BUDE SHARKS SWIMMING CLUB POTTED HISTORY Bude Sharks Swimming Club was originally formed in May 1996 by the then coach Anthony Astley. Anthony was a Teacher at Splash Leisure pool and encouraged many young swimmers to a very high standard of swimming during his lessons which they did not want to stop. They needed that natural progression. Starting a Swimming Club was the only solution. He approached the Centre manager and presented a very good case for having a swimming club. Anthony himself was a National and County swimmer in his youth and being coached regularly by his mother Marion Astley he knew what was required and just how to get the best from the swimmers. At the time the Club was formed there were a number of Teachers to assist Anthony in the smooth running of the Club namely Anne Crowther, Adrian Parsons and Maggie Davies. Marion Astley was elected to be the Club Chairperson and was ideal for the position as she had coached numerous National and County Swimmers in her years of Coaching for a club in the North of England. In 1999 Anthony moved away to attend college in Sussex but the Club by this time was very well established and continued to grow. Marion moved to France in 2000 at this stage our Centre Manager Neil Webber stepped into the role of Chairman, Maggie Davies completed her Club Coach Qualification and was assisted then by Anoushka Salt, Adrian Parsons and Avril Roberts. Since then the Club has gone from strength to strength, growing in numbers and swimmers gaining recognition at County and Western County events also some members have been invited to join larger clubs i.e. Caradon, Bodmin and Truro to enable them to enter Top Class Events in the Speedo League also the Celtic and National Squad. In 2005 the Club was able to enter the Inter County 12 years and under Gala for the first time which was excellent as for the first time in the history of the Club we had enough boys as members to allow the team to be complete. 2006 saw us win the 2nd Division at the above Gala and so we were promoted to the Premier League. We were also presented with the Presidents Cup for outstanding achievement. Throughout 2005 and 2006 we had two Coaches to assist with the running of the Club and who better than Vikki Clacey and Kirstine Davies, who had been through all the lessons at Splash and reached very high standards with the Club at County level, to share their expertise with the younger members. We also had a new Club Chairman Keith Taylor who is also Swimming Development Coordinatior for the centre. Towards the end of 2006 Kirstine bid a fond farewell to the Club to pursue a career in Nursing and Vikki left us in the Summer of 2007 to go to university, however, both she and Kirstine still join us on poolside and at galas when their busy schedules permit. The Clubs numbers are now around 100 members many of the new, younger swimmers reaching qualifying times for the county blocks at both age groups standards and intermediate level. Our Masters section is growing in strength and enthusiasm and we are always keen to welcome new members of all ages and abilities. May BUDE SHARKS SWIMMING CLUB continue to grow and strengthen encouraging more young swimmers and adult masters to come along and join. CLUB CONSTITUTION Our club constitution was revised and voted in at the SGM 20th January 2015 RULES of Swimming Club Click here to read and understand our constitution Swimmers will acknowledge receipt of the rules of Club and confirm their understanding and acceptance that such rules (as amended from time to time) shall govern their membership of the Club. And further acknowledge and accept the responsibilities of membership upon them as set out in these rules. Signing of the ASA Membership Forms is acceptance of the above Constitution. CODE OF ETHICS AND CHILD PROTECTION POLICY Bude Sharks Swimming Club has adopted the Code of Ethics as enclosed in the back of this handbook, the policy is in accordance with the ASA Code of Ethics. We have also adopted the ASA Child Protection Policy. Copies of these can be found in the current ASA Handbook (at Splash Reception) or on the ASA website at www.britishswimming.org or on our own website at www.budesharks.co.uk CLUB MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION The Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) requests a membership payment from each individual Swimmer, Coach, Teacher, and Member of the Club Committee or Parent Helper. The payment is an insurance fee to cover the cost should an individual get hurt or sustain any long term injury as a result of swimming. In order to ensure the ASA can give the correct insurance cover to each swimmer they have introduce certain categories, it was their intension to make it easier for parents and swimmers alike to understand, however in our experience it causes the most confusion. Brief Explanation with reference to each category Category 1: The individual swimmer will be attending swimming club training sessions as a club member and will be invited to enter in Non ASA Regulated home galas or fun galas hosted by other clubs. They will not be eligible to enter ASA County and Open events. Category 2: The individual swimmer will be attending club training sessions as a club member and be eligible to enter County and Open events as and when they arise (published on the notice board). Category 3: This category is for ALL persons who assist at the club in any way at all, i.e. time keeping, attending meetings, assisting at club championships or open meeting. It allows anyone who helps to be covered under the same insurance policy and criteria as the swimmers. The payment changes yearly as with most things and very rarely goes down the payment is very important for all categories especially Category 3, as we rely on parents to assist with the day to day running of the club and encourage them to be club members as security for themselves. Bude Sharks Membership Fee: As a club we have to pay an affiliation fee to each Swimming Association that we may enter events in, the cost of this affiliation increases yearly and it is once again an insurance to ensure an individual can claim should they sustain injuries, it also covers the cost of a club hat (latex) which each member receives once their membership is paid and any incidentals the club needs. The cost for each category including the Bude Sharks Fee is as follows: Category 1: £ 21.00 Category 2: £ 35.00 Category 3: £ 10.00 Multi Claim Membership: £10.00 If you regularly swim at an additional club as well Bude then you must complete a multi club Category 2 form. CLUB RULES All Members:
Parents/Guardians of members (under the age of 18 years)
Important information: All competitions entered by individuals will be firstly agreed by the Club Coach/Assistant Coaches/Competition Secretary and times entered will be signed by the previously mentioned Club Officials. Bude Sharks will yearly hold a Club Championships Competitions ALL members will be expected to take part in as many events as they feel confident to complete. The Club originally gained sponsorship from HBH Woolacotts when they first formed in 1996, in 2004 we were sponsored by Tripos Discovery Research which allowed us to purchase club kit at reduced prices. If you know of any company who would be prepared to offer sponsorship for our club to purchase more kit i.e. fleeces or even a cup or trophy please let one of the officials know. Clubs like ours only can continue to grow by encouraging swimmers and generous offers of sponsorship. BUDE SHARKS SWIMMING CLUB Code of Ethics and Conduct All Persons representing the club (OFFICIALLY OR NOT) must:
SQUAD SELECTION CRITERIA Squad Selection
Attendance
Club Progression
Gala Requests
Team Challenge
VERY Important and relevant information Swim Wear & Equipment There are various designs, styles and manufacturers of competition swim wear, it is important to understand how to purchase swim wear and what to look for the following information gives tips on how to purchase swim wear what is required for training sessions and what the swimmer will require when attending competitions, please ensure you ask and official if there are any elements in this section that you do not understand or requires further clarification.
