

Rookie of the Year (TROPHY)

This award will be given to a swimmer who is registered in their first year of competitive swimming (has not previously competed in either a winter or summer swim meet), attended at least one summer swim meet, and consistently displays the following characteristics:

• Positive attitude 

• Coachability, including a willingness and ability to seek, be receptive to, and act on constructive feedback to drive their development and improve performance, as reflected in the swimmer’s stroke improvement and meet results over the summer swim season; 

• Strong attendance record; and

• Demonstrated effort at practices and meets.

Recipient to be determined by the coaching staff. 

Diligence and Perserverance (PLAQUE)

This award will be given to a swimmer who has continued to be active within and dedicated to the Orcas’ community, as demonstrated by strong attendance or meet participation, despite experiencing a challenging summer swim meet season as a result of personal, health or other issues OR a swimmer who has a strong attendance record and displayed a dedication to training hard despite not achieving top meet results.

This prize may not necessarily be awarded each year. 

Recipient to be determined by the coaching staff. 

Spirit Award (MEDALS)

This award may be given to multiple swimmers who, in a summer meet season, have demonstrated Orcas’ spirit, for example, by: 

• Regularly starting and leading team cheers; 

• Encouraging and supporting teammates in practices and at meets; 

• Taking steps to strengthen connections between the mini-pod, junior, and senior swimmers; 

• Leading or creating fun activities or games for other swimmers; and 

• Being present and engaging in team tent activities at swim meets. 

This prize may not necessarily be awarded each year.

Recipient to be determined by the coaching staff. 

Dedication and Ambition Award (TROPHY)

This award will be given to one swimmer who has:

• been a member of the Orcas for multiple summer seasons;

• trains and competes at a high level but may not receive recognition or other awards (for example, as a result of an otherwise strong division); 

• demonstrated dedication, including a strong attendance record, effort, and perseverance; 

• coachability, including a willingness and ability to seek, be receptive to, and act on constructive feedback to drive their development and improve performance, as reflected in the swimmer’s stroke improvement and/or meet results.

This prize may not necessarily be awarded each year.

Recipient to be determined by the coaching staff. 

Leadership and Integrity Award (TROPHY)

This award will be given to one swimmer who demonstrates effective leadership with the Orcas through their actions and integrity. The recipient of this award will have a positive influence on the Orcas by, for example: 

• acting as a caring and compassionate member of the Orcas; 

• quietly supporting their teammates and swimmers from other clubs; 

• demonstrating a willingness to assist others in whatever capacity necessary; 

• leading by acting as a positive role model and setting examples for others; 

• inspiring others through their work ethic and good character; and 

• during periods of stress, conflict or uncertainty, maintaining composure, diffusing tension, and reassuring their teammates.

This prize may not necessarily be awarded each year.

Recipient to be determined by the coaching staff. 

Dino Verbrugge Award (TROPHY)

This award will be given to a volunteer coach who, in a summer meet season, consistently displays the following:

• Enthusiasm for and dedication to the Orcas;  

• Sportsmanship and excellence in their role as a volunteer coach; 

• Positive role model as demonstrated by their own conduct;

• Strong leadership, including by leading groups through dryland and practices;  

• Self-management and organization, including by writing practices and demonstrating an understanding of how to implement them; 

• Effective communication with swimmers, coaches, parents, and volunteers; and 

• Going above and beyond what is expected of them as a volunteer coach. 

Recipient to be determined by the Head Coach.

Best Times (PINS)

Swimmers who, in one summer meet season, receive 10-19 personal best times in any individual event at any BCSSA swim meet will receive a bronze pin.

Swimmers who, in one summer meet season, receive 20-29 personal best times in any individual event at any BCSSA swim meet will receive a silver pin.
 

Swimmers who, in one summer meet season, receive more than 30 personal best times in any individual event at any BCSSA swim meet will receive a gold pin.

Best Times Award - Junior and Senior (PLAQUE)

This award will be given to one junior and one senior swimmer who has the overall cumulative best times in the summer meet season. This award focuses on the time improvement between the first meet attended by a swimmer in the current summer meet season and the final meet of the season. 

The cumulative best times will be calculated in accordance with the following guidance: 

• For each swimmer, coaches will take a swimmer’s official results from each individual event raced at that swimmer’s first meet of the season; 

• For each swimmer, coaches will record how much time, over that summer meet season, the swimmer has improved in each individual event; 

• For each swimmer, coaches will add the improvement for each individual event to produce the cumulative best time, calculated to the nearest 1/100 of a second. 

Recipient to be determined by the coaching staff in accordance with the above guidelines. 

Example for Best Times Awards:

Swimmer of the Year (TROPHY)

Each summer meet season four swimmer of the year awards will be issued - junior girls, junior boys, senior girls, and senior boys. 

The swimmer of the year awards will be given to the swimmer in each category who receives the highest cumulative score considering each of the following criteria: 

• Positive and respectful attitude towards swimmers, coaches, officials, and others (/15)

• Coachability, including a willingness and ability to seek, be receptive to, and act on constructive feedback to drive their development and improve performance, as reflected in the swimmer’s stroke improvement and meet results over the summer swim season (/15)

• Dedication, including a strong attendance record, effort, and perseverance ( /15)

• Sportsmanlike conduct, including consideration of others, encouraging teammates, and supporting competitors (/15)

• Leadership and citizenship, including acting as a role model for other swimmers, demonstrating inclusive attitude towards other swimmers, helpful and consideration of others (/15); 

• Spirit, including cheering on teammates and acting as an ambassador for the Orcas (/15)

• Swimming performance, including meet results and time improvements (/10)

Recipients are to be determined by the coaching staff who are required to assign candidates weighted scores with an overall total possible score of 100 (6x15 +10=100) and submit the weighted scores for the top 3 swimmers in each category to the Awards Committee for review.

Top Achievers (TROPHY)

Each summer meet season four top achiever awards will be issued - junior girls, junior boys, senior girls, and senior boys.

The top achiever awards will be given to the swimmer in each category who receives the most individual points from all meets in a given summer meet season.

The individual points will be calculated in accordance with the following guidance: 

• Points earned by each swimmer are based on their results in the finals for all BCSSA swim meets attended during the summer meet season; 

• Coaches will take the points directly from the Hytek results file for each meet; and

• If there is no point system established for a given BCSSA meet, the Hytek Meet Manager Standard point system will apply. 

Recipient to be determined by the coaching staff in accordance with the above guidelines and using the Orcas’s Team Manager software program.

David Angus Responsibility Award (ORCA CARVING - TROPHY)

The David Angus Responsibility Award is presented to the swimmer who is the epitome of responsibility, accountability, and reliability within the Oak Bay Orcas. This award recognizes that true leadership and athletic success begin with personal dependability. The recipient of this award will demonstrate throughout the summer swim season a deep-rooted sense of responsibility, including by example:

• taking ownership of their own actions and personal training goals without requiring constant reminders or external motivation;

• having exemplary attendance and arriving not only on time but prepared for practice with the right equipment, mental focus, and readiness to work;

• not only acts in a manner that they are responsible for themselves but actively seeks to lighten the load for coaches and teammates by independently stepping up to help with tasks such as equipment setup and other similar tasks; and

• acts as a trusted mentor to younger swimmers, consistently demonstrating through their daily habits that doing the right thing—even when no one is watching—is the mark of a true team player.
  
  

Ultimately, the recipient of this award holds themselves to the highest standard of responsibility and in doing so, they create a culture of trust and reliability that elevates the club as a whole.