Coaches: Jordan Allerton & Dan Dickinson

County Squad Training Times

Please Note the pool codes used in the timetables

• (arm) Armthorpe Leisure Centre
• (hall) Hallcross Academy
• (ros) Rossington

Squads Aims & Objectives

Our youngest Performance Squad introduces athletes to the rigour they can expect as they progress through their Performance journey. Athletes in County squad should be committed to attending the sessions recommended by the lead coach. Doing so will prepare their body with the capacity to perform the work load of the next squad. At this age, developing their aerobic base and training habits are far more important than race performance, so coaches are monitoring those behaviours closely.

At this age, good training behaviour is more important than race performance. That said, athletes in this squad should aspire to qualify for Yorkshire and Regional Championships and the coaching team should be confident that they will do so at some point in the future. Coaches expect candidates for County squad to compete in weekend competitions 6-12 times per season.

Ages

Male 10 years to 13 years (9 years and 14 years considered)

Female 9 years to 12 years (8 years considered)

Accepted criteria for entry into squad

• One Consideration Times in the age groups specified at the County Championships (Winter or Spring Championships)
• Proven ability and commitment to following a competitive training program (swimmers, with parental support)
• A positive mind set
• 100% commitment to team events
• Signed and returned copies of Swimmer Code of Conduct & Parents Code of Conduct
• A team player – polite, supportive, caring and empathetic
• Consistently attending 90-100% of available agreed sessions (Pool and Land)

Considered criteria for entry into squad

• Swimmers assessed by the Lead Coach to have near term potential and or having longer term potential may be admitted. The swimmer must be able to show commitment and demonstrable progress towards the overall squad criteria and show improvement (based on goal setting) at designated competitions and within training.
• Must have very good technical ability on front crawl, back-stroke, starts & turns.
• Must have basic technical knowledge of breaststroke & butterfly.
• Must compete in all club galas & open meets as directed by the squad coach.
• Must show the right attitude & behaviour towards training, threshold sessions & competition.

Swimming Training Basic Criteria

• Training attendance will need to be maintained at 90% or higher
• Ability to demonstrate an effective streamline from a competition start and every turn.
• Understand the use of pace, stroke Count, stroke rate in relation to perceived effort in different training intensity
• Lane discipline
• Swimmers must display all-round technical ability and have a positive attitude to training and competition
• To be coachable, open and willing to try new things and new ways of thinking.
• Understand the use of pace, stroke count in relation to perceived effort in different training intensity
• Attend land training and understand the importance of full commitment to land based activities.

Land Training Criteria

• To commit to a minimum of 1 land training sessions a week.
• To wear club kit during pre pool (shorts and trainers) and land training (club top and shorts).
• Arrive 10 minutes before each session for pre-pool

Criteria for Squad Exit

• Failure to comply with the Clubs Code of Conduct
• Failure to live up to the Clubs Core Values
• Unable to attain the relevant performance standard.
• Consistently late to sessions (pool and land) without agreement
• Consistently unable to maintain the competition commitment, as per fixtures list.
• Showing no demonstrable progress towards achieving the required standards for Intermediate Performance.
• Athlete demonstrates a lack of desire for Performance Swimming and/or is unable to match 70% of these standards for a typical month. Athlete grows too old for the squad
• Athlete demonstrating that they are incapable/unwilling to complete sets at the specified intensity consistently and/or show no desire to improve their training performance in key areas
• Athlete unlikely to qualify for Yorkshire Championships at some point in the future (coach’s opinion), and/or being unwilling/unable to compete in at least 6 weekend competitions per season.

Kit Requirements

Pool:

• Waterbottle
• Kickboard
• Fins
• Pull Buoy

Land:

• Long Theraband
• Loop Theraband
• Skipping Rope
• Roll/Exercise Mat
• Waterbottle

The criteria emphasises process over outcome (choice over result). Training at the required level should produce performances well above the minimum level identified below – this is more of a guide to ensure athletes remain on track for the next level.

Finally there are a number of qualities we expect from those selected for this squad.