This Sunday we had our first field trip to Maroubra beach to watch the nippers. On the way there I got a $100 fine for using a student bus ticket because apparently study abroad students do not qualify for the discount. Needless to say, I was not the happiest person arriving to the beach. However, I had a great day and am very glad that I made it.
The nippers are children ages 5-12 years old who compete in beach patrol activities that include physical competitions such as running in the sand and water. When we were there on Sunday, the older kids were at a competition so only the nippers ages 5-8 were on the beach. The first competition we saw them do was they had to lay on their bellies in the sand and when the whistle blew the hopped up and had to run about fifteen meters and dive for a stick that was sticking out of the ground. The kids were organized by cap colors and they competed in different heats. After this event, the kids had to go down by the water and parents stood in the water to create a path for the children to run. It seemed like all of the children were putting a lot of effort into the activities but it did not seem like they were extremely competitive about it. Because it was only the young kids, there were no winners and it seemed like a laid back and fun environment.
After watching these events, we went into the beach clubhouse and one of the volunteers talked to us about what life is like at the club. I was very surprised to hear that it is all volunteer run but I thought this was really great. He explained to us that there is a very strong sense of community at the club and with the nippers not only are the kids learning safety and become stronger on the beach but the parents are also being educated about how to keep the kids safe. The sense of community was very obvious as I watched the parents cheer on all of the kids and even have fun with other parents. Overall, it was a really great trip and a lot of fun to watch the nippers.
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