Sutton and Cheam Swimming Club is a competitive club so our aim is to get all members competing at a level that suits their ability.

The club competes in a number of friendly, league, open, borough and club events held throughout the year. We also run our own Club Championships together with impromptu 'Splash' Galas for our younger swimmers. Qualifying swimmers are also entered in the Surrey Age Group Championships held each year during February and March, the London Region Championships (June) and the National Championships held in July and August.

A fixture list is produced each year and is given to all gala squad members early in the year to enable them to arrange social lives around swimming commitments. Swimmers are asked to inform the Competition Secretary of any non-availability as early as possible to enable substitutes to be arranged. The fixture list is also displayed on the club notice board at Cheam Leisure Centre. Gala Results are also posted immediately after each gala. Click here to view this year's fixtures

Selection

The Coaches and Competition Secretary select gala teams according to age, ability and the level of each competition, to ensure the best available team is selected to represent the club on each occasion. Swimmers are usually informed of selection 2-3 weeks before each gala with time, venue and travel arrangements. We try our best to ensure as many members as possible have the opportunity to compete at some time during the year.

Success depends largely on the commitment of swimmers (and parents!) and swimmers are expected to swim if selected. Please support the club by being available to swim when asked.

Friendly and League Galas

The club competes all year round in friendly galas by invitation from other local swimming clubs as well as the Rother and the National Speedo (London) Swimming Leagues. League competitions are major events with galas held all over the South of England. Competition is fierce as promotion and relegation depends upon performance at these galas.

Surrey Age Group Championships

The Surrey County Age Group Championships are held each year during February and March. Entries are based on times achieved during the 8 months leading up to the competition. The club is usually well represented at the County Championships.

London Region Championships

The London Region Championships are held each year during the early part of June with a Winter Championships held in November. Like the Surrey Championships, entries are based on qualifying times which must be achieved in a licenced event on or after October 1st in the previous year for Youth and Age Group Championships; and on or after 1st January for the Open and Junior Championships.

National Championships

The National Championships are what every swimmer aspires to. They are held towards the end of July and early August. ASA National Youth and ASA National Qualifying times must be achieved at a licenced level 1 or 2 meet between 1st October and 31st May (in the year of competition) or at an ASA District Competition such as the London Region Championships.

Club Championships

The club championships are held at Cheam Leisure Centre usually during October and November . They are open to all club members of all ages and abilities and we encourage everyone to take part.

Medals are awarded to the first three swimmers in each final together with a trophy to be held by the winner for one year. In addition, annually awarded trophies are also awarded to the overall winners of each age group, determined on a points basis.

'Splash' Galas

Several times each year, we run mini 'Splash' Galas which are short impromptu time trial galas held on a Wednesday night (club night) for the younger swimmers. Events are held for each stroke over 1 length and swimmers are encouraged to swim in as many events as they wish. All you have to do to enter these galas is turn up! We use these galas to give our younger swimmers valuable experience of competition, and to help us identify swimmers for fast tracking between squads.

Open Meetings

Open Meetings are competitions in which swimmers enter themselves as individuals. Entry is usually based on achieved times but meetings are popular and can turn down slower swimmers to limit entries. Information and entry forms for selected meetings are usually placed on the notice board at Cheam Leisure Centre with a list for swimmers to indicate their interest. The club usually co-ordinates entries to these galas but it is the swimmers'/parents' responsibility to check the notice board for entry forms and to enter these competitions by the appropriate date.

A designated Open Meet is a competition that is designated by the District to enable achieved times to be used to qualify for the National Championships, held during August.

'A', 'B' and 'C' graded competitions set minimum times for each event and swimmers should not enter the event if their times are faster than the indicated times. Most of these galas issue 'speeding tickets' to swimmers if they swim faster than the advertised cut-off times.

Borough and Inter Borough Galas

The club has close links with the London Borough of Sutton through the London Borough of Sutton Swimming Association (LBSSA) who run several events throughout the year for children attending primary and secondary schools, or clubs within the borough. Results are used to select teams for Inter Borough competitions such as the London Heathrow Youth Games held at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre each July; and the Inter Boroughs gala held in October.