ASA INFORMATION the Journey through Swimming ong Term Athlete Development related to the Journey through Swimming Produced by the ASA Technical Swimming Committee, this document provides an explanation to help parents and club helpers understand the principles behind training and competition for young swimmers - although swimming, as a dynamic sport, will continue to change and develop, this will not alter the basic principles behind the long term development of young swimmers. Sections The Journey through Swimming Long Term Athlete Development – Growth & Development _ FUNdamentals – Childhood (Basic movement literacy) _ SwimSkills – Late Childhood (Building technique) _ Training To Train - Adolescence (Building the engine) _ Training To Compete - Early Adulthood (Optimising the engine) _ Training To Win - Adulthood (Maximising the engine) Appropriate Competition _ Which Competitions? How Often Should A Swimmer Compete? _ Improving Standards and Increasing Challenges _ Long Course / Short Course Pools? _ Varying Opponents (Age Qualifying Date) _ National Ranking Lists The Competition Programme County Championships _ District/Regional*, Senior, Youth and Age Group Championships _ National Age Group, Youth Championships and Multi-Regional Competitions _ National Championships _ The World Class programme Open Meet Licensing _ Levels of Open Meets _ Championships & Inter Team Events _ Qualifying Times and Upper Limit Times _ Licensing _ Acceptance Criteria for Entries _ Monitoring Planning Points Systems _ What is the points system? _ Comparative Performance Points Systems _ British Comparative Performance Tables (GB points) _ British Age Group Correction factors _ Information Technology Assisting Competition Training Camps British Age Group Categories (Bagcats) _ Table of National District/Regional and County events For more information about swimming visit www.britishswimming.org *Note: In October 2005 the five current ASA Districts will be re-organised into eight ASA Regions based on Sport England Regions. Competition as currently run by the Districts, may then be organised across or combining new Regions – hence the reference in this document to District/Regional competition. Long Term Athlete Development Journey through Swimming Success is Long Term Success is a journey not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome. Arthur Ashe - US Champion 1968, Australian Champion 1970, Wimbledon Champion 1975 The Journey Through Swimming This is a guide from Club through County, District/Regional and National competition to possible selection for international representation. It endeavours to explain, not just what can be expected at each level, but why. Some swimmers will journey all the way, some only part of the way, but all will have the best chance of reaching their full potential if they are treated as individuals. It is important within the competitive programme that individuals can compete in events, appropriate to their stage of development and talents. These are reflected in the different formats for competition at County, District/Regional and National levels, and also in the Levels of Licensed meets. This helps to ensure that the coach can select levels of competition appropriate for their swimmers. Long Term Athlete Development – Growth & Development Long term athlete development (LTAD) is about achieving the correct training, competition and recovery throughout a young athlete’s career, particularly in relation to the important growth and development years of young people. It provides a framework within which all sports should plan their training and competition programmes. Swimming has recognised this framework since undertaking a review of age group swimming at the end of the 1990’s. Age Group swimming is about providing the appropriate opportunities for young people with particular reference to their growth and development. All human beings go through the same developmental stages from childhood to adulthood, though these stages can be at different times and each stage can vary in length. There is also a gender difference in that girls tend to develop earlier than boys. One of the central messages from the LTAD swimming framework is that competition should be regarded as an integral part of a swimmer’s training programme. Age Group and Youth swimming provide opportunities for young people to develop their potential in preparation for senior swimming. Towards this goal, consideration should be given to the physiological, psychological and emotional development of the young swimmer. There are five stages, which can be used to describe growth and development. These equate to the five stages of the LTAD framework for swimming: _ FUNdamentals - Childhood; _ SwimSkills – Late Childhood; _ Training to Train - Adolescence; _ Training to Compete – Early Adulthood; _ Training to Win - Adulthood. FUNdamentals – Childhood (Basic movement literacy) The FUNdamentals stage should be structured and fun because a child’s attention span is short and there is a strong need for positive re-enforcement. Growth is rapid due to the development of large muscle groups, and therefore the emphasis should be on developing basic movement literacy and fundamental movement skills. The skills to be developed are: _ ABCs (Agility, Balance, Coordination, Speed), _ RJT (Running, Jumping, Throwing), _ KGBs (Kinesthetics, Gliding, Buoyancy, Striking with the body) and _ CPKs (Catching, Passing, Kicking, Striking with an implement). In order to develop basic movement literacy successfully, there should be participation in a wide range of activities. As the size of the heart increases in relation to the rest of the body, endurance should be developed using FUN and games. In addition, children should be introduced to the simple rules and ethics of sports to complement the beginning of their understanding into the need for rules and structure. These activities should be part of well-structured programmes with proper progressions that are monitored regularly. Above all else, children should have FUN and be active during this stage. SwimSkills – Late Childhood (Building technique) During the SwimSkills period, the nervous system is almost fully developed and there are rapid improvements in the co-ordination of movement skills. As a result, young people should learn how to train and develop sport specific skills. This is a good time to work on developing excellent technique in all four strokes as well as starts, turns and finishing skills. A multi stroke approach to training and competition will not only reduce the likelihood of injury but also ensure interest levels will remain high with the result that swimming should continue to be fun. Studies have also shown