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Applications are now open for the 2022 Swim England Senior Swimming Coach programme.

The year-long course will enable Swim England Level 2 swimming coaches to apply the most current and innovative techniques to ‘create an environment in which athletes can thrive’.

Up to 30 spaces are available on the programme, which is aimed at coaches working with those competing at regional level or above.

Applications need to be submitted by midnight on Sunday 3 July with those successfully shortlisted being informed on or after Monday 11 July.

The course induction will then take place the following week with a mixture of four face-to-face workshops and online learning throughout the year. 

More information

We are pleased to invite Swimmers and Coaches from around the region to attend the next South East Region Para-Swimming Training Day.

This Para Swimming Training Day is intended to engage and support swimmers with an impairment to develop their skills, experience and knowledge through their journey as a Para Swimmer. The training day is aimed at all swimmers from development level to those selected for England Para Swimming Talent Programmes, a chance to have their skills developed. This should be seen as an additional training to their home club training.

For those swimmers who do not have a classification or are on the waiting list (S99) but believe they are eligible for classification we would like to invite you for the training day which will also include a skills observation. This will start your process of becoming a classified swimmer.

To gain a better understanding regarding classification please read the British Swimming guide on Classification

Who is Para Swimming Regional Training for?

• Swimmers regularly training and can swim at least 100m or more across multiple strokes (where impairment allows).
• Swim England Cat 2 members with a classification or on the classification waiting list (S99)
• Swimmers with an eligible impairment, who wish to compete and requiring a skills. observation to begin the classification process. Those swimmers attending can be Cat 1 members, but must be Cat 2 members to be placed on a classification waiting list.
• Ideal progression opportunity for those who have graduated from the Start Para-Swimming programme.
• Swimmers with a Hearing Impaired Classification (S15) or wishing to begin the process of classification with GB Deaf Swimming Club.
• All swimmers must be 9 years plus as of 31 December.
• Aimed at those NOT on a World Class programme.

The Coaching Team will be led by Tom Baxter who is the Assistant Head Coach at Crawley Swimming Club. We would also like to also invite any coaches along to the training day to gain a better understand of how they can support their Para athletes in their club environment.

• Date: Sunday 10^th July
• Location: ACS International School Cobham
• Cost: £10 per swimmer, Coaches free

Timetable of the training day can be found below.

Any questions please contact Ben McDonald [email protected]

Applications are invited from suitably experienced individuals for the role of Regional Management
Board Member for Swim England South East Region.

This is an opportunity to make a major contribution to the successful development of aquatics at all
levels of the sport within the Region.

The appointment is for a three year term to April 2025. The role is voluntary with all expenses paid.

Applications submitted in the form of a resume and a covering statement are welcomed from suitably
qualified candidates. Please send applications to: [email protected] 

The closing date for applications is 13 May 2022

SER Board Member Advert April 2022

Swim England South East – Board Member Role Description

Lewis Burras was crowned sprint king of the British Swimming Championships after defeating the man he then praised for playing an influential role on his promising career.

He stormed his way to the Men’s 50m Freestyle title at Sheffield’s Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in a FINA World Championships consideration time.

Burras set a new personal best with a brilliant second half of the race to fly past Ben Proud, who had got off to a fantastic start and looked like he would take the gold medal.

Winchester’s Burras had other ideas, however, as he found an extra gear to top the podium in 21.77 – 0.14 seconds ahead of Proud.

Wycombe District’s Adam Barrett took the bronze medal in 22.52.

Burras, who also won the 100m Freestyle gold, was quick to praise Proud for the role he has had on his career.

Full report

Reading Royals were crowned champions and retained the prestigious Mrs Y M Price trophy at the Swim England Artistic Swimming National Age Group Championships.

It is the sixth time Reading have won the trophy, which is awarded to the team with the highest combined figure and free routine score in the 13/14 years age group.

A 10-strong team clinched gold in the 13-15 free team competition, which consolidated their win.

Their routine score of 67.3000, added to their figure score of 62.0697, resulted in an overall total of 129.3697 – which was an improvement on their 2020 score.

Read more

Recruitment has started to fill two voluntary vacancies which will help play a leading role in the future direction of all aquatic sports.

Swim England’s Sport Operations Committee is looking for two members to be part of the group for the next four years.

They will replace Pippa Jones and Jim Boucher who have both stepped down from the committee after completing their term.

