National Squad
Lead Coach: Ian Spencer (Head Coach)
Focus: Performance Lifestyle
Athletes are invited to join National Squad at the discretion of the Head Coach, priority will be given to those achieving the aims and progression criteria for Junior National Squad but we also welcome applications from athletes currently in other programmes who have achieved 550 World Aquatics points or higher in two or more long course events.
We are continually striving to improve the daily training environment and competition opportunities for athletes in National Squad, this requires team members to be positive every time they are at the pool, to take full ownership and responsibility for their actions and behaviours, maintain their own their own identity within the group setting, and to be fully supportive of each other irrespective of sporting success. Athletes are expected to fully support the clubs CORE values and act as role models for all of our younger members.
Training is fully periodised to correspond with major competitions and qualification windows, this means periods of high training demand followed by periods of recovery and regeneration. The programme is 50% IM and distance freestyle based and 50% focused on competition specifc training designed to support athletes individual race plans. Achieveing progression at the end of each training cycle relies on athletes being fully committed to the training and competition programme, the ability to remain calm and focused under pressure, and the physical and mental resilience to cope with setbacks.
Maintaining a performance lifestyle is key to success at this level with athletes ensuring that the choices they make outside the pool are helping them to arrive at the pool in the best condition. This includes time management, nutrition and hydration, injury prevention, rest and recovery.
Aims
- Representation and success at Winter and Summer National meets.
- Representation at British Championships.
- To achieve 700 World Aquatcis points or higher in main events.
Progression Criteria
Athletes are expected to strive for continual progress during their time in National Squad developing the all-round skills required to be successful at senior level.
During their time in National Squad, athletes should be working towards achieving one or more of the following benchmark training sets depending on their individual strengths:
- 8 x 800 Free (M) @ 10:00, Holding 9:20 or faster. (F) @ 10:40, Holding 10:00 or faster.
- 20 x 100 Free (M) @ 1:10, Holding 1:00 or faster. (F) @ 1:15, Holding 1:05 or faster.
- 10 x 400 IM (M) @ 5:40, Holding 5:00 or faster. (F) @ 6:00, Holding 5:20 or faster.
- 10 x 200 IM (M) @ 2:40, Holding 2:20 or faster. (F) @ 2:50, Holding 2:35 or faster.
- 10 x 100 Kick (Any Stroke) to be completed in less than 15 minutes.
The above sets cannot be achieved without excellent technical efficiency, control of pace, aerobic capacity and power. They are representative of sets that distance / middle-distance athletes would be expected to perform in senior programmes and will require outstanding commitment across mutliple seasons to be achieved.
Monthly Training Fees
£148.40 including access to Team Unify club management programme and the On Deck app.
This squad trains approximately 48 weeks of the year with fees divided equally over 12 months.
Competitive membership is a separate annual fee, currently this is £100 per year.
