Swim 21
Halesowen Swimming Club has achieved the standards of Swim 21
In November 2002 Halesowen Swimming Club was amongst the first three clubs nationally to be Swim 21 accredited and was the first of the original Swim 21 clubs to be re-accredited in February 2007.
What is Swim 21?
The Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) is the governing body for the
sport of swimming in England. Swimming clubs affiliating to the ASA
must comply with its rules and the laws of swimming.
Swim 21 is the ASA's 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 athletes - striving to provide them with the best possible support and environment.
Swim 21 Accreditation is a 'Quality mark'. It recognises nationally and regionally the clubs that are committed to providing safe, effective and quality services for the benefit of their members.
What do Clubs have to do?
Clubs aiming to achieve Swim 21 standards complete an audit
of their swimming programme and structure and then develop an action
plan to address areas needing attention. Evidence is collected to
demonstrate achievement all of the measures and submitted to the ASA
for approval by a Swim 21 panel.
Each year clubs are required to maintain and update their action plan and submit to the ASA for approval.
After four years clubs are required to apply for re-accreditation and go through the full process of audit and evidence submission for approval by the Swim 21 panel.
How Are Clubs Assessed?
Following implementation of the action plan clubs go through a
process of self-assessment against a range of ‘elements’ and are
required to score themselves against these criteria. The assessment
and evidence are submitted to an ASA assessment panel for their
consideration.
What are the standards?
There are four levels of accreditation:
1. Teaching (emphasis on quality teaching using a multi-skill
approach)
2. Skill Development (athletes develop their technical skill within
a quality programme of coaching and competition)
3. Competitive Development (athletes are part of a quality training
and development programme, which consistently enables athletes to
compete successfully at regional and national levels)
4. Performance (athletes can access training and support services
in a performance development environment that is focussed and coach
driven)
Within each level the elements for assessment are grouped into
three areas:
1. Compliance (emphasis on good club management)
2. Workforce Development (focus on training and development of
people within the club)
3. Athlete Development (concentration on the needs of the swimmer)
Swim 21 can be achieved in any of the four aquatic disciplines of swimming, water polo, synchronised swimming and diving.
What level has Halesowen Swimming Club Achieved?
Halesowen Swimming Club is Swim 21 accredited at Skill Development
level in swimming.
What is Sport England’s Clubmark?
Clubs achieving Swim 21 also automatically meet the standards of
Sport England’s Clubmark and signifies the Club’s commitment to
being a safe, effective and child-friendly sports club.
What’s the story behind the scenes?
Work on Swim 21 first began at Halesowen Swimming Club in 1999 with
an audit of our swimming programme and the club structure. At the
end of this process our action plan was submitted to the ASA in
mid-2001 for approval to address areas needing attention.
Throughout late 2001 and 2002 all elements of the action plan were
implemented.
On 1st November 2002 Halesowen Swimming Club was amongst the first three clubs nationally to be Swim 21 accredited. The club submitted action plans in each of the following three years to successfully maintain its Swim 21 status.
The ASA revised and updated the Swim 21 criteria in 2006 and the club began work on both re-accreditation and the new standards early in that year. On 14th February 2007 Halesowen Swimming Club was the first of the original Swim 21 clubs nationally to be re-accredited with Swim 21 status.
From being one of the first three clubs to be originally Swim 21 accredited, Halesowen Swimming Club is now one of more than 300 accredited clubs nationally.
What Happens Now?
Swim 21 is fully embedded at the Club and is now simply part of what
we do.
Our aim is to continuously develop our swimming programme and Swim 21 provides the framework and benchmark against which we will continue to measure ourselves.
“’Swim 21 is a journey - not a destination’. When the club was accredited in 2002 there was a sense of having done an enormous amount of work to arrive at that point. However, we have probably done as much work, if not more, since that time and there has been no stone left unturned at the club. While we can briefly enjoy the knowledge and satisfaction that we are the first of the original Swim 21 clubs to be re-accredited, the everyday job of providing a rewarding and challenging environment for our 300+ swimmers supported by 70+ volunteers carries on regardless.
I am regularly asked for advice about how to go about achieving Swim 21 status but I am afraid to say that there are no shortcuts but two words will stand you in very good stead, ‘be relentless’. Halesowen Swimming Club is proud of its Swim 21 achievements and our own Swim 21 journey continues ... relentlessly”
Duncan Edmonds
Chairman