Galas and Competitions
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Elmbridge Phoenix Swimming Club Galas and Competitions |
Affiliated to:
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Elmbridge Phoenix is a competitive swimming club, and we expect all our swimmers to enter into competitions appropriate to their age and experience.
All our swimmers, from the youngest cadets to the senior squads, are expected to compete in the Big/Little Leagues and the Club Championships, each of which are run four times a year. These internal competitions not only give experience of competition in a familiar environment but also give coaches useful information in planning and monitoring swimmers' progress through the groups.
You might also be selected to join the club team in the Rother or Speedo Leagues. These teams need a mix of swimmers of all ages and even if you're not the fastest in your age group you can still help our team to win.
As you gain in experience and confidence, you might choose to enter Open competitions.
A major event of the club's year is the Surrey County Championships which takes place in the spring. To help swimmers get the best possible entry times to qualify for this competition the club organises the EPSC Winter Series of internal competition during November and December.
Our stronger swimmers enter the regional championships, and we usually have some swimmers in the National age-group and youth championships.
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 the results and points are available for boys and girls in each league for recent years are available in the Results menu (here). Times achieved in Big or Little Leagues are also added to the Individual Results pages.
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.
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.
The Rother League is a a sub-league of the Hants & South Coast Leagues.
The main Rother League is swum on three Saturdays in spring, summer and autumn. The rounds are a mixture of individual and relay events with age ranges from under 13 to open.
There is also a Junior Trophy, for swimmers aged from 9 to 13, which is swum on a single Saturday in early summer. This is a great opportunity for younger swimmers to experience a team gala.
The club selects teams for these galas. If you are selected you will be given, at training, a slip of paper with the details. It is very important that you attend if selected, as we may have to forfeit your event if you don't turn up. If you are selected and cannot attend, you should let the team selector know as soon as possible.
The National Swimming League (often called by its old name of Speedo League) is an inter-club team competition organised into several regions, each of which runs several divisions. Elmbridge Phoenix swim in the South Region and in 2008 we were in Division One East.
Each year's gala is held in three rounds, held on Saturday evenings in the last three months of the year. In each round we swim against six or eight clubs with points awarded for position in each of about fifty events which include individual and relay events in age groups from 9-11 up to Open (ages are taken at 31st December).
There are strict limits to how many times any one swimmer can be used during a gala. Because of this, and because of the number of relay events, we must draw on a depth of talent in every age group if we are to do well.
The club selects teams for these galas. If you are selected you will be given, at training, a slip of paper with the details. It is very important that you attend if selected, as we may have to forfeit your event if you don't turn up. If you are selected and cannot attend, you should let the team selector know as soon as possible.
The Winter Series is a series of closed galas (limited to members of EPSC) which the club runs each autumn to give all our swimmers the best possibly chance of qualifying for the next year's Surrey Championships.
Until 2008 these were run quite informally as time trials. However, from 2010 the Surrey Championships will only accept entry times gained at a licensed meet; we have therefore arranged to have the Winter Series licensed by the ASA as level 4 meets.
As these are licensed meets we publish the official promoter's conditions.
Many clubs and other organisations host open competitions. For many of these the club will coordinate entries, providing the host club with details of all our entrants; it is sometimes possible to make individual entries to other competitions. See the appropriate coordinator if you are interested in entering a level 1 or 2 or level 3 or 4 meet.
Competitions are often advertised as being at a particular level, e.g. level one or level three. A level four or level three event will be suitable for the less experienced swimmer, whereas a level one event is suitable for someone hoping to achieve a national qualifying time. For further details of the ASA system of licensing levels see the excellent explanation on the web site of Hart Swimming Club.
Due to the category of ASA membership in which we enter our various swimmers. cadets can only enter unlicensed, level four or level three events. From developers up you can enter level one and level two events as well.
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