READING ROYALS LEAD THE WAY WITH SWIM 21 AWARD
Reading Royals is the first synchronised swimming club in
the country to achieve Swim 21 accreditation under the Amateur
Swimming Association's club development programme.
Launched in 2002 and amended at the beginning of 2006 to
incorporate all aquatic disciplines, Swim 21 links in with
Sport England's Clubmark scheme and is the ASA's quality mark
for clubs.
Based on the principles of Long Term Athlete Development,
Swim 21 encourages clubs to specialise in one of four disciplines;
Teaching, Skill Development, Competitive Development and Performance.
Reading Royals has been accredited for Competitive Development,
which means the club focuses on age group and junior athletes.
It identifies athletes and nurtures them to ensure they achieve
their potential on the national and international stage.
The Swim 21 accreditation comes at the right time for Reading
Royals as synchro in Britain faces changes prompted by London's
successful bid to host the 2012 Olympics. Swim 21 provides
a clearer opportunity of developing talent to produce the
right results in London.
ASA National Development Officer for Synchro, Karen Thorpe,
is pleased to see the first club gain Swim 21 accreditation,
which sets the standard for others to follow.
"Reading Royals is an extremely well-organised club
and they wanted to take a lead in achieving this Swim 21 accreditation,"
said Thorpe.
"There are other clubs following suit now who are also
putting together programmes that will gain Swim 21 accreditation
in the near future."
Thorpe has been liaising with the regions to ensure other
clubs appreciate the benefit of Swim 21 accreditation, which
is integral to producing athletes of a high standard.
"Swim 21 clubs will follow the Long Term Athlete Development
model we have for synchronised swimming to ensure athletes
at a certain age are receiving the best guidance," explained
Thorpe.
"There are many benefits to gaining Swim 21 such as
additional support but the main element is ensuring we're
producing athletes capable of taking the sport forward. It
creates a more professional environment and therefore a more
professional athlete."
Clubs interested in working towards Swim 21 accreditation
should contact their Regional Development Officer.
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