Welcome
Welcome to all new swimmers and, of course, their parents! The
following information is given as a guide to help you pick your way
through the minefield of swimming jargon and procedures.
NORTH AYRSHIRE AMATEUR SWIMMING CLUB (NAASC)
NAASC is a
swimming club, which aims to provide training and competition for
swimmers from ages 7/8 years through to adult Masters section. Each of
the local teaching clubs feed into the Club as do the Council lesson
programmes. Swimmers are invited to a month's free trial before
deciding whether they wish to commit to joining the Club properly.
Currently there are 7 squads and swimmers will progress through these
as their ability and prowess increases. We use 3 pools: Auchenharvie,
Largs and Garnock for the core sessions plus long- course training at
East Kilbride or occasionally Tollcross or Stirling.
Land training is included with some of the sessions.
A committee runs the Club and queries should be directed to them,
usually through the Pool Reps who are on poolside most sessions. We
have a Head Coach and a coaching committee and they will be pleased to
help in any way they can with swimming matters. Coaching queries should
in the first instance be directed to the Team Manager.
The Club website is a valuable source of information and should be
checked regularly for up-to-date info (e.g. cancelled or extra
sessions, gala information etc) www.naasc.co.uk
There are also notice boards at each swimming pool.
FEES
1. Membership. This is set each year at the Club AGM in December
and currently is £45 annually. This covers the Scottish Amateur
Swimming Association (SASA - governing body of swimming in Scotland)
Capitation fee, and the West District Capitation fee. All swimmers are
given a membership number, which is used for gala entries. Any
remaining money goes to the running of the Club. Family discounts
apply. For parents receiving income support or other benefits,
assistance may be available with fees: please contact the Club
Secretary.
2. Squad fees Again; the amount varies with each squad.
They are paid to the Club in 12 monthly instalments, preferably by
standing order. Squad fees cover the cost of pool hire from the Council
for training sessions.
3. Gala fees. The amount depends on the number of races and galas
that a swimmer enters and should be paid to our secretary as soon as
your entries are accepted. Presently many races are £4-£5 per event, and
the club sometimes subsidises the more expensive Scottish events and
British entries.
TRAINING
Swimmers
should attend appropriate training sessions for their squad as advised
by their coach. They should arrive on poolside 15 minutes before the
start of their session for flexibility exercises and appropriate kit,
such as floats, pull buoys, flippers and drinks bottles should be
brought as advised by their coach. See fuller coaches information in
Log Books.
LOG
BOOKS
These
are handed out once you have been selected to join the club. This book
is essential to your organisation of your time spent in the club. It is a guideline to gala
entries/squads/nutrition.
Swimming training takes lots of commitment and time management
plays a major role.
COMPETITIONS AND GALAS
There are various levels of competitions depending on a swimmers age
and ability. Remember not everyone can win a medal but any swim which
is a P.B (personal best) is an achievement to be proud of and shows
that your training is going well. Everyone should keep a record of
their own P.B’s but the coaches will help with this and the Club
keeps a record on the Speed
Ladders, which are up-dated after every gala. The coaches plan in
advance which galas the Club will attend each year to give a balance
between training and competition. They will usually advise the younger
swimmers which events to enter, although the older swimmers take
responsibility for this themselves.
1. Club Championships
Within
the Club there are 3 teams and everyone is allocated to one of these
.The Club runs 3 events throughout the year for NAASC members when each
swimmer can win points for their team and also for themselves; Sprints:
- May, Sunday evening at Auchenharvie Team
relays: - August, Sunday evening at Auchenharvie Club
Championships: - October, all day event at Auchenharvie. A trophy presentation night with
speeches and food night is held in November. These are ideal events for
the younger swimmers to gain a little experience and for new parents to
try time keeping.
2. Graded Meets
These
are meets used to encourage younger swimmers of moderate ability by
ensuring that the standards of entry are similar. This is done by
publishing maximum and minimum time bands for each event and only
swimmers whose P.B’s fit are allowed to enter. Typically they are
for swimmers aged 8-14 years.
3.
Open Meets
These
are for the more able swimmers and are often age 11 years upwards. The
host Club print consideration times and only swimmers whose P.B’s
is faster can enter. This still does not guarantee being
accepted, as the standards can be high.
4.
West District Championships
These
are held over 6 weekends between February and December at various pools
in the District - usually Ayr, Cumbernauld, Grangemouth, Johnstone Larkhall
and East Kilbride and are aimed at swimmers from ages 12 years and
under to seniors. Swimmers in the senior squads should be swimming
regularly at these events. All Club swimmers should be aware of the
consideration times and enter if they have them. Although it is
mainly individual events, points are allocated to participating clubs
and the top 12 Clubs in the District are then invited to the swim-off
in October- usually NAASC do very well in this event.
