Website last updated on 05/05/2010
[ Contact Us ]
WHAT'S NEW?
| Morpeth v Portobello |
| NER LC Championships 2010 |
| 2010 Age Group & Youth NQTs |
What equipment do I need at a gala?
Swimmers should take the following items to each gala:
Swimming costume(s), 2 towels, a pair of poolside shoes, goggles (2 pairs), a club hat, a club t-shirt and shorts/jogging pants or a club tracksuit to put on between races, drinks (not fizzy) and a packed lunch and snacks if the gala lasts all day. Please remember valuable items are taken at your own risk.
How do I know if I am swimming in a gala?
The coach will inform swimmers if they have been selected and/or have the entry times for the galas the club are going to attend. You will be given a form with the details of cost per swim and who to return the completed form to and by which date. (Please note, no application forms will be accepted after the closing date and all payments must be made by cheque.)
How do I know what my entry times are?
It is a good idea if you keep a record of your times from galas, including the venue and date achieved. At each subsequent gala a swimmer's fastest times will have to be submitted with each new entry for each swim. The competition secretary will also keep this information, but you should also know what your personal best times are because you will need this information for training sessions.
What are the types of gala?
OPEN galas
These galas are aimed at the faster swimmers.
GRADED galas
These are aimed at swimmers who are not fast enough to enter open galas.
FRIENDLY INTER CLUB galas
These are galas between two or more clubs. At these galas you will be swimming as part of a team. There is usually an opportunity for any swimmer who wants to have a swim to be included in the team.
NORTHUMBERLAND & DURHAM COUNTIES (N & Ds)
Age Group Championships are normally held over 2 weekends in March, and Youth/Open Championships over one weekend in February. Qualifying times are set for these championships and swimmers must prove they have swum faster than the entry times.
Graded Championships are held over 3 weekends in September, October & November. Times set at these galas are slower and swimmers must not have swam faster than the entry time.
NORTH EAST REGION (NERs)
Age Group Championships are normally held over the first and second weekends in June, and one weekend in November. Youth/Open Championships are held in May, and again in November.
Clubs from all over the North East Region attend. Qualifying times are faster than the N & Ds.
NATIONALS
The National Championships are held in July/August. Qualifying times are very fast, and only the best swimmers will reach this level.
What do Age Groups, Youth and Senior mean?
Age Group swimmers are girls from 9 to 13, and boys from 9 to 14. The same age swimmers compete against each other, with swimmers usually competing as age on the day.
Youth and senior swimmers are older than age groupers, and they compete against each other without being separated into year groups.
What are over the top starts?
To make galas run more quickly (they are often very long affairs lasting from 8am until 5pm), over the top starts are often used. This means that when swimmers finish a race, they remain in the water holding on to the end of the lane whilst the next race is started. Obviously this cannot happen for backstroke races!
Why am I in the water with older and younger swimmers?
Although age group swimmers will be competing for titles and medals with swimmers of the same age, the programme is often set up so that they are actually racing in the water with swimmers of the same ability rather than age. The programme will list all the swimmers from the slowest to the fastest, and the heats will get faster as the race progresses. This means that all swimmers are given the opportunity of having a competitive race, and this should make it more likely that they swim to their own potential. The results sheets will split the swimmers back into age groups and rank them accordingly.