To "B" or not to "B", that is the Gala?

Are you wanting to enter your child into Galas, but you're not sure what to do or who to see? Please read on!!

Over the course of the club's year there are various events:

• Club Championships
• Big League / Little League
• Home Galas, Speedo races, Rother League
• Other events.

All very confusing!

Club Championships

These are held approximately four times a year and all EPSC swimmers, including cadets, are automatically entered and are expected to take part. Please check the calendar for dates. Swimmers will compete under competition rules against swimmers of their own age group and those in either the year below or the year above. These events are held on a Sunday at the Xcel pool. Normal swimming/training sessions will not take place on the day of a club championship.

Results are announced on the night, and are available in the results section of this website, usually within a week.

The majority of movement within the club is based on times gained at Club Championships and Big/Little Leagues. Times are taken, recorded and used to assess each swimmer's improvement. Therefore all swimmers should compete wherever possible.

Big/Little League

These are time trials which are held approximately four times a year at the Xcel Pool (see Calendar for dates). All swimmers including all cadets should enter. You do not have to enter your name prior to this event, just turn up. You will be timed swimming 50 meters (two lengths) of each stroke, with rests between swims.

Both leagues are swum on the same evening; all swimmers should be on poolside by 17:00 and the last swim should take place by 20:00; cadets should be able to leave a little earlier. Normal training is cancelled on the night of a Big/Little League.

Little League consists of all Cadets plus senior B/C; Big League consists of Juniors, Developers, Intermediates and all squads. Points are awarded based on the reduction in times since the previous Big or Little league.

League tables showing each swimmer’s times are available on-line for the current year: Big League Girls, Big League Boys, Little League Girls, Little League Boys. For results sorted by best time, see either Big League sorted results or Little League sorted results. Times achieved in Big or Little Leagues are also added to the Individual Results pages - it is a good idea to keep a record of your child's times to see how they progress.

The majority of movement within the club is based on times gained at Big/Little Leagues and at Club Championships. Times are taken, recorded and used to assess each swimmers improvement, so all swimmers should compete wherever possible. Please check the Calendar for all relevant dates.

Home Galas, Speedo, Rother League

These are by invitation/selection from the club. If you are given a note informing you of your selection then you must attend and swim, otherwise the club will be penalised. If you cannot attend, please let the appropriate club official (as named on the note) know so that a substitute can be arranged.

Other events

During the year there are other Galas that are squeezed in when possible. There are four main types of Galas: A, B, C and Open.

The A, B, and C graded Galas are good for gaining competive experience. Each Gala sets mimimum times for each event: you cannot enter if you swim the event faster than the given time. As you might guess the times vary on each meet, but as a rule the A Galas are for the fastest swimmers down to the C galas for the slower swimmers. Many of these galas issue speeding tickets if your time on the day is faster than the cut-off time for the meet. A speeding ticket is nothing to be ashamed of, though!

Then there are the Open meets. These you can enter without worrying about minimum times, but they are generally very popular and can turn down slower swimmers to keep numbers down.

Entry to A, B, C and Open galas is at the discretion of the individual swimmer. The club usually coordinates entries to local galas; details of forthcoming events are given in the calendar. We collect entry fees from individuals and send a single cheque with the club's entries; this enables us to send a club coach to be on poolside.

Bob Hope deals with A galas and Open meets. He can be reached through the contacts page.

Bob Hope deals with B and C galas. He can be reached through the contacts page.