Squad Critera
Any squad moves will be determined by the coaches when we think your child is ready to be moved. Parents and swimmers must be fully aware of squad criteria and if unable to comply with all aspects of the criteria then they won’t be able to progress.
The swimmers are continually monitored as to their overall performance attendance and attitude towards training, if this falls below the expectations of the coaching staff they will be moved to a squad more appropriate to their ability, commitment to the training and competitive programme. These movements are not done as punishments, but to have swimmers with the same standards in performance and attendance within the same group and to allow the progression of swimmers that will more benefit from that offer. Squad criteria are in place as a guide, movement is not guaranteed and the final decision will come down to the professional judgment of the coaching team. The coaching team also reserves the right to move swimmers outside of squad criteria based on their professional judgment.
Becoming a successful swimmer is a long-term process; there has never been a 10-year-old Olympic swimming champion. As a club and as a coaching team we are dedicated to long-term athlete development.
Progression within the Club
For swimmers to fulfill their potential, it is important that they acquire good skills before progressing through the club. Swimmers’ skill level, session attendance, behavior and competition attendance will be continually monitored and assessed by the coaching team. There may be a few moves during the season between squads but these will only be for those swimmers who the coaches consider ready to move (based on skill levels, performance and attendance in training, competitions and behavior).
Squad Criteria
Each swimmer must arrive on time with a drinks bottle (10 minutes early)
Listen when the coach is speaking.
Good attendance and showing commitment to the training program.
Racing regularly (acception of Proficiency Squad)
Respectful to other swimmers and coaches.
Swimmer has all the kit and training aids. (If unsure please ask)
Invests in pre and post pool with enthusiasm.
Exams (GCSE, AS and A Levels)
Swimmers entering an important period of examinations, or face other circumstances that dictate that their training commitments cannot be met should discuss their plans with the Head Coach or Lead Coach.
Skills Squad 1:
Squad Description
To understand swimming as a competitive sport and to build aquatic fitness. To increase skill level and continue on the pathway of learning to swim, alongside and incorporating the competitive rules according to World Aquatics, learning the technical elements such as race starts, turns and finishes.
Entry requirements:
- Must have a strong Front Crawl and Backstroke kick in streamline
- Able to do Breaststroke to a good level
- Able to do Butterfly to a good level
- Can swim 100m continuously
- Most of these should fall in line with a strong wave 6 swimmer.
Squad Expectations:
- Racing whenever the opportunities present
- On time for all sessions (10 minutes early)
- Swimmer has all the kit and training aids
- Willing to listen and learn
Move considerations/Squad goals:
- Showing signs of increasing fitness
- Able to do ALL correct turns, legally (according to World Aquatics rules)
- Diving from starting blocks
- Good attendance to the program and keen to progress upwards in the Club; showing aspiration
- Strong Front Crawl and Backstroke kick
Skills Squad 2:
Squad Description: A squad to support the longevity of swimming and support the development of those late out of LTS programmes that enjoy swimming and wish to progress further.
Squad Objective: Understand the demands of swimming as a sporting activity and build fitness. To enjoy swimming and learn to use it as a fitness skill.
Entry requirements:
Must have a strong Front Crawl and Backstroke kick in streamline
- Able to do Breaststroke to a good level
- Able to do Butterfly to a good level
- Can swim 100m continuously
- Most of these should fall in line with a strong wave 6 swimmer.
Squad Expectations:
- On time for all sessions (10 minutes early)
- Swimmer has all the kit and training aids
- Willing to listen and learn
Squad goals:
- Showing signs of increasing fitness
- Diving from starting blocks
- Good attendance to the program and keen to progress upwards in the club
- Strong Front Crawl and Backstroke kick
- Feel confident and comfortable in the water
Move Consideration/Squad Goals: Good fitness development – showing strong endurance potential
- Committed to improving and aspiring to advance
- Racing and being competitive
- Good attendance and showing commitment to the training program to be adequately prepared when moving up
- Respectful
Skills Squad 3:
Squad Description:
To progress swimmers in racing, and to build fitness towards their ability to train and understand the demands of the sport
Squad Objective:
To learn the key training components; using the clock for intervals, understanding drills and skill points, understanding how to interpret and complete a set, understanding lane etiquette and building speed for race-specific targets. Ensuring that all strokes and skill points are correct according to the World Aquatics standards.
Entry requirements:
- A suitable level of fitness and ability to sustain skills to the level of the coaches’ description (2-3 underwater kicks off every wall)
- Can swim multiple 100m reps back-to-back
- Confident in a racing environment and competent on all turns
- Diving from blocks confidently
Squad Expectations:
- Racing whenever the opportunities present
- On time for all sessions (10 minutes early)
- Swimmer has all the kit and training aids
- Willing to listen and learn
Move considerations/Squad goals:
- Good fitness development – showing strong endurance potential
- Committed to improving and aspiring to advance
- Racing and being competitive
- Good attendance and showing commitment to the training program to be adequately prepared when moving up
- Respectful
Proficiency Squad 1 & 2:
Squad Description:
Swimmers should be competent with their competitive skills and enjoy the journey and process.
Squad Objective:
The focus being on enjoying the journey and engaging in an atmosphere much more heavily led by the young person, leading the conversation around their goals and understanding the transparency of what is required of themselves to engage in positive performance around other ambitions. These maturing, young adults are to take responsibility and ownership over their swimming.
