An HSC Quick Guide to Galas

As competing gets back to a level of normality we realise how confusing entering meets and deciding what to swim can be.  This is a brief guide giving a breakdown of the different types of gala your swimmer might encounter, an explanation of some key terms and guidance on how to manage the process

Entry Level Galas

Club Championships

• Open to all our competitive swimmers regardless of age and experience.

• Swimmers do not need licensed times to compete.

• Swim as many races as they can taking guidance from the coaches

• Entry: An email will be sent out to all competitive swimmers with a link at the bottom to enter the events you want

Team Galas

• The club competes in a number of team events throughout the year; Rother league, Premier League, Junior Cup, Minor League.

• These meets are not licensed, and times will not show as PB’s on the rankings website and cannot be used to enter open meets.

• Each club has its own lane and competes over a programme of individual and relay events.

• Swimmers must be 9yrs old or over on the age as date to compete.

• Different leagues have different age group bands and restrictions on competing.

• Usually an evening event (6pm – 8:45pm)

• NASL: The National Arena Swimming League is a series of 3 team galas run in October, November and December. Unlike other team galas the event is licensed, and individual times do count.

• Entry: Teams are chosen by the coaches based on available times, the level of gala and swimmer’s form at the time.

General Level Meets

Level 3&4 open meets

• Once swimmers have Swim England Licensed times they can enter Open meets.

• Swimmers must be 9yrs old or over on the age as date to compete.

• These are held by host clubs and usually last all day (or even all weekend).

• Swimmers will have to have times slower than the entry times or within a band of times eg. Slower than 1m30s but faster than 1m50s.

• Haslemere holds two open meets a year, one in April (Mark Menzies Open Meet) and one in November (Autumn Sparkler).

• Swimmers should aim to compete in an open meet once or twice a term.

• Swimmers enter as an individual but sit as a tem poolside and a coach is always in attendance.

• Entry: If a swimmer qualifies for one or more event at an open meet you will receive and email with an entry link and details of the meet attached.

Higher Level Meets

Level 1&2 Open Meets

• Swimmers will need to have times faster than the qualifying times in order to compete.

• These meets are for more experienced competitive swimmers

• These meets are often swum long course.

County Championships

• Swimmers will need to have times faster than the qualifying times in order to compete.

• There will be both long and short course qualifying times.

• County Championship qualifying times are set to allow the top 24 swimmers in each age group in each race to compete.

• Qualifying times are usually issued in September and the Championships are held late January / early February.

• Age as at date will be 31^st December in the year of the Championships.

Regional Championships

• Swimmers will need to have times faster than the qualifying times in order to compete.

• There will be both long and short course qualifying times.

• Championships are usually held in May.

• Qualifying times are set to allow the top 24 swimmers in each age group in each race to compete (there are approximately 72 clubs in the SE region).

• Times must be achieved at a level 3 meet or above.

National Championships

• Swimmers qualify according to the Swim England Rankings based on times achieved in a window between two dates.

• The top 24 swimmers in the UK in the relevant age groups and events compete at the British Summers Championships.

• The next 20 swimmers in the relevant age groups and events compete at their home country Championships (England, Wales and Scottish).

• Age groups may vary between countries but all ages are as at 31^st

ASA Licensed Times:

All competitions are governed by a set of technical rules for each stroke.  The same rules apply at any level of competitive swimming from the Club Championships to the British Nationals.

In order to achieve a licensed time in a race, swimmers must fulfil this criterion.  If they don’t it is called a technical infraction and they are disqualified from the race.

The coaches work very hard to ensure swimmers swim within the given guidelines but under race conditions swimmers enthusiasm and inexperience can easily lead to disqualifications especially in the more technical events.

Please remember every swimmer in the history of the club has been disqualified from a race at some point!! 

Once a swimmer has a licensed time it will be recorded on the Swim England Database and can be used to enter other competitions.  Swimmers can check their PB’s at any time on the Swim England Rankings Website www.swimmingresults.org

They can also check their times against other swimmers in the same Club, County, Region or Nationally.

Form Strokes:

Backstroke / Breaststroke & Butterfly

Long Course and Short Course:

Short Course:  Training and competitions held in a 25m pool like Haslemere. Most entry level meets and team galas are held in short course pools

Long Course:  Competitions and Training held in a 50m pool.  This is an entirely different experience from Short Course swimming and we try to provide experience training in a long course pool before they compete.

Higher level meets tend to be held in a long course pool and as swimmers become more experienced and competitive long course times become more relevant.

What should they Swim?

It’s very tempting to stick to the short races (50m & 100m) but Swim England encourages Age Group Swimmers (swimmers aged 13yrs and under) to compete in all the strokes over all the distances.  Our training programme reflects this and whilst your swimmer might want to stick to the short fast races it is essential swimmers compete over 200m in both FC, Form and IM to reach their full potential in the future.

Age as at Date

This is the date that determines the age group the swimmer competes in.   Open meets are usually age as at the last day of the meet. County, Regional and National championships are always age as at 31^st December in the year of the competition.  Team galas are usually age as at the last gala in the series.

Being disqualified

We have already mentioned each of the strokes is governed by a set of rules as is every competition.  A contravention of these rules will result in a disqualification; swimmers won’t get a time or be placed in the event.   It can be very upsetting for a swimmer but EVERY swimmer in the club, no matter how experienced, has been disqualified at some point for something and it doesn’t matter.  What matters is the swimmer learns from it, moves on and works hard not to make the same mistake again.

Building up to the meet

Swimmers should: 

• Take very opportunity to practise their competitive skills at training. Coaches put the blocks in at regular intervals, especially in the build up to competition but race stroke, underwater work and turns should be practised in every session.

• Be aware of the races they are competing in and what sessions they fall in – print and highlight the schedule adding in their PB’s so they are fully prepared for the day ahead.

• Pack their own bag (under supervision) so they know where everything is.

• HAVE FUN – this is what all the training is for. Enjoy your nerves, celebrate every PB and take something positive from every race.

Parents should:

• Encourage your swimmers to talk to their coach about which races to select and why.

• Check the host club’s website regularly for any changes to the format and timings of the day. This is especially important in the current climate as recommendations and restrictions are changing regularly.

• Give yourself plenty of time to get there - even if it means waiting in the car when you arrive. At some events coaches are asked to withdraw absent swimmers by a certain time (usually during warm up) If you aren’t there the coach will have to assume you aren’t coming.  

• On the day make sure your swimmers knows what races they are swimming and when as well as their PB’s.

• Make sure you, or a designated adult are available to your swimmer throughout the day. Coaches are responsible for swimmers poolside whilst they are racing but cannot be responsible for swimmers who are ill, leave poolside or between sessions.

• Find something positive to tell them after every race. It isn’t all about PB’s – it’s about developing strong competitive skills, holding a good technique and following the coaches’ instructions on how to swim the race. 

I realise this has probably generated as many queries as it has answered but hopefully, now, you will know what questions to ask.  There are a host of people in the club willing and waiting to help you through your first steps into the exciting world of Competitive Swimming: Coaches, Committee members and fellow parents.  Please never be afraid to ask.