5. National Events
Consideration
times are published each year and achieving these times should be the
aim of every swimmer, but the times are hard and "qualifying for
the Scottish" is an achievement in itself. Our coaches plan the
senior training programmes around these dates to allow swimmers to peak
at the correct times
January Scottish Short
Course Tollcross
April Scottish Age
Groups (Long Course)
Tollcross
June/July Scottish Nationals (Long
Course) Tollcross
These events give swimmers a chance to compete with the top Scottish
swimmers and savour the atmosphere of an international competition and
are the highlight of many swimmers careers. As a club NAASC has
traditionally done well in these events and has produced many record
holders and medal winners
over the years.
6. Team Events
For the younger swimmers age 8 -11years the Clyde Coast Mini League is
the main event of the year. Three fixtures are held with other clubs at
various pools between January and May each year and then the top 6 teams
qualify for the final in June at the Citadel, Ayr.
The team consists of approximately 30 swimmers with everyone’s
(including parents) contribution and support is important. NAASC has
won this event regularly in the past, which is a fantastic achievement for
a relatively small Club, and is a reflection of the swimmers and
coaches’ commitment and effort. The team is picked by age groups,
we give the chance for all swimmers to race but on final day it is a
team to win. The older swimmers compete in the Winter League, which is
of a similar format though held on a single day in October and again
NAASC are usually in the medal positions.
Meet information and eligibility report are sent to all swimmers
concerned as soon as known. Always try to choose the highest level of
gala for which you have times. Swimmers can then choose which events
they wish to swim (having checked they have the correct consideration
times) and send their entries (preferably by E-mail) to our secretary
by the cut-off date. A few weeks before the gala, an email will be sent
out showing your accepted entries and how much you need to pay. At this
point you should send your payment to our secretary. Any
cancellations should be given to our secretary as early as possible to
allow the organising club to give the swims to another swimmer. Once accepted and reserve entries
have been received all entries have to be paid for whether you swim or
no.
Please
note there are separate times for short course (25m) and long course
(50m) swims although conversion tables can be found on the web sites.
Usually it is best to keep them separate when keeping your PB list. Age
is taken as age on the day for most galas.
PARENT-HELPERS
The club needs parents help in many ways - please volunteer to help where
you can - we are delighted with all offers. At each of our home galas
we have 4 sessions (2 on Sat, 2 on Sun) and we need 12 helpers plus
about 10 Officials for each session, so all help is very much
appreciated. New parents can try their stopwatch hand time-keeping at
Club events and then proceed to "officialdom" later. The Club
and West District hold various training courses throughout the year. As
older swimmers and their parents leave the Club we need to replace them
with new (and younger!) ones so please consider this. We need to supply
a certain number of officials for West District events or a fine may be
imposed. For our home Galas we have to supply the
appropriate number of officials for the Meet to be
"accredited" and a failure to do this would mean that a
swimmer's time would not be recognised as official - a disaster to a
swimmer if their PB is not official or a record not recognised! We also
welcome anyone able to help poolside or on the committee.
FUND-RAISING
This is needed to help keep running costs of club down and fees
reasonable. We hold 4 home galas per year at Auchenharvie (Feb, May,
Sept and Nov) and they each make a profit of over £1000 at each meet. A
lot of work is involved (see above) but this is essential to Club
finances. Other events usually held are several bag-packing days per
year at local supermarkets, a race-night, an auction, tombolas, raffles
and swim shops at home galas. NB
we have a kit shop which sells subsidised club swimwear
products-swimsuits/club caps/hooded tops/rugby tops/T-shirts/floats
etc. see pool rep/kit convener or web site. -they make great Xmas
presents!
SOCIAL
As the Club is spread out over 3 pools the committee tries to organise
several events per year to allow parents and swimmers to meet. Recent events
have included a race night, a climb up Goat Fell, and a cycle round
Millport, a 10-pin bowling night and a junior disco. Ideas and help are
always welcome. Previous years have seen weekend trips to galas in Ards
(Belfast), Inverness
and Edinburgh and a weeks training camp at Club La Santa in
Lanzarote.
Check
www.naasc.co.uk for up-to-date
club info and watch the Club notice boards.
COMMONLY
USED TERMS.
PB
- a swimmers personal best time for a given event.
Entry
time - the time submitted by the
club for a swimmer being entered in a gala. If entries are made well in advance,
the entry time may not be the swimmers current PB
Consideration
time - the maximum entry time for a particular event that the organisers
of a gala will consider.
Flyer - a false start or early take-over in
a race
I.M.
- individual medley. The
competitor swims all four strokes in the following order: - butterfly,
backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle.
Medley
relay - four swimmers each swim a different stroke. The order is always backstroke,
breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle.
Declared
winner - when no final is swum and the winner is declared on the times
swum in the heats
Long
course - events held in a 50 metre pool. Short course - events held in
a 25 metre pool
Flexibility
- exercises done to loosen muscles prior to starting swimming
Land
training - training sessions in the gym for older swimmers
Lactate
testing - checking the amount of lactate acid in a swimmer's blood
after a particular training session.
