Guide to Competitive Swimming
It is clear that many children get involved with the competitive side of the club without either them or the parents fully understanding what goes on.
Let’s take a step back to the teaching end of the club first. Our initial objective is to teach children to swim from about the age of 6 years and many children and parents will be happy if they achieve this and have reached a standard where they have water confidence and reasonable swimming ability but as with any skill there will be some who have more ability than others, perhaps also with a more competitive streak.
In the competitive side of the club we try to cater for this progression. It is a vital part of the club as it retains both swimmers and parents for many more years and provides stability and continuity, which are necessary for the club to function.
How is the transition made from teaching to competitive swimming?
To answer this question it is probably best to first understand what we mean by competitive swimming.
As in most sports or indeed walks of life, the ability to do something may be followed by the desire to do it better and ultimately do it better than anyone else. Organised competition is the natural way to do this and provides the swimmer with a means of comparing their performance with that of others.
On an individual basis it allows the swimmer to compete against themselves and measure progression in terms of personal best times (PBs). It also allows the swimmer to measure progress against their peers in head to head races or by comparison of PBs.
Competition adds interest to the sport and is an entirely natural progression however it must be recognised that not everyone will want to compete and some will develop faster than others. Preparation for competition, besides development of skills, develops discipline, commitment and perseverance as well as confidence and the ability to mix with others. At this level however the main objective must be enjoyment.
The first step:-
The first step on the competition ladder is the Teletot league,so called due to the support given by the Belfast Telegraph.
This league caters for swimmers from about 8 to 12 years – there is no lower age limit. Races are over 25m - one length of the pool – in each of the 4 strokes with team relays at the beginning and end of the gala. There are 4 one year age bands A,B,C and D though the A band can have younger swimmers. Teams are organised in divisions with the winner being promoted and the last team being demoted each year. Galas are usually between two teams and there will be 6 or 7 galas in a season.
The first challenge is to find enough swimmers to make up a team. It would be hoped that the normal progression through the teaching classes will provide fresh new talent who will be asked to join the team but sometimes we find that there is a shortage of either boys or girls of the right age and ability and we have to dig deeper. This might result in a child who ideally needs a bit more time being asked to swim at short notice. On the other hand if you feel that a child has been overlooked please say so.
Ivan McCappin - Teletot Manager
Understanding the Teletot gala:-
In a two team gala only 4 swimmers score points (two from each team). This gives the coach the opportunity to select the best two swimmers but in addition give another swimmer the opportunity to show what they can do. The challenge for the coach is to ensure that everyone swims in at least one individual event and takes part in a relay (we want everyone to be involved but we also want to win the gala). This can lead to misunderstandings “Why am I not swimming, I’m faster than him?”
Occasionally we have to swim a three team gala which means that to be competitive we can only swim our fastest swimmers. Unfortunately this limits the number of swimmers who can swim but the choice must be on merit. It can be a challenge to fit everyone in at times but it is a team event and every point scored counts towards the final score.
If chosen for a team please recognise that you are needed, try to be available on gala days and if not give the team manager plenty of warning so that someone else can be given the swims. Even if only selected for a relay it is important to turn up as you could be denying the other three swimmers a race. You should see selection as recognition and the opportunity to progress.
The next step:-
The next step is the Provincial Towns League (PTL). This is a league started many years ago to provide competition for the towns outside the Cities. It became so successful that the City clubs asked to be included and now it covers all clubs in Ulster (which takes in clubs from Donegal and Monaghan).
Derek Beattie - Club Coach/PTL Manager
The age band overlaps with the Teletot league and has no upper age limit. Once again there are 4 age bands but this time each band covers 2 years so a swimmer at the young end of the band may find it difficult competing with swimmers a year older but it is good preparation for the following year. The races are over 50m (2 lengths) so the skill of turning becomes important and general fitness has to be better. The gala format is similar to the Teletots with the addition of the Individual Medley (IM). One length of each stroke (100m).
The system of divisions, promotion and relegation is similar to Teletots. Once again the challenge for the coach is to pick a winning team whilst keeping everyone involved. There will be a period of about two years where swimmers will compete in both leagues. It is important that we have the progression from Teletots to PTL in sufficient numbers to maintain the numbers right through to school leaving age as we lose swimmers to other sports and interests as they get older.
A PTL team needs about 40 swimmers so it is important that you make a commitment at the start of the season to put aside the gala dates and try not to make other arrangements on these dates. In the event of a special event coinciding please inform the coach at the earliest opportunity so that alternative selections can be made. The fastest swimmers will be an automatic choice and would be expected to be available. Whilst we try to accommodate everyone there will be times when this is not possible hence we recognise that as we can not make everyone an automatic choice, you can not arrange your life around dates which may not happen. Please however try to be available when asked and see it as an opportunity to progress to be a regular member of the team.
General information for Team galas:-
Besides the swimmers, galas need the support of parents.
Running a gala requires 6 timekeepers, 2 finish judges, 1 starter, 2 recorders, 2 team organisers, 1 announcer, 2 or 3 buffet organisers.
We travel by bus to away galas and currently charge £2.
Teletot galas last between 1 and 1.5 hours on Fridays or Saturdays and PTL galas last between 2 and 2.5 hours on Saturdays. Starting times vary though home galas usually start with a warm up at 5pm.
These galas are the mainstay of Ulster competitive swimming To take part a swimmer must be registered, for which there is a charge which is paid for by the club so when accepting an invitation to join the competitive section of the club please see it as a commitment on your part to support the team when asked. For our part we will do our best to ensure that all swimmers are involved in competition.
If you feel that you are being left out or overlooked
please talk to a teacher or coach.