Goal Setting, Personal Best (PB) Times and Awards

Goal Setting

The Coaching Team have produced the following guidelines to allow Seals swimmers to best achieve their potential.

Setting Performance Goals in Swimming_Final

Also given here is the Goal Setting Form which should be completed after conversations with the coach mentor for each training group.

Seals Goal Setting Form_Final

Personal Best (PB) Times and Club Records

These are updated after every fixture.   It is then possible for every child to check their PB times in readiness for entry into open meets.

PB times are stored on each child’s record sheet held in Club Organiser (www.cluborganiser.co.uk/login).   Access to these is limited to individual swimmers and is password protected.   Club records are also available through CO.

Competitive Swimming Performance Badges

Swim England has a set of competitive award standards and badges for swimmers to work towards regardless of age. Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum badges are available and the required times for these are shown here.

Competitive Swimming Awards Times

The awards are split into Sprint (25m, 50m and 100m for all strokes) and Middle Distance (200m all strokes plus 400m freestyle). The strokes are Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly and Individual Medley (IM).

Distance awards are for 800m and 1500m freestyle.

Sprint Awards

The flashes for each individual stroke are earned once the qualifying time (at any distance) has been achieved – it is only necessary to achieve one time at one distance.

Once flashes have been achieved for all five strokes the round badge and certificate is awarded.

Middle Distance Awards

Once again the flashes for each individual stroke are earned once the qualifying time (at any distance) has been achieved – it is only necessary to achieve one time at one distance.

However, as the stroke flashes are identical to those awarded for Sprint times, the round badge will be issued with the first one achieved which will allow swimmers to separately identify the two sets of times.

The certificate that accompanies the Middle Distance round badge will be issued once a qualifying time for each stroke has been gained.

All Sprint and Middle Distance awards achieved are included in each swimmer’s records on Club Organiser.

Qualifying Events

A Sprint or Middle Distance time can be achieved at any organised event, i.e. an event where there is a qualified or experienced timekeeper on each lane. Results will be publicised after these events and awards identified.

To obtain an award, swimmers should contact the Awards Coordinator (awards@saffronseals.org.uk) who will make arrangements to attend the next training session.  A fee is payable for these badges.

The layout for these badges on a Saffron Seals T-bag t-shirt is shown below – sprint badges immediately below ‘Saffron Seals’, middle distance badges below those. The Pre-Competitive Start award is above ‘Saffron Seals’.

IMG_6834

Pre-Competitive Start Award

This award is gained when a swimmer demonstrates an ability to safely dive into shallow water.   This will be confirmed by the Lead Coaches after specific training sessions have been completed.   This badge can be purchased at a cost of £3.00 (including certificate).

Achieving this award does not mean a move into a higher training group – it is a part of the natural progression through the skills required for competitive swimming.

 

Scroll to Top