What Insurance does the club hold?

Sutton & Cheam Swimming Club is insured through the ASA (Amateur Swimming Association) scheme, which covers all affiliated clubs whether for swimming or water polo. The cover includes Civil liability, Employers' Liability, Personal Accident and Legal Expenses Insurance in respect of any activity recognised and/or authorised by the Amateur Swimming Association anywhere in the world.

The cover embraces all officials, staff, advisers, committees and all members of affiliated Clubs (UK residents only) whilst participating in any ASA approved activity.

Full details of the scheme can be seen in the Summary of the Club's insurance cover 2010/11.

Club members wishing to take part in any activity under the auspices of Sutton & Cheam Swimming Club outside the core activities relating to the disciplines of swimming and water polo, should seek advice from the club secretary in order that any requirements of notification to the insurers can be fulfilled.

N.B. A copy of our Royal and Sun Alliance Employers Liability Certificate is displayed in each venue as required by law.

If you have any further questions about the club's insurance cover, please contact the club secretary

Are your coaches qualified?

The ASA/IoS encourages all clubs to have appropriately qualified teachers and coaches covering all sessions. All Sutton & Cheam Swimming Club's coaching staff are ASA qualified and our Chief Coach Jim Walker is qualified to UKCC Level 3; as well as being a licenced coach and a member of the Institute of Swimming.

However, "the ASA/IoS also recognises that from time to time clubs may have difficulty in finding volunteers with the appropriate qualifications (especially in the smaller disciplines) and therefore providing the sessions are operated within the standard safety framework, and in line with the procedures laid down by the Pool Operators, the insurance policy (described above) is valid" (See British Swimming website)

Do I have to be a good swimmer to join the club?

No. We have members of all ages and levels. However, if you can already swim one width; you are interested in competitive swimming or water polo and you're looking for a club to join, look no further. We will make you better. Come along for a free trial. We will assess you and place you in the right group for your ability.

What is the joining process?

If you are interested in joining the club, you are invited to attend a free water trial at Cheam Leisure Centre. Trials are held regularly (usually on the 3rd Wednesday of every month) and you can use our contact form to book an appointment for a water trial with one of our club coaches. The assessment will determine which of the training squads you will join.

Can my child race in competitions?

Sutton & Cheam Swimming Club is a competitive club so our aim is to get all members swimming at a level that suits their ability. The Championships in the autumn are open to all club members of all ages and abilities and we encourage everyone to take part. Look out for information on the noticeboards and website. We also run quarterly internal 'Splash' galas to get swimmers used to competing.

When do swimmers move between squads?

Coaches decide on movement of swimmers between the various groups based on continuous assessment during training. We also hold quarterly 'splash galas' to help us identify swimmers who are ready to be moved on to higher groups.

Can I discuss my child's progress with the coaches?

Our coaches will always be happy to talk to you about your child's progress but please don't expect a chat during training sessions when they are busy on the poolside. Please speak to them afterwards or arrange a mutually convenient time for your discussion.

How will I know my child is progressing?

Please ask their coaches as above. You can also come and watch. You'll get to know some of the other parents as well as club officials and helpers. We also run a series of impromptu 'Splash' Galas every 6-8 weeks or so. Times are posted on the noticeboards and on this website so you will easily be able to keep track of progress. Why don't you encourage your child to keep a logbook.

Can I pay by Direct Debit?

Yes, many people do and it's much easier. If you are interested, please speak to anyone on the table on Wednesday evenings or contact the club secretary at any time.

What equipment will I need?

To get the most out of swimming, swimmers in our Beginners, Improvers 1 & 2 groups need:

• Swimming costume
  
• Swimming hat
  
• Goggles
  
• Towel

Swimmers in all other groups will need (in addition to the above):

• Short blade training fins (short flippers)
  
• Kick board
  
• Pull buoy
  
• Hand paddles
  
• Drinks bottle

Please note club costumes, club hats and club 'T-bags' must be worn at all events in which the club takes part. Tracksuits are optional. It helps to wear club colours at galas as spectators can see which lane you're in more easily. Swimming hats are compulsory for girls and for boys with long hair.

