County Squad
Lead Coach: Amy Neild
Focus: Skill Development
Swimmers are invited to join County Squad having completed our Academy programme or via a trial if transferring from another club.
Regular competition is an essential part of the County Squad plan, swimmers should have experience of competing in individual and team events before joining County Squad and should attend all meets scheduled in the competition calendar. We consider competitions to be valuable learning opportunities and the best way to evaluate the skills being developed in training.
Training in County Squad is about developing great habits that will allow young swimmers to become young athletes, this includes introducing goal setting, early morning sessions, and pre and post swim routines. The volume of swimming increases in sessions which places greater demand on individual technique and skill levels, we are looking for athletes who can maintain their length of stroke and skills as the demands of training increase. Speed training is also introduced at this stage as it helps to promote better coordination and efficiency of movements.
- To race all strokes in open meets with a focus on making improvements in 200 metres Individual Medley and Freestyle.
- Athletes to demonstrate excellent sportsmanship and support for teammates.
- Representation and success at County Championships.
Progression from County Squad is to either Regional Squad or Junior and Youth Squad.
All athletes must understand and demonstrate the clubs CORE values appropriate to their age and level.
To be considered for a move to Regional Squad, athletes should have achieved the County Squad aims and be able to complete the following benchmark training sets:
- 12 x 100m Freestyle @ 1:45, Holding 1:35 or faster throughout set.
- 4 x 200m Individual Medley @ 4:15, Holding 3:45 or faster throughout set.
- 6 x 100m Kick (Any Stroke) to be completed in 14 minutes or less.
All of the above sets must be completed with control of stroke length, effective and race legal underwater phases and turns, athletes should demonstrate appropriate lane etiquette and ability to work from the pace clock wherever possible.
We appreciate that some athletes may not be able to complete the benchmark training sets but may have outstanding ability in one or more areas. To ensure these athletes are not held back, any athlete achieving 300 World Aquatic Points in a short or long course event will automatically be considered for progression.