The result is used to assess the swimmer's progress, and to
modify the sessions for the swimmer.
Very small samples are taken.
T20 - the number of lengths a swimmer can
complete in 20 minutes in a training session. Coaches use this to assess progress
in training.
DQ'd
and disq. - abbreviation for disqualified on result sheets and time
cards
DNF
- did not finish - seen on result sheets and time cards
DNS
- did not swim - seen on result sheets and time cards
WNAX
- clubs identity letters on time cards and programs
Time
trial - internal meet held to establish times for entry to galas and
team selection
GUIDELINES FOR SWIMMERS AT
TRAINING AND GALAS
1.
You must arrive on poolside 15 minutes before the official
warm-up time.
2.
You must find out what strokes you are swimming and carry out
a correct warm-up. If you are
not sure what you should be doing, ask the coach in charge.
3.
You must wear your North Ayrshire kit with pride. If you wear a cap it must be a Club
cap. You must wear a Club shirt
to collect your medals.
4.
You must sit or stand where you are instructed. Do not leave poolside without your
coach's permission. Stay with
the team - do not go to the spectators area
5.
You must be QUIET once the whistle has gone to signal the
start of a race. Once the race
has started you may shout a loud as you like!
6.
You MUST NOT misbehave on poolside. Do not run. Do not push other swimmers. If you misbehave, the coach will ask
you to leave, and you will take no further part in the training or
gala. No bad mouthing other teams are tolerated.
7.
You must prepare yourself mentally and physically for your
race by
a.
thinking about how you will swim
b.
doing some flexibility exercises before your race
8.
You must be aware of how the gala is progressing. Know when
your next swim is due. Make sure you are at the start in plenty of time
for your race.
9.
You must let your coach know as soon as possible if you are
unable to swim in an event for which you have been selected. The coach has to organise the
swimmers for each event, and if you do not advise them that you are not
available in good time last minute changes have to be made. This takes up time the coach should
be using to advise others.
10. YOU MUST NOT LEAVE POOLSIDE
UNTIL AFTER THE LAST RACE IS OVER AND THE TEAM HAS GIVEN A CHEER.
Swim well -- enjoy yourselves -- aim for a PB in every race
DISCIPLINARY CODE
1.
VERBAL WARNING AND DISCUSSION WITH PARENT - can be done on
poolside and committee informed later.
2.
WRITTEN WARNING SENT TO PARENTS
3.
SUSPENSION FOR 1 MONTH
2
and 3 above must come to the committee before action is taken. Members
shall be notified in writing of the committee's decision and shall have
the right of appeal.
SQUAD GUIDELINE
The
club swimmers are divided into seven squads – S1, S2, S3 and S4
– senior squads
J1,
J2 and J3 – Junior Squads The following guidelines have been set
to inform swimmers and parents of the standards expected of each
squad. Swimmers who are moved
into a higher squad are expected to achieve the times expected of that
squad, and may be moved down if they do no meet the expected times.
J3:
1 – 2 sessions a week. Swimmers should be working toward
improving stamina and technique.
J2:
3 sessions a week. Swimmers
should continue working toward improving stamina and technique.
J1:
4 sessions plus Sunday evening.
This squad’s either for swimmer’s to keep fit at on
older age level but also a stepping-stone to achieve a fitness level to
move to Bronze. Aiming for mini
league.
S4:
5 sessions a week. The squad
coach will advise each swimmer on what sessions they may attend. These swimmers should be aiming for
consistency in land based exercise and pool training to be allowed to
try a morning.
S3:
7 sessions a week. The swimmers
should have achieved West District qualifying times in two of the four
strokes. The times required for
each age group will be displayed on the pool notice boards. A minimum of 6 training sessions
should be attended per week including Sunday evening. Swimmers in the Silver squad are
aiming at achieving national times and are picked for West District
camps.
S2: 8 sessions a week. Swimmers have
achieved West District times and trying to achieve Scottish national
time. These swimmers are
expected to attend at least 8 training sessions Looking forward to
British qualifying times or West District silver squad,
S1: 10 sessions a week. Swimmers are
those who are achieving number of sessions asked and trying to reach
times for Scottish Nationals or British have achieved UK qualifying times in two
strokes.
Young
Masters: 16 plus; wishing to stay fit and have some fun and help out
young swimmers.
Masters
– 18 years plus; a high standard of discipline and commitment is
expected from all squad swimmers at all times.
All
squads are part of a team, which will work together to compete in
league matches, mini meets, graded meets and galas.
If
you have any other questions please ask your coach who will be happy to
advise you.
Please
note - ALL SQUAD MOVES ARE AT
THE COACHES DISCRETION, AND THE COACHES DECISIONS ARE FINAL.
|
- 