The Sport Operations Committee reports directly into the Swim England board and has a wide brief including overseeing the effective delivery of the talent pathway for all disciplines.

It also provide direction on the development of the sport from clubs through to Regions, as well as guidance and input into the annual implementation plans in place to deliver the Swim England strategy.

More information

A new educational resource to help club-level aquatics coaches support athletes who may be struggling with eating disorders is being created by Swim England.

The creation of the resource aligns with National Eating Disorder Awareness Week which takes place from 28 February – 6 March and aims to fight the misunderstandings that surround eating disorders.

The resource will consist of a referral pathway and is being produced by Swim England’s sports science and medicine manager Diane Elliot and performance nutritionist Laura Salmon.

The new pathway will include information on where athletes can get support in their local areas and examples of screening questionnaires for coaches and sports science staff to use to help identify those who need further support.

It will also contain GP referral letter templates to allow athletes to get appropriate support from their GP and gives athletes guidance on how to discuss the matter with medical professionals.

More information

Swim England has introduced a new coaching policy in 2022 which now focuses on the minimum expectations for clubs in relation to coaching qualifications.

The updated coaching policy is an expansion of the 2018 coaching and teaching guidance which was created as a resource for clubs and members.

This guidance also coincided with the introduction of the Teaching and Coaching register, which is a comprehensive register of coaches and teachers operating within Swim England clubs.

Now in 2022, the guidance has been rewritten to further assist clubs and coaches in understanding how to operate within the scope of their respective certificates.

Read more

Swim England will host a full programme of Water Polo National Age Group Championships for the first time in three years in 2022.

The coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of the U17s and U19s competition in both 2020 and 2021 – with the U15s managing to return to action after a two-year hiatus last December.

Dates and venues have been confirmed for all the championships, which will be a ‘welcome return’ to action for players, coaches, clubs and supporters.

Toby King, Swim England Water Polo Leadership Group chair, said: “We’re delighted to be able to announce a full programme for the National Age Group Championships in 2022.

Read more 

Do you know somebody who is ready to step forward, make a change, and take it on?

Commonwealth Games organisers need 2,022 Batonbearers, each with inspiring stories, to take on the special experience of carrying the Queen’s Baton through England in summer 2022.

Batonbearer Nomination Terms & Conditions

They are looking for individuals from England that meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Always willing to take on a challenge and has a unique and inspiring story;
• Has made a meaningful contribution to sport, education, the arts, culture, or charity;
• Is a figure of inspiration that positively challenges others to achieve their best;
• Has taken on a challenge or cause and made a positive impact within their community.

The Queen’s Baton Relay will travel to every region in England, before arriving at the Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games on 28 July 2022.

Nominate a Batonbearer

Start Para Swimming is a Swim England programme supported by the South East Region designed to get more young disabled people with an eligible impairment into clubs and develop them into Para-Swimmers. The programme aim is to provide a seamless pathway from Learn to Swim into clubs by offering additional sessions for young swimmers to develop their skills.

Ideally the Start Para Programme will offer additional sessions on top of the athletes Learn to Swim lessons. All Start Para Swimming Programmes need to demonstrate links with a Learn to Swim Provider and the club with clear entry points into the club(s) development/entry-level section.

Start Para-Swimming is targeting the following:

• Young disabled people aged 5 –16 years old
• Focus is on physical disabilities and visual impairments
• Swimmers with an eligible impairment at stages 3 to 5 of Learn to Swim

Clubs interested in creating a new Start Para- Swimming Programme should carefully consider the following points;

• Does your club offer a Learn to Swim Programme or does your club have links/partnership with a Learn to Swim Provider
• Available Pool time – Does your club have pool time that could be used for Start Para Swimming or would you need to purchase additional pool time?
• All Start Para Swimming programmes will need to become financially sustainable after any initial funding. Consider how you would make this programme financially sustainable.
• Level of demand – Understand the level of need and demand in your local area. Consider how you would advertise this program to the relevant community?
• Pathway – Do you have a clear pathway for the Swimmers to progress from the Start Para Programme into your club?

We are currently looking for clubs that are interested in setting up a Start Para Swimming programme to work with us and to help create multiple Start Para Swimming Programmes around the South East region. If your club is interested please do get in contact with Ben McDonald ([email protected]) to arrange a suitable time for a phone call to discuss this further.