Joining the City of Hereford Swimming Club
We have created a handy guide to the typical questions when considering joining a swimming club. Whether you are looking to join to progress from a learn to swim programme into competitive swimming, or simply want to continue to develop skills and fitness levels, we would be delighted to hear from you.
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When should I join the club?
Well this will vary depending on the age and aspirations of the swimmer. The optimum age for girls to join a competitive programme is 7 ½ - 9 ½ yrs old and boys 8 – 10 yrs old. In both cases as a rough guide they should have completed Stage 6. Don’t worry if you are older than this as it could be your swimming lessons have provided the necessary skills, or you have a natural feel for water. Older swimmers may also join the club and participate in our more fitness-based squads. These would usually accommodate swimmers who want to pursue other sports or who come to the club with no previous competitive swimming experience. Swimmers in these squads are usually 11 years or older. -
How do I join the club?
You are welcome to come along to a trial session with the Club. Please use the contact form below to arrange a suitable day and time for a trial. Trials usually take place on a Tuesday, Thursday, or Sunday afternoon. A coach will ask you to swim a few lengths to assertain your level of technical skill, so that we can see if you are ready for the club and also which squad you would be most suited too. They will also be on hand to answer any questions that you may have about the club, training fees, expectations, etc.. -
How much training is involved?
This will depend on how old you are and what level of stamina you have. More detail on the number of training sessions and times for the different squads can be found in the training section of the club website. We are used to swimmers coming from swimming lessons to the club and appreciate this is a big step up. For such swimmers, we would normally ask you to attend one of the academy squad sessions, as your fitness increases, before stepping up to two one hour training sessions to enable the progress into future squads -
Will I get technical training?
The club follows Sport England’s Long Term Athletic Development (LTAD) approach. This is about laying a strong technical foundation in swimmers from the start. Strength and stamina come later on in the development of a swimmer and should be first built upon a strong technical foundation to maximize potential.
The LTAD approach is also followed by most swimming lesson providers and there is a natural transition from swimming lessons to the swimming club.
Techniques are not just developed in to pool either, older members of the club will also benefit from land training, to develop muscle control and strength. -
What equipment do I need?
All you will need when you first join is a properly fitting swimming costume (nothing baggy), goggles and a hat. You should also bring a drinking bottle of water to training sessions too. As you progress, you are also expected to purchase the necessary equipment to train effectively, including items such as kick-board, pull-buoy, and fins. More details of what equipment is required for the different swimming squads can be located here. -
What will it cost?
See the training fees section of this website for details of annual membership and monthly training fees.