that swimmers who do not develop early may have a slower initial increase in performance, however, they ultimately reach a higher level of achievement and are more likely to have a longer life in the sport. This is in contrast to early specialisation, which may produce an initial rapid increase in performance, but a lower level of achievement and early retirement. It is often a good idea to participate in complementary sports i.e. those sports, which use similar energy systems and movement patterns. Training should include the use of ‘own body weight’ exercises; medicine ball and Swiss ball exercises as well as developing suppleness. Swimmers should also learn the basic technical and tactical skills, (known as the ancillary capacities) which include: _ Warm up and cool down; _ Stretching; _ Hydration and nutrition; _ Recovery; _ Relaxation and focusing. Although the focus is on training, competition should be used to test and refine skills. The recommended training to competition ratio is 75% to 25%. This should be planned over one annual cycle. If a young swimmer misses this stage of development then he/she is unlikely to reach their full potential. One of the main reasons athletes plateau during the later stages of their careers is because of an over emphasis on competition instead of taking full advantage of training during this very important stage. Training To Train - Adolescence (Building the engine) For many years the way that the body produces energy has been known. For adults, in short events e.g. less than 45 seconds in duration, energy is derived predominantly anaerobically. For longer events e.g. greater than 1 minute 30 seconds energy requirements are derived predominantly aerobically. For events between 45 seconds and 1 minute 30 seconds energy is provided through both aerobic and anaerobic metabolism. However, prior to puberty, the greatest proportion of a young person’s energy is derived aerobically. Anaerobic metabolism, as a proportion of overall energy output, is small. After puberty, aerobic capacity increases significantly, and an increased proportion of the overall energy requirements are met from anaerobic metabolism. Therefore, energy derived aerobically is very important in swimming. During the Training to Train stage, there should be an emphasis on aerobic, or endurance, conditioning. The cardio-vascular system, determines the efficiency of the heart and lungs. These organs are developed through building up work on longer distances. Swimming is an endurance sport – most events last 45 seconds or more and none are similar to the 100m track event, which lasts a few seconds. Training and competition for young swimmers should therefore have an endurance base. Even at senior level it is common practice for swimmers in the sprint events (50 and 100m) to train and compete in the distance above (200m). It is recognised that a swimmer may compete successfully at a distance “down” (shorter) but that it is very difficult to compete successfully in an event, which is a distance up (longer). This should be the stage of greater individualisation of fitness and technical training. The focus should still be on training rather than competition and the training should be predominantly of high volume, low intensity workloads. It is important to emphasise high volume, low intensity training cannot be achieved in a limited time period, and thereforeg Term Athlete Development the time commitment to training is likely to increase significantly. As the volume of training increases there is likely to be a reduction in the number of competitions undertaken. However, there should now be specific targets for each competition, with a view to learning basic tactics and mental preparation. There should be either one or two training cycles during the year. During this stage, training should continue to develop suppleness and to include the use of ‘own body weight’ exercises; medicine ball and Swiss ball exercises. However towards the end of this stage, preparations should be made for the development of strength, which for girls occurs at the end of this stage and for boys at the beginning of the next stage. This should include learning correct weight lifting techniques without any resistance; the knowledge base of how to warm up and warm down; how and when to stretch; how to optimise nutrition and hydration; mental preparation; regeneration; how and when to taper and peak; pre-competition, competition and post competition routines. Similar to the previous stage, if insufficient time is devoted to this stage or it is missed, the young swimmer is unlikely to reach their full potential. Training To Compete - Early Adulthood (Optimising the engine) During the training to compete stage there should be a continued emphasis on physical conditioning with the focus on maintaining high volume workloads but with increasing intensity. The number of competitions should be similar to the end of the previous stage but the emphasis should be on developing individual strengths and working on weaknesses. This should be achieved through practising technical and tactical skills based around specific strokes at all distances, or specific distances across a range of strokes. As a result, the year should be divided into either two or three cycles of training and competition, and the ancillary capacities should be refined more specific to the individual’s needs. Although the muscular system develops throughout childhood and adolescence, significant strength gains tend not to respond to training until after puberty. Therefore, training should also focus on developing strength gains through the use of weights, but only when the correct lifting techniques have been learned. This should be coupled with continued work on core body strength and maintaining suppleness. Training To Win - Adulthood (Maximising the engine) This is the final stage of athletic preparation. The emphasis should be on specialisation and performance enhancement. All of the swimmers’ physical, technical, tactical, mental, and ancillary capacities should now be fully established with the focus shifting to producing the best possible performance. Swimmers should be trained to peak for specific competitions and major events. Therefore, all aspects of training should be individualised for specific events. There should be two, three or more training cycles, depending on the events being trained for. During this stage, training should continue to develop strength, develop core body strength and maintain suppleness. Appropriate Competition Mission Statement Every swimmer must have the opportunity to swim in appropriate, quality competition to enable them to achieve their true potential. Which Competitions? It