Squad Expectations:
- Racing regularly is not essential
- Effective and honest communication with coaching team, regularly updating on any changes/movements in timetables and commitments that may be coming up and foreseeing issues
- On time for all sessions to be able to effectively execute the pre-pool routine in order to be well prepared for the training session ahead
- Swimmer has all the kit and training aids
- Willing to listen and learn; keen to develop and progress – competitive mindset
- Invests in pre and post pool with vigor and key understanding of the benefits
- Athletically sound; good mover on land, excellent coordination skills, mobile with a good range of movement
- Respect for team-mates and coaches. Understanding that there is ambition within the group and to celebrate performances in training and racing working towards achieving individual goals.
Competitive Squad 1,2 & 3
Squad Description:
An environment created to support the most ambitious of young people to begin to fulfill their potential.
Squad Objective:
To begin understanding the performance environment. Swimmers exhibiting performance behaviors, principally dedication and commitment to the training program with a keen focus towards progression and excellence.
Squad Expectations:
- Racing regularly and present at all National Championship meets and ambitions of British Summer Championship qualification
- On time for all sessions to be able to effectively execute the pre-pool routine in order to be well prepared for the training session ahead
- Swimmer has all the kit and training aids
- Keen to explore new ideas for growth in the pursuit of excellence and an approach driven by improvement. Coachable
- Great support network of Family and Friends
- Able to distinguish short- and long-term gain; not chasing instant gratification at the risk of compromising long term development and success
- Clear direction and working towards clear goals and objectives
- Invests in pre and post pool with enthusiasm A
- Athletically sound; good mover on land, excellent coordination skills, mobile with a good range of movement
- Excellent commitment to the training programme – 80% minimum attendance to all training
- Understands the process and requirements of meeting goals and ambitions within the sport and prepared to give what is essential in meeting those
- Prepared to invest and support others in their journeys and to remain positive surrounding their development
- Great team-mate. Supportive and understanding of the importance of team support and the greater value of succeeding together
All moves in and out of the squad are at the discretion of the Squad Coach and Head Coach with the consideration of the individual at the forefront of the decision
Pushy Parents – Please don’t be that pushy parent!!
Children in all sports develop and improve at different speeds. They hit long plateaus where they don’t improve and then all of a sudden they improve rapidly…with what looks like no rhyme or reason. The classic example is the big kid at school. A child suddenly grows (a lot) and dominates on the rugby field, for example. They’re faster, stronger and heavier than the other kids. They run though them…the problem here though is that it’s too easy. They don’t put the time in to learn and perfect vital skills because they don’t need to. Over time all the other kids grow just as big and strong and fast and the child prodigy is left behind and often then put off the sport, as for the first time they find it quite difficult and no longer have the same degree of success.
Time and time again I see parents hassling coaches to put their child up into the next group or squad. ‘’….all their friends have moved up and my daughter/son hasn’t…it’s not fair…they’re good enough to move…’’. We want the best for your child, the same as you, and we hope you trust our judgement to move them when we fell the time is right.
The problem with promoting a child too early (in swimming particularly) is the following. If they haven’t mastered all of the strokes or a particular stroke, as they go up through the squads/levels they won’t get the time or attention to improve the stroke later on. If your child has a problem with a particular stroke and they’re promoted too early they may never swim that stroke correctly. Where you think you’re helping your child, your actions are actually having the opposite effect.
The other issue is that all children progress at their own speed. At 13-14 years old you might be hopless at a particular stroke but the slightest adjustment to the stroke and you could be swimming much faster and smoother. While they might have success in backstroke, from around the age of 10 they might never got any better and it becomes one of their worst strokes. The fact is that your child doesn’t need to be the best swimmer at the club to become the best swimmer at the club. Nor do they need to be in the best squad. What they need is to develop at their own pace and ensure that technically they’re good enough to move up the ladder. Progress to the next squad isn’t necessarily down to speed (they might simply be quick because they’re stronger than everyone else). Technique is fair more important.
ARE YOU MAKING THE BEST DECISIONS FOR YOUR CHILDREN?
If you find yourself a little angry or upset. Frustrated at your swimming club / sports club’s decision not to pick or promote you or your child, here are some questions you might want to ask yourself, or some actions you might want to take.
1. This isn’t an easy question to ask but you have to…and be brutally honest. Is part of your frustration at your child’s non-selection or position in a team down to your own ego? Are you angry that other children of the same age are moving up whilst your child has not.
2. Has your child simply hit a bit of a plateau and is this the reason they’re not improving…Are they in the middle of a growth spurt and perhaps they’re tired. Or simply playing too many sports…
3. Are you putting too much pressure on your child? Are the goals they have their own or yours?
4. Do they lack motivation or are they distracted? In which case it might be an idea to ease off the training and allow them to start to enjoy swimming again.
5. If you’re not happy with your child’s progress perhaps you should have an open and honest chat with the coach. Find out what your child has to do to continue to progress.
6. If you seriously think your child is being held back by a bad coach or bias of some kind then look at the cold hard facts. Is it because the squads ahead of them are overpopulated? Is there an issue at the club ie. a lack of boys or girls that progress. Are other parents in the same boat? Is there actually a problem or do you simply want there to be one as it’s suits your situation?
7. Could your child’s lack of motivation be overcome by a side-ways move. Perhaps taking up waterpolo, open water swimming, surf lifesaving might ignite their interest.