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Swim 21

WHAT IS SWIM 21

Many of you will have heard people talk about Swim 21 but how many of you actually know what it is all about?

Swim 21 is an initiative brought in by the ASA. It is the ASA’s swimmer Development Programme for the 21st century.

Swim 21 is the ASA’s club development model – a planning tool, enabling clubs to help swimmers, coaches and administrators achieve their full potential. It is centred around the needs of the swimmers – striving to provide them with the best possible environment. It is regarded as the back bone of the ASA’s development programme and the more a club puts into the process, the more it will get out of it.

The ASA has three key aims which are reflected in the Swim 21 programme.

• To ensure that everyone has the opportunity to learn to swim.
• To provide pathways to ensure everyone can achieve their potential.
• To win GOLD medals on the world stage.

The aim of Swim 21 is: “to provide appropriate opportunities for swimmers at each stage of their development, in order that they will achieve their full potential.”   To achieve this there are 5 clear goals, these are:

• To provide a nationally recognised Club Development programme.
• To establish a network for clubs
• To provide clear pathways for individuals through the club structure
• To guide clubs through the Action Planning process.
• To incorporate a partnership approach to the delivery of swimming locally.

What swim 21 can do for the swimmers:

• Provide a guide on how much water time they should ideally have at any stage of their development.
• Introduce land training as an integral part of the swimmer’s training programme.
• Provide access to coaches who are qualified, knowledgeable and informed.
• Promote appropriate opportunities for competition whatever the level of swimmer.
• Highlight the position of their club in relation to the swim 21 national network of clubs.

What swim 21 can do for your club:

• Provide a framework for the development of a club structure, both administrative and competitive.
• Encourage the club committee to think long term and put Development on the agenda.
• Open a dialogue between clubs and their Local Authority and other organisations, which hopefully will lead to joint planning.
• Establish a partnership with other swim clubs in the area to support talented swimmers.
• Provide examples of good practice to guide club Development work.
• Give your club a swimmer centered focus.

There are four levels for accreditation, Teaching, Skill Development, Competitive Development and Performance and this enables Clubs to be assessed according to the main focus of their activities. Although the levels are of course different, the standards required in terms of planning and operational excellence are equal.

For further useful information from the ASA on Swimming’s Strategic Plan 2005-2009, Child Protection, Medical Information, Health and Safety, Insurance etc, please go to the ASA website at www.britishswimming.org and click on USEFUL DOCUMENTS under MEMBERSHIP RESOURCES.

Any further queries please contact MR Mike Greenan TASC Swim 21 Co-ordinator, on the following email: mikegreenan@blueyonder.co.uk