Swim 21
The committee are working hard to try and achieve "Swim 21" status for Buxton
Swim 21 what is it?
Swim 21 is the ASA Club Development model,
a planning tool based on the principles of Long
Term Athlete Development, enabling clubs to help
athletes, teachers, coaches and administrators to
achieve their full potential. It focuses particularly
on the needs of the athletes striving to provide
the best possible support environment. Swim 21
is not just endorsed by the ASA but also by Sport
England; Swim 21 Accreditation includes Sport
England Clubmark, a kite mark set across all sports.
What is Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD)?
Long Term Athlete Development is about achieving
optimal training, competition and recovery
throughout an athletes career, particularly in
relation to the important growth and development
years of young people. For more information on
LTAD visit the British Swimming website
www.britishswimming.org.
Who can apply for Swim 21?
Swim 21 Accreditation is available to ASA clubs of
any aquatic discipline diving, swimming, synchro
or water polo. Each club is encouraged to sign up
to Swim 21 and are positioned at one or more of
the 4 areas:
Teaching
where the emphasis is on quality
teaching using a multi skill approach, underpinned by sound governance;
Skill Development
where the athletes develop
their technical skill within a quality programme of coaching and competition, supported by sound governance;
Competitive Development where, supported by
sound governance, athletes are part of a quality training and development programme, which consistently enables athletes to compete successfully at regional and national levels; Performance where athletes can access training
and support services in a performance development environment that is focussed and coach driven and supported by sound governance. How do I know if I am at a Swim 21 Accredited club? All clubs who have achieved Swim 21 are allowed to use the Swim 21 logo on their letterheads, promotional material, and website. They also receive a certificate from the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) to display at their training venue in order to promote their achievement. There is a full list of Accredited Swim 21 clubs on the British Swimming website www.britishswimming.org. What are the benefits of being at a Swim 21 club? The club is implementing the ASA Child Protection Policy and their coaches/teachers and volunteers have been CRB checked in line with national guidance; The clubs coaches/teachers and volunteers are appropriately qualified and access continuous professional development to ensure they are up to date with current teaching and coaching principles/methods; The club is accessing sufficient pool time to ensure swimmers are able to develop in line with the Long Term Athlete Development model; The club is pro-active in developing a swimmer pathway to ensure swimmers can continue to progress and develop; The club will have more opportunities to access additional funding through the ASA, Sport England and other agencies. What can I do if the club I am at is a non-Accredited club? Not all clubs are Accredited yet. It is important that your club is aware of Swim 21 and is working towards Accreditation that means they are actively planning to try and reach the quality standard. It may be that the club needs more support with the management/teaching/coaching and officiating and you may be able to help them by bringing this to their attention and assisting them.
