There are 7 different squads within the club, training between 2 and 7 sessions a week including land training.
Fitness
This squad is aimed at those members who are less focused on a competitive pathway but enjoy using swimming to stay fit, improve their skills and race if they wish. The squad may also be useful to those swimmers who have lost fitness due to injury or other commitments and wish to return to their competitive squad in a staged manner.
The minimum age to join the Fitness Squad is 12. Prior to this, the athlete’s strokes are still developing and they are unlikely to have a clear idea whether or not they wish to follow the competitive route.
Swimmers are expected to:
- Attend training on a regular and punctual basis
- Option to enter ALL Club Competitions (Age Group & Open) if capable of completing distance
- Option to enter external competitions as recommended by Coach (£1 subsidy per event for all external competitions – except Argyll & Bute Championships)
Development
This is the initial squad that swimmers entering the club will join. It is an assessment squad which allows the coaches to determine how quickly the swimmer may move up to the next level and gives the swimmer the opportunity to “trial” the club. The sessions are short but coincide with other squads so the scope of the club is immediately apparent. It is recommended that those in swimming lessons continue in lessons until the swimmer reaches either copper or bronze to increase pool time.
Copper
These swimmers are new club swimmers whose main focus is on developing their strokes as well as their endurance. Coaching is carried out at LTAD level: Swimskills/FUNdamentals.
Swimmers are expected to:
- Attend training on a regular and punctual basis
- Enter Club Age Group Competitions if appropriate
Note that external competitions are not recommended for swimmers in this squad. A swimmer cannot move into Bronze squad until they have legal strokes for freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke.
Bronze
These swimmers are competitive swimmers who are developing basic technical ability in all 4 strokes and representing the Club externally (Mini League etc). Coaching is carried out at LTAD level: Swimskills/learn to train.
Work in Bronze will focus on developing legal strokes in all 4 strokes, along with the appropriate legal starts and turns.
Swimmers are expected to:
- Attend training on a regular and punctual basis
- Enter ALL Club Age Group Competitions if capable of completing distance
- Participate in ALL Mini League competitions
- Enter external competitions as recommended by Coach (£1 subsidy per event for all external competitions – except Argyll & Bute Championships)
A swimmer leaving Bronze squad should be able to complete all starts and turns and be able to carry out all strokes. After which, the swimmer should move to Silver or Fitness squad, depending on ability and commitment.
Silver
These swimmers are competitive swimmers who regularly represent the Club externally. Coaching is carried out at LTAD level: Swimskills /Training to Train.
Emphasis is on expanding the swimmer’s aerobic capacity through an increase in the number of sessions and the distance swum aligned to maintenance of an efficient technique.
Swimmers are expected to:
- Achieve or be close to achieving Set times
- Attend training on a regular and punctual basis. Minimum 70% attendance
- Enter ALL Club Competitions (Age Group & Open)
- Participate in ALL Mini League competitions if eligible
- Enter external competitions as recommended by Coach (£1 subsidy per event for all external competitions excluding Argyll & Bute Championships)
- Follow Coach’s flexibility programme
A swimmer leaving Silver squad should be a keen competent (stroke wise and endurance wise) athlete who is interested in further developing as a competitive swimmer (if moving to Silver Elite) or maintaining a level of fitness (if moving to Fitness).
Silver Elite
These swimmers are competitive swimmers who regularly represent the Club externally. Coaching is carried out at LTAD level: Training to Train.
This squad was developed to bridge a gap in the club between an older gold squad and a very wide ranging silver squad. Its current make-up starts in the training to train level and may introduce some training to compete elements. All members should be able to swim as part of a Gold session if required but would not be expected to cope with all aspects. Encouraging a positive mindset and attention to non-swimming aspects of training are given more emphasis (land work, hydration, rest, diet).
To get the most out of Silver Elite squad training, regular attendance at all sessions, including the morning sessions, is required. In addition, listening skills and the ability to put instructions into practice at the first time of telling are key.
Swimmers are expected to:
- Achieve or be close to achieving Set times
- Attend all sessions regularly (including mornings) and be punctual. Minimum 70% attendance
- Enter ALL Club Competitions (Age Group & Open)
- Participate in ALL Mini League competitions if eligible
- Enter external competitions as recommended by Coach (£1 subsidy per event for all external competitions excluding Argyll & Bute Championships)
- Follow Coach’s flexibility programme
A swimmer leaving Silver Elite to join Gold squad should have excellent stroke technique, be able to understand the value of working as hard as possible in a session and be keen to compete at West District or National levels. Swimmers leaving Silver Elite to join Fitness have usually decided that they cannot commit to the training required to compete at higher levels but they are keen to maintain their fitness.
Gold
These swimmers are competitive swimmers who regularly represent the Club externally. Coaching is carried out at LTAD level: Training to Train / Training to compete.
Gold squad comprises those competitive swimmers who have progressed along the LTAD pathway and are sufficiently mature to benefit from a variety of training methods including skill sets, aerobic expansion, anaerobic tolerance and strength specific training. By this stage, the swimmer should be self motivated to improve, with coaching providing the means for this.
Swimmers are expected to:
- Achieve or be close to achieving West District consideration times
- Attend all sessions regularly (including mornings) and be punctual. Minimum 70% attendance
- Enter ALL Club Competitions (Age Group & Open)
- Enter external competitions as recommended by Coach (£1 subsidy per event for all external competitions excluding Argyll & Bute Championships)
- Follow Coach’s flexibility & land conditioning programme
Further information on LTAD is available on our Coaching Philosophy page.