Life Membership: Jenny Liessmann (Cameron)

Born in 1957, Jenny was a local swimmer with Cronulla RSL Youth Club’s Swimming Club which raced every Saturday morning at Gunnamatta Bay. In 1968, another swimmer; Gary Power wanted to enter a Cronulla RSL U12 years girls’ team in the growing Sutherland Shire WP competition, known then as ‘Junior Comp’, that played every Friday night also at Gunnamatta Bay and he asked several of the U12 girls to play.

Jenny played in the Junior Comp. until 1972 when as a 14-year-old, she was selected by a young coach; Peter Kerr, to play metropolitan water polo with Cronulla Sutherland WPC. The next summer in 1973, she began playing Ladies 1st grade and continued in that grade for the next 12 years.

During her most competitive playing career, the highest selection possibility was to be selected to play in the NSW Open Women’s team. Jenny earned this honour from 1974-1978, winning gold in Perth in 1975 and silver in Hobart in 1977 at the Australian Championships.

Following this representative period, Jenny continued to play 1st grade with Cronulla until 1985. For the next 28 years, she played L2-L4, winning gold with Cronulla at the 2009 over 45 World Masters Championships, finally hanging up her towel in 2012. She has played over 550 summer grade games for Cronulla Sutherland Water Polo Club.

However, over her playing time, Jenny also was an active coach and administrator at Cronulla, especially as her children, Karl and Jana began playing grade. Jenny coached Cronulla’s very successful U14, U16, U18, Col Smee girls’ teams and took over the coaching duties of our first women’s National League (AWL) squad in 2004 when coach Bruce Falson was unavailable. Jenny then continued with the AWL squads as Manager over several seasons, retiring in 2024. As an official across the decades, Jenny has held the positions of Secretary, Publicity Officer, Social Secretary, Vice-president for Life members association and eventually President.

Jenny has been honoured with Life Member of CSWPC, recognizing her significant contributions over the years.

Outside of CSWPC, Jenny was the Manager of both NSW and Australian Schoolgirls for over a decade and Manager of many WP NSW U16 and U20 Women’s teams. With WP Australia, Jenny was one of two managers of the Aussie Stingers from 2009-2016, travelling to World Leage, World Cup and multiple International Series. Each of these roles involved extensive national and international travel. WPA continues to employ Jenny at each AWL Finals as an official, recognising her experience in the sport.

Some definite highlights of Jenny’s managerial career:

• Cronulla Women winning AWL gold in 2006 and 2012, silver in 2011 and 2022 and bronze in 2016
• Being appointed ‘live in liaison’ for the Greek Men’s WP team at the 1999 World Cup in Sydney, a test event for Sydney 2000, and again as liaison for the Greek men’s team at the Sydney 2000 games, which enabled her to be poolside when the Stingers won gold v USA
• Inclusion in the Aussie Stingers program in the 2008-12 Olympic cycle and lead up to the 2012 London Olympics and then being allocated tickets to spectate all games and the Stinger’s bronze medal match.

Jenny has lots of great memories associated with her life at CSWPC. Most revolve around her younger times where Saturdays were devoted to training games at the bay. She remembers after the serious squad training was finished, players would participate in games of mixed “Pairs” where any play was allowed. Rough and tumble for sure but all in good fun!

Outside of the pool, members were very active socially with fun events like Cricket or Softball Sundays and Picnic Days out at Kurnell, Fancy Dress fundraising events and Club Balls were annual events. Also, travelling in convoys to regional competitions such as the Southgate Inn tournament in Tamworth or to Raymond Terrace Tournament – where Cronulla always won, were great bonding opportunities.

Cronulla Club has always had a great sense of community, and even though some of the competitive nature changes over the years, the club is still known world-wide for the elite level of player it produces as well as the wonderfully warm membership.