is important for meet organisers, club officials, coaches and parents to appreciate that not all swimmers who compete at County level will reach District/Regional or National levels. What is appropriate competition for a few talented individuals at national level is not necessarily appropriate for the hundreds of swimmers who compete at County level. Equally it may not be beneficial for a swimmer competing with distinction at national level, to include County or even District/Regional Championships in their planned programme. In order for swimmers to compete in “appropriate competition” it is important there is provision for all swimmers in a planned and accessible programme of open competition. Open competitions are provided by a number of different organisations or combinations of organisations: _ British Swimming and ASA; _ The ASA Districts / Regions; _ Groups of Counties; _ Counties; _ Clubs; _ Groups of Clubs; _ Local Associations. The strategy for the approval of open meets is not left to market forces, but is part of a calendar planning exercise for all levels. The aim is to provide the following: _ Competition at all levels It is important there are qualification opportunities for swimmers at National, District/Regional and County and Club levels and events offered in these competitions reflect the principles of the Long Term Athlete Development Model. In addition there must be competitive opportunities for those swimmers who compete at County Championships, but do not go further to District/Regional and National events. It is estimated that there are some 20-25,000 swimmers in this category. _ Competition that complements training cycles It is acknowledged that, as swimming training is based around cyclic intervals, it is important for competitions to be planned throughout the year to complement training cycles. Most clubs will be training swimmers who are County, District/Regional and National qualifiers and need to be able to target competitions at all these levels at the same time in their training cycle. So, for example, it helps a coach to make their training sessions appropriate for all their swimmers, to have competitions for County level swimmers at the same time as District/Regional Championships. Katy Sexton and James Gibson World Champions, Barcelona 2003 David Davies and Steve Parry Olympic Bronze Medallists, Athens 2004 achieved in a short course (25m) pool will have their entries accepted and these entries will be seeded in the slowest heats. This system still allows swimmers to qualify for National events from 25m pools, but gives an advantage of being seeded to those swimmers with long course qualifying times. As all swimmers at National level should have had the opportunity to swim in their District/Regional Championships, which are in 50m pools, they will have the opportunity to achieve a Long Course Qualifying Time. Below National level, times from different pool lengths can be converted using equivalent performance tables which can be accessed online from the British Swimming website (www.britishswimming.org) or purchased in book form from the ASA Awards Centre – details also available from the same website. Varying Opponents (Age Qualifying Date) There was a view that competing in Britain was too predictable and swimmers needed more challenges. The system of organising competitions in the country with age as of 31st December in the year of competition meant swimmers generally competed against the same group of swimmers all year, each year. By altering competition to link the age for events with the date of the meet or series of meets, this gives a different mix of swimmers at events as they change age during the year and as meets are held on different dates from year to year. For competitions which involve a series of meets, such as County Championships, the age qualifying date is the age on the last day of the series of meets, e.g. if the series lasts from February to April with the date of the last meet being 3rd April, all ages are calculated as of 3rd April for that competition. Organising competitions with Age on the Day also gives the opportunity at some time during the year for a swimmer to be the oldest swimmer in an age group, with all the advantages that this brings. National Ranking Lists All times from County District/Regional and National competitions together with those from Licensed Open Meets are included in a national database from which ranking lists are produced. These can be viewed on the British Swimming website. The Competition Programme The conclusions which can be drawn from the evidence of the growth and development of young people, clearly indicate that swimmers in the 9 –13 /14 age groups should be encouraged: _ To compete in a range of events; _ To compete in a range of distances _ Not to compete in 100m events too soon. Long Term Athlete Development How Often Should A Swimmer Compete? British Age Group swimmers compete too often and train too little. Bill Sweetenham, GB National Performance Director (January 2001) As a general rule, swimmers should not compete more than 12 times in a year in events which require them to alter or modify their training programme, and all events that include a taper or rest from training should have clear performance targets set by the coach for the individual swimmer. Many swimmers will “train through” some competitions or use them as part of their training programme. A swimmer may complete a full training programme and represent their club in an event on a Saturday evening, or may use a day’s competing in as many events as possible at County or District/Regional level to swim as part of their training programme. The important issue is that this should be part of the competitive programme planned and evaluated by the coach and swimmer. Improving Standards and Increasing Challenges In order to ensure swimmers can meet the challenges facing them when they compete at their highest level, some of the policies which have been introduced at GB level for senior and junior international swimming have been adapted and adopted into the foundations laid in Age Group swimming. Two major issues were seen to be: _ How to encourage better performances in Long Course (50m) pools; _ How to perform well away from the home environment against unknown opposition. Long Course / Short Course Pools? Whilst the vast majority of pools in the UK are Short Course (25m), and most of the major championships are swum in Long Course (50m) pools, it is important for swimmers to learn to compete in 50m pools. For the British Long Course Championships, qualifying times must have been achieved in a long course pool. However, with the restriction created by the lack of 50m