Swim Swansea Swimmers Performance Review Policy

This performance review policy supports the use of the performance, attendance and technical criteria outlined within the individual squad criteria. The performance, technical and attendance criteria for all the Swim Swansea squads are available on the Swim Swansea website www.swim-swansea.co.uk and in the Welcome Pack for all new swimmers

The timeline for review cycles is aimed to support both the membership and club performance, allowing for swimmers to achieve their potential and for the Head Coach/Junior Development Coach to plan for the accommodation of changes to squad numbers in advance of need. All promotions/changes must go through the Head Coach.

Swimmer Performance Reviews and Internal Promotions:

Coaches frequently review the performance of their squad members. In the higher squads, swimmers progress through the ‘lanes’ in some or all of their strokes/sessions. Swimmer Performance Reviews are a formal review procedure to identify movements between the squads. The review cycle is every 5 weeks at a coaches meeting, coaches recommend swimmers to either link with the next squad or move up to the next squad. Swimmers that link will swim at least once per week with the next squad, this link period will last for the next 5
week training cycle.

Swimmer Performance Reviews include the following process:

Coach Reviews:

Coaches review their squads and discuss their recommendations for movements with the Head Coach. The review incorporates attendance, performance, and technical ability, feedback about behaviour, attitude and readiness for an increase or change in training.

Recommendations:

a) Promotion agreed and letter of congratulations and offer of promotion sent to parents, including new fees etc.

b) Where a swimmer is not meeting all the required criteria a letter will be sent to the swimmer and parents detailing necessary improvements within a one month timescale and inviting them to attend a meeting about this if they wish.

c) Where a swimmer has not improved their performance according to the requested improvements, and no good reasons can be offered as to why, then the Head Coach will recommend that a transfer to a parallel or lower squad is effected.

Promotions:

Promotions within the squad structure are as a result of meeting the criteria for the next squad. Times can be achieved through recognized galas and meets, club championships and time trials and need to be matched with a firm commitment to successful training.

 Competitive Development

Swim Swansea is keen to promote a parallel squad structure that will provide for those swimmers who still want to compete at a high level, but as of yet have not  achieved the performance squad criteria’s.

The Competitive Development Pathwayalso offers athletes  a high quality training program with a full time coach, and coaching from the Head Coach and Assistant coach

It is our aim to provide squads where swimmers can be within their own age range, with a lesser time demand but still continue to compete and improve at an appropriate pace with the high quality coaching that is needed for those swimmers to regain their places in the performance squads when the time is right.

Exceptions and Trials

In very exceptional circumstances, for example where a swimmer has been subject to illness or long absence and on return to fitness makes outstanding progress in a very short time it may be appropriate for the Head Coach to suggest a trial in a higher squad. These trials are outlined in the performance, attendance and technical criteria.

All squad movements are at the discretion of the Head Coach and the coaching Team. The Head Coach will have the final say in all squad movements from Junior Development and above. The Junior Development Officer will have the final say in squad movements from Skills 3 downwards.