Can I buy equipment through the club?

• Monday - Cheam 6.30 - 8.00pm
• Thursday - Morden 7.00 - 8.30pm
• Sunday - Banstead 4.30 - 5.30pm

If we haven't got it in stock, we can usually order it.

However, Sutton and Cheam Swimming Club have now teamed up with SRS Leisure to bring you a much wider choice of training equipment, which you can order on-line.

What are the club colours?

Club colours are red, white and blue.

Can anyone play water polo?

Yes though you need to be fit and fast as it is a very dynamic game. We usually start girls and boys playing mini water polo around the age of 8 or 9 years.

What are BAGCATS?

The BAGCATs stand for the British Age Group Categories, which introduce a points system to measure and compare swimmers' performance. The latest thinking is that swimmers at an early stage of their development should compete to win an overall category award rather than specialising in a particular event. The BAGCATs therefore define four different categories, sprint, form, distance and medley. The BAG Points are calculated from a set of age-related tables for each of the above categories as follows:

• Sprint - best 50m-sprint performance (i.e. 50m back, breast, butterfly and freestyle)
  
• Form - best form stroke performance (i.e. form strokes are those with a defined form according to ASA Law) thus best performance at 200m back, breast or butterfly)
  
• Distance - best performance at 200m, 400m or 1500m Freestyle)
  
• Medley - best performance at 100m, 200m or 400 Individual Medley)
  

To work out the BAGCAT points for an individual swimmer, you must complete at least one swim from each of the categories and the points for the best performance in each are totalled to give a single score.

I hope this explains it but for further information, please visit the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) web site

What does age on 31st December mean?

Most galas are run for swimmers of different age groups in two-year age bands such as Under 12, Under 14, Under 16 and Open. If a gala is run on an 'age on 31st December' basis, it refers to how old the swimmer must be on the 31st December in the year of competition. It does not necessarily mean the age of the swimmer on the day of the competition. Thus under 12 on 31st December 2009, means no older than 11 on that date and so the swimmer must be born in or after 1998. Similarly, Under 11 on 31st December 2009 means no older than 10 and so the swimmer must be born in 1999 or later. Some events are 'age on the day' and this is self explanatory.

What does U12, U14 U16, Open mean?

Most galas are run for swimmers of different age groups such as Under 12, Under 14, Under 16 and Open though some galas refer to 11/U (11& Under), 13/U (13&Under) 15/U (15&Under) and Open. Both mean the same thing.

What is HDW?

HDW stands for 'Heat Declared Winners'. This means that event winners are 'declared' from the performance in the heats without having to swim a final.

How are teams selected for galas?

Teams are selected for galas on their current form and we try very hard to ensure everyone is given the chance to compete in some galas throughout the year. Some friendly galas are defined as 'B' galas and these give us the chance to try out swimmers who may not normally get a swim.

The club also competes in two leagues, the 'Rother' League and the 'National Swimming League'. League galas are very important to the club as relegation and promotion depends on performance. At these galas we try our best to take the strongest possible team and sometimes we hold time trials to help selection.

How do I find out what times I have achieved?

After each gala or club event, individual times and positions of each swimmer are displayed on the club notice board at Cheam Leisure Centre and also put onto the Fixtures section of this web site.  

What is a PB?

PB stands for personal best. It is the best time an individual has achieved for a particular stroke at a given distance. The club does its best to record swimmers times and PBs though swimmers are encouraged to keep a log book if they can (see below).

What do you mean by a logbook?

We encourage swimmers to keep individual logbooks to record their own times. This helps swimmers maintain a record of individual progress; encourages personal achievement and also helps the club with entries to the Surrey Age Group Championships as well as borough and open events. Logbooks are inexpensive and are on sale in the club shop on Wednesday evenings. You can also use a diary if you want to.