facilities in this country, this cannot apply to all competitions. Therefore, in all ASA National events there are two sets of qualifying times - 50m times and 25m times. Swimmers entering an event with a long course (50m) qualifying time will be seeded in the event according to their entry time in the usual way. Swimmers entering with a qualifying time The County, District/Regional and National programmes are therefore designed to reward swimmers in this age group who are successful over a range of events - a combination, determined by the age of the swimmer, of 50m, 100m, 200m distance freestyle and the individual medley. This is done with a points system (see section on Points Systems) and awards are made to those swimmers with the most points over an agreed range of events rather than to the individual winner of single events. The event categories and in some cases the events included within a category recognise the different rates of maturation between girls and boys. (see British Age Group categories - BAGCATS) In the next group, Youth, it is important swimmers learn to develop other skills central to competing successfully. At this age they should begin to specialise and learn the skills required for competing in heats, semi-finals and finals. The starting ages for County, District/Regional and National events are progressive and the change from Age to Youth Championships is different for boys and girls to recognise the difference in maturation rates. The Youth Championships for Girls begin at 14 years and for Boys at 15 years. County Championships These events take place in the Spring. The Age and Youth Championships generally combine with Senior events in the programme. The Youth events will include heats and, where time allows, finals. If finals are included in the programme, the suggested order of preference of inclusion is as follows: 200m Individual Medley, 200m form strokes (Backstroke, Breaststroke and Butterfly), 200/400m Freestyle and 400m Individual Medley, 100m all strokes. Entry to most County Championships and to District/Regional and National Championships is by achieving qualifying times, which are published each year. (See Long Course and Short Course pools). For the younger swimmers these will take the format of British Age Group Category (BAGCAT) events to encourage swimmers to compete over a wide range of events, determined by heat declared winners (no finals). These events are (mostly) swum in 25m pools and include 50m events to give swimmers the opportunity to use all the same skills of starting, turning and finishing as in a 2 length swim in a 50m pool, together with distance events requiring more endurance. The youngest age groups will not swim 100m events as part of the County BAGCAT programme, as most swimmers at this level do not have the physiological development required to swim this event correctly. The distance is included in the District/Regional and National programme but only for those swimmers with District/Regional or National qualifying times on the corresponding 200m event. District/Regional Senior, Youth and Age Group Championships These are all swum in 50m pools and therefore offer the main opportunity for swimmers to achieve a Long Course National Qualifying Time. The programme, similar to the National programme, is divided into two Championships, Youth and Age. The Youth Championships take place at the beginning of May and the Age Championships in June. The Youth Championships introduces dual age bands as a progression from age group swimming in single age bands, to open swimming at senior level. The relay events are included in the four-day programmes to introduce the concept that swimmers must be able to produce good times in individual events and then reproduce these times in team events, which may be in the same session. The Age Group Championships follow the BAGCAT format, but to discourage the “bash & dash” approach of one length events, do not include 50m swims. As District/Regional competitions are in long course pools the 50m events have no turns, and do not offer the same opportunity to develop skills as the 50m events in 25m pools. However, there are 100m events for all ages. These are included for the younger swimmers at this level, to provide an opportunity for the small number of early developers, who have the talent and physiological development to begin to experience competing at this event. Entry at District/Regional (and National) level for the 100m events for the 10 year old boys and girls and the 11 years boys age group is only open to those youngsters who have achieved the corresponding 200m qualifying time. This recognises the majority of swimmers in these ages will not benefit from competing over 100m, but those who have the ability to achieve a District/Regional or National qualifying time on the 200m will be able to swim down a distance and experience competing in the shorter event. There are only 4 Categories at District/Regional level and so it is feasible to include some finals in the programme. If Finals are to be in the programme, the suggested order of preference for inclusion is as follows: 200m Individual Medley, 200m form strokes, 200 / 400m Freestyle and 400m Individual Medley, the 100m all strokes. National Age Group, Youth Championships and Multi-Regional Competitions The National Age Group Championships (girls 11-13 years and boys 11-14 years) are usually held at the end of July / beginning of August, and the National Youth Championships (girls 14 - 17 years and boys 15-18 years) follow straight on from these. The last opportunity to achieve qualifying times for National entry will be the date of the last day of the District/Regional Age Championships (mid June). (See Long Course / Short Course Pools) The Youth Championships include a full programme with a 3-race progression of heat, Age final and Youth final, which simulates the 3-race progression of heats, semi-finals and finals in major competition.through Swimming The Age Championships follow the format of British Age Group Category (BAGCAT) events with the BAGCAT points being taken from the heat swims. At this level, all events have finals (except 800/1500 free),and are used for the selection of swimmers for the World Class programmes. This addresses the skill of swimming fast heats and then even faster finals. It is practical to include finals in the BAGCAT programme at National level because, with harder qualifying times than for County and District/Regional events, an individual swimmer will qualify in fewer events in each category. This allows them, within the 4-day programme, to cope with the inclusion of finals, and relay events. From 2006, there will also be three multi-regional events, one