Club Swimming

The club promotes the policy that where space is available each child will have the opportunity to learn to swim. We will provide water time and training sessions to suit a wide range of members needs. To ensure that members who only attend infrequently and are not of a competitive nature, who enjoy swimming as part of a healthy life style a club swimming sessions has been introduced.

Training will be designed to promote a healthy life, but will incorporate competitive awareness and skills elements.

Entry into this group is open and there are no criteria for progression into the training squads, although any swimmer showing commitment and good skills awareness may be asked to joint one of the training squads. A trial period would need to be undertaken, after which a decision will be made by the squad coach.

Development  Squad

This Development group is the link group between the FUNdamental stage (swimming lessons) and training it forms the backbone of skills development needed to achieve a higher level.

The aim of the squad is to achieve a level of skill, which is transferable and will enable swimmers to progress into a competitive training group.

Swimmers in this squad will have to show commitment and meet the following criteria:-

• Have achieved NTPS level 8

• Perform the four strokes showing effective technique on butterfly 
• Perform a forward and backward roll in the tuck position.
• To be able to push and glide in the prone and supine position for 5m
• Dive in deep water from starting blocks or poolside
• An understanding of pool safety
• Attend the recommended number of training sessions
• Age acceptance is 8 years plus

This group represents the clubs intermediate development squad and swimmers will work in a training environment aimed at developing basic technical skills as well as introduction to competition in the following competitions: -

• Graded meets
• Club gala’s

The aim of the squad is to achieve a level of performance which will enable them to progress to the next level.

Swimmers in this squad will have to show commitment and meet the following criteria: -

• To have achieved a standard of training acceptable in this squad.

• To show determination and commitment during training sessions
• Attend the recommended number of training sessions
• Commitment to club gala’s and swim meets
• Age acceptance is 9 years plus

This group represents the clubs top development squad and will train to compete in the following competitions: -

• Open meets.
• North Midlands.
• County Championships

The aim of the squad is to achieve a level of performance, which will enable them to compete in the above events.

Swimmers in this squad will have to show commitment and meet the following criteria: -

• To have achieved a standard of training acceptable in this squad.

• To show determination and commitment during training sessions
• Attend the recommended number of training sessions
• Commitment to club gala’s and swim meets
• Age acceptance is 11 years plus

As swimmers move through the group the training objectives is to progressively extend the volume of training whilst maintaining efficient and effective swimming technique over greater loads. Prepare the swimmers with the relevant skills to enable them to achieve inclusion into the performance squad.

Performance Squad

When swimmers reach this level they will be introduced to extended and varied types of personalised training sets targeting their strengths. Swimmers at this level should be predominantly training for their best events at their best distances whilst still keeping a balance between all 4 competitive strokes.

Swimmer will be exposed to the following strategies which underpin Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD.)

• Develop and maintain excellent stroke technique on all four competitive strokes whilst working under pressure.
• Develop more complex stroke drill progression on all four competitive strokes.
• Practise repeat 200m swim sets on both drill and full stroke.
• Perfect the art of starts, turns and finishes on the four competitive strokes and IM turns.
• Monitor their own training sets by taking their heart rate.
• Perfect their swimming with a balanced training programme that includes varied pace swims, build up/ descending sets and so on, basic swimming speed, negative splits and over distance swims.
• Take on an increase in training distance to improve endurance.
• Understand the more advanced laws of the sport.
• Understand and develop race strategies.
• Attend club time trials, the Club Sprints and the Club Championships
• Make themselves available for team galas and attend open meets (Deva, National Swimming league, North Midlands & Cheshire County Championships, North West Region).
• Set short and long term goals.
• Have exposure to 50m pool training
• Build core strength and flexibility through land training.

Training in the Performance squad is an opportunity for a limited number of highly motivated swimmers to train with likeminded people under the direct guidance of the Head Coach. Swimmers in this squad will have access to additional training time, advanced training techniques and the opportunity to be selected to train with the South Cheshire Aquatics Performance Squad (SCAPS).

Membership criteria.

The criteria for selection to train in the Performance squad are details below.

• Attendance: Regular attendance is crucial for maintaining fitness and progress. Swimmers in the Performance squad should endeavour to attend all the available sessions but must attend 2 out of the 3 main sessions (Tuesday, Wednesday & Sunday). Attendance on a Friday will include Land Training. Swimmers must be on poolside ready to train before the start time. An attendance register will be taken.
• Commitment: Commitment is fundamental to being in this squad; it will determine your desire to want to succeed. Swimmers in the Performance squad must make themselves available to represent the Club in all rounds of both the National Swimming League and the Deva League.
•  Competitive Goals: Competitive goals will set the agenda from which your training will be planned. Swimmers in the Performance squad will be expected to develop, with the assistance of the Head Coach, both short term and long term goals.
•  Performance: Swimmers in the Performance squad should be making the qualification time for Level 2 galas (e.g. the County Championship) for a number of events. They should be making or striding for North West Region and National qualification times.
•  Attitude: Swimmers in the Performance squad will:
  • be expected to challenge themselves and others through test sets and attendance at Level 2 and Level 1 galas;
  • respect others and work together as a group;
  • be honest with themselves as there are no short cuts to success;
  • always give 100% effort;
  • ake onboard and give feedback.

Swimmers performance against the above criteria will be continuously monitored and will be reviewed every 3 or 4 months by the Head Coach.

To ensure that other swimmers who want to be members of the Performance squad are given the opportunity, swimmers failing to make the grade will be assigned to a more appropriate training group or squad.

Swimmer may themselves elect to move to a more appropriate training group or squad if, for whatever reason, they feel that they can no longer make the criteria.

It is important to note that, if a swimmer has been assigned to or has asked to be assigned to another group or squad, then the opportunity will still exist for that swimmer to rejoin the Performance squad should they subsequently meet all of the criteria and spaces within the squad are available.