in the North, one in the Midlands and one in the South. These will be for three age groups - Girls aged 13 & under, 14/15 and 16/17 years and Boys aged 14 & under, 15/16 and 17/18 years, who have not achieved any National qualifying time for either the Age or Youth Championships. These meets will take place on the weekend before the Age Championships and will all have the same qualifying times. This provides an extension of the competitive year for those swimmers who just miss National qualifying times. National Championships British Swimming promotes the British Long Course Championships. These act as trials for the major international events (Olympic Games, World Championships, European Championships, Commonwealth Games). Also, they act as trials for the major international youth and junior events (European Junior Championships and European Youth Olympic Days) at which British Teams compete. The British Long Course Championships normally take place 15 weeks prior to the major international event. They are followed by three competitions at 10 weeks, 7 weeks and 4 weeks out from the major international event. British Swimming also promotes the British Short Course Championships, which act as trials for the major international short course events (World Short Course Championships and European Short Course Championships). The British Short Course Championships are normally held 2/3 weeks after the major international long course event for that year. Therefore, there may be minor changes to the competition calendar year by year. The World Class Programmes The World Class programmes provide training camps, and for the older swimmers, competition opportunities for the top swimmers in Great Britain. The programmes relevant to age group swimmers are the National Age Group Programme (formerly World Class Start) and the World Class Youth Programme. The National Age Group Programme is for girls 11, 12 & 13 years and boys 11, 12, 13 & 14 years. It is selected from performances at the National Age Group Championships. The World Class Youth squad is for girls 14, 15, 16 & 17 years and boys 15, 16, 17 & 18 years. This squad is selected from the GB Long Course Championships, the European Junior Championships and the National Youth Championships. All the Squads are selected against a set of published criteria and the ages are based on the swimmer’s age on the last day of either the National Age Group Championships or the National Youth Championships as appropriate. Each squad has a programme of training camps and some of the older swimmers will also take part in representative competitions. From 2004, a National Talent Identification & Tracking Programme, Smart-Track will be introduced to identify and fast-track talented swimmers through the World Class Programmes. The full details of all these programmes are on the British swimming website www.britishswimming.org Long Term Athlete Development Open Meet Licensing Levels of Open Meets There are four tiers of structured competition. Open Meets are licensed according to the purpose of their competition as Level 1, 2, 3 or 4. _ Level 1 is aimed at National qualifiers and swimmers close to National qualification looking for opportunities to achieve National qualifying times. These meets will have qualifying times for entry, which will be just below the national times (see Section on Qualifying Times and Upper Limit Times). _ Level 2 is aimed at District/Regional qualifiers and swimmers close to District/Regional qualification. They have qualifying times and upper limit times. Access to the ASA ranking information can be used to enable meet organisers to verify entry times submitted by swimmers who fall within the stated range. _ Level 3 is for Club swimmers who seek County qualifying times. They have qualifying times and upper limit times set at an appropriate level. These meets will provide a programme throughout the year to support the requirements of swimmers below District/Regional level. _ Level 4 is for Club swimmers and those beginning to enter individual open competition. National qualifying times will be accepted from meets licensed at Levels 1 and 2. District/Regional qualifying times will be accepted from meets licensed at Level 1, 2 and 3. Championships & Inter Team Events Championships at Local, County, District/Regional and National level (as defined in ASA Law) are expected to conform to the technical requirements of licensing as appropriate to the Level of competition (e.g. officials, results, electronic timing etc). However, these competitions are open to all qualifiers i.e. there are no Upper Limit Times. This principle is the same for any inter-team events that are granted a Licence (e.g. Inter-Counties galas or Speedo League Final). Qualifying Times and Upper Limit Times These are times set by meet organisers for each event in the programme in order to control the number of entries in a meet. A Qualifying Time is the time that a swimmer must have already achieved in order to enter the competition. However, some meets will also have an Upper Limit Time (ULT) for each event, which means that swimmers who have previously achieved times faster than the ULT are not eligible for this event. The effect of having Qualifying Times and Upper Limit times for a meet is to target swimmers in a particular time range. Qualifying Times are set for National, District/Regional and most County competitions and these also provide a standard which coaches can use to indicate the level of their swimmers. For example, within a club, swimmers may be selected for particular training groups if they have County, District/Regional or National qualifying times. The requirement of having achieved a Qualifying Time in order to enter for an event relies significantly on the integrity of coaches, swimmers and parents to submit correct, truthful information. This is a clear expectation within the ASA Code of Conduct. However, with more times being submitted into the National Ranking system it is also possible for times to be checked for accuracy. Licensing The National Licensing Panel, is responsible for: _ Ensuring compliance with the “Mission Statement”; _ Issuing the licenses; _ Applying of any sanctions for non-compliance; _ Developing Common Standards; _ Promoting Best Practice. The District/Regional Licensing Panel is responsible for: _ Influencing the content of meets within their District/Regional; _ Monitoring and influencing the provision of adequate, appropriate competition for all levels of ability; _ Influencing compliance with Calendar Planning; _ Making recommendations, regarding Licensing Applications, to the National Licensing Panel; _ Monitoring the Process (Quality Control). The issue of a license means that swimmers, coaches and parents can assume that the meet is a “quality competition” which complies with a standard set of requirements. _ The Level definition will identify the purpose of competition, for example, a swimmer seeking District/Regional qualifying times will be looking for a Level 2 meet; _ The competition will include an appropriate schedule of events, consistent with level definition, for example a Level 2 meet will not include in an age group, events that are not in the District/Regional Championships for those swimmers; _ The venue is appropriate, with particular reference to the pool length (25m or 50m); _ There will be appropriate warm up arrangements available and all Health and Safety Procedures will be in place; _ The meet will comply with a maximum total length of programmed competition per day. (7.5 hours); _ The Officials will be of an appropriate standard of qualification;hrough Swimming _ An Electronic Timing system will be used; _ There will be a computerised results service to enable the data to go into the national ranking system. Acceptance Criteria for Entries There will also be a requirement for a clear statement to be included in the meet information regarding the acceptance criteria for entries. Even with qualifying and upper limit times, some meets will be over-subscribed i.e. there would be too many swimmers for the pool time available. All meets should, therefore, inform entrants what criteria will be used to control the number of swimmers accepted. This could include one or more of the following: _ Top (x) number taken in an event, based on the submitted entry times. This is a standard procedure for regulating the number of swimmers in an event, even if some of the other options below are adopted. _ Entries only open to swimmers from a restricted area (eg County, group of Counties, District/Regional) _ First acceptances to swimmers from a particular area (eg County), then the remaining places filled from outside the area. _ First come – first served. This ensures that an individual swimmer is accepted in all the events for which they have the qualifying time, even though they may be slower in some events than those who are rejected. This is a useful procedure with the younger (BAGCAT) swimmers who are being encouraged to compete over a range of events. Long Te rm Athlete Development Monitoring Meet organisers are expected to send the computerised results to the ASA within 5 days, to enable the data to be used for athlete tracking purposes. In addition, in order to help ensure the meet has continuing high standards, there is a Quality Control questionnaire. This is completed by an official observer, if one has been appointed, and also a random selection of the clubs taking part in the meet. Planning In order to provide the appropriate opportunities for swimmers to qualify and to ensure there are competitions at the right time in the training cycle, a national calendar has been developed. This determines which periods during the year should be competition-free as well as periods when competitions are needed. District/Regional panels will monitor the competition opportunities in their area and are responsible for filling any gaps in provision. Points Systems What is the points system? In order to support the multi-event approach to age group competition for the younger competitors, it was necessary to introduce a point scoring system into British swimming. These points are used to identify talented swimmers for the first level of the World Class programmes and to track their progress. The system comprises two elements: _ British Comparative Performance Tables; _ British Age Group Correction Factors. Comparative Performance Points Systems Comparative Performance Points Tables have been used in the UK since the 1970’s in order to compare swimming times across the standard range of strokes and distances. British swimming has used LEN (the European Governing Body), and more recently, FINA (the World Governing Body) tables. Both of these are based on world performances and reflect the parity between events at the top level of the sport. These tables have been used for scoring major open team competitions, such as the GB Club Teams and are accepted by the swimming community as provision of a fair comparison across the range of events. Unfortunately, when these tables are applied to age group swimming, especially at the younger ages, the value of the comparisons across events becomes less valid. This is a direct consequence of the different rates of growth and development between individuals. In light of these findings it was clear that a mechanism was required to establish a fair comparison across the genders, events and ages, and to satisfy the needs of multi-recognition awards. Requirements were for: _ A mechanism for comparing performances across the range of events; _ A method that reflected the different achievement levels as a consequence of age-related physical development; _ A method related to world standards; _ A method that recognised the achievement levels at the younger ages in British swimming. British Comparative Performance tables (GB points) were developed in order to provide the sport with total ownership of the stability and availability of quality comparative performance tables. This arose as a consequence of the shortcomings in both the LEN (now defunct) and FINA systems. FINA tables are published in both Long and Short Course versions and are based on the average of the eight World All Time Best swims. The major problem with the FINA tables is that their publication date and availability are not within our control and the relationships between times and points can change significantly between annual revisions. British Comparative Performance Tables (GB points) These have exactly the same upper end starting point as that used for the FINA tables, (i.e. 1000 points corresponds to the average of the world all-time top eight performances). The essential difference being the lower end of the tables extend to defined slower times in order to cater for the youngest age groups and ability levels. British Age Group Correction Factors Everyone recognises that some events are relatively more difficult for the younger swimmers. This observation is proven by statistical analysis of the relative achievement levels of British age group swimmers since 1995. In order to relate the performance of two different events within a single year age group a simple age correction factor has been determined between events within each gender and age group. These factors are based totally on observations of British swimming performance levels. For each age group the reference times used are the average of the ten all time top British performances in each event. The factors are then determined by establishing the ratio between the number of points for the highest scoring event and each of the other events in each single year age group. Information Technology Assisting Competition It is important that the ASA records the maximum number of validated times in their ranking system, from the widest range of age and ability as possible. The development of the various standards and qualifying times are obtained through analysis of the data held on swimmer performances. Qualifying Times for District/Regional and National events currently use the data from the National Ranking system. The GB points system is updated every two years with reference to world data. However, the correction factors used in conjunction with GB points to provide Age Corrected Points for the British Age Group Category (BAGCAT) awards system, are particularly dependent on annual analysis of the times swum by 9-14 year old swimmers. It is important therefore to record the maximum number of validated times in the ranking system, from the widest range of age and ability as possible. The further development of the ASA IT systems will allow access to the data in order that meet managers can verify information and use the information to help plan their meets and qualifying times. Long Term Athlete Development Training Camps Throughout the Country there are opportunities for swimmers to be selected for training camps at different levels. Programmes based on County Sports Partnerships (collections of local authorities) will provide training camp opportunities for some County level swimmers. There are further camps at Regional level. In addition, linked to the World Class programmes, there are training camps at ASA District/Regional level. The basis of selection for all these camps for the younger swimmers will be the British Age Group Category principles. More detailed information regarding selection and training camps for the World Class squads and other ASA information is available from the ASA and are on the British Swimming website (www.britishswimming.org) Remember: “Success is a journey not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome” ASA competition and training camp opportunities are designed to provide a pathway for ALL swimmers to access the level that is appropriate to them. The long term development of a swimmer provides success along the way at different levels and in many different aspects – enjoy your journey BRITISH SWIMMING / AMATEUR SWIMMING ASSOCIATION DATA PROTECTION
The Data Protection Act also now include restrictions on the use of data for commercial and marketing purposes without the explicit consent of each individual. There is also a requirement to obtain consent for the collection and storage of data. However, this is less restrictive and implicit consent can be obtained by ensuring that members are given the opportunity to read the appropriate clause, for example by publishing it on a website, membership form or notice board at the club headquarters. This does not apply to health and medical details as explicit consent (ie a signature for this specific purpose) is required from the individual for these to be held. There is also a requirement to obtain consent from individuals if their data is to be transferred to a country outside the European Economic Area. The data protection notice used by the ASA is below and clubs, counties and districts are encouraged to use the same wording on their own documentation and to ensure that all members are advised of this clause. It is posted on the British Swimming website; www.britishswimming.org, printed on the ASA membership forms and included on the enclosed CD-Rom. The current Act also states that parental consent is required for the collection of data for children aged below 12 years of age. As a sport we feel that 12 years of age is too low and we have decided that we should obtain parental consent for the collection of data for anyone below 18 years of age. We feel this follows best practice under our child protection strategy. Please ensure that your members are aware that this clause allows for the collection and use of the data to fulfil the objectives of the organisation only. It does not allow the data to be used for any commercial or marketing purposes. The ASA will not use the data, or share the data with any third party for marketing or commercial purposes, without firstly obtaining the explicit consent from individual members. ASA Membership Returns – 2004 JMN Revised clause and explanation Page 1 of 1 ASA Membership Returns – 2004 JMN Revised clause and explanation Page 2 of 2Amateur Swimming Federation of Great Britain LtdData Protection - Membership Data Collection - Consent The Data Protection Act 1998 ("the Act") sets out certain requirements for the protection of your personal information (i.e. information about you) against unauthorised use or disclosure. The Act also gives you certain rights.References below to the Amateur Swimming Federation of Great Britain Ltd (ASFGB Ltd) include a reference to the three members of ASFGB Ltd, the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA), Scottish Swimming Association (SASA) and Welsh Swimming Association (WASA). By virtue of your membership direct or indirect to ASA, SASA and WASA you agree to your personal data being made available to ASFGB Ltd and its members, subject always to compliance with the Data Protection legislation. This does not include sensitive personal data such as health or medical conditions, which require the explicit consent of the data subject i.e. a signature for this specific purpose. Except to the extent that your club or ASFGB Ltd is required or permitted by law, (the information which you provide in this form, and any other information obtained or provided during the course of your membership ("the Information") will be used solely for the purposes of processing your application and dealing with you as a member. If you cease to be a member of the ASFGB Ltd, the Information will not be held for longer than is necessary, after which time it will be destroyed. You agree to use all reasonable endeavours to keep your club and ASFGB Ltd informed of any changes to your personal data. So that we may use the Information for the above purposes and on the above terms, we are required under the Act to obtain your consent. Members are therefore requested to sign the consent clause on the reverse of the membership forms or by confirming to their Club Membership Officer that they agree to the above by providing their data for electronic submission to the ASA, SASA or WASA. |
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