Before joining up, a swimming trial with the club's coaching staff will need to take place at the Aqua Energy Leisure Centre in Sale. The trial takes place in a relaxed environment, and involves the coaches observing basic stroke technique and overall swimming ability.
Upon completion of the trial, the coach will either recommend the appropriate squad level in which to commence training - or suggest that further swim lessons are needed before the swimmer can join a squad.
Once accepted at squad level, you will need to join up as a club member (if not already) and pay the appropriate training fees. Further information is available on our Fees and Memberships page.
Now is also a good time to familiarise yourself with SwimCentral (used for Swimmer Management and Competition Entry), Stack Team App (Used for internal Club communication) and also follow the club's Facebook page if you are a social media user.
Once you've joined up, it's time to gear up! Mesh training bags and swim caps are distributed to new members. Goggles, training bag and drink bottle are required at a minimum - and other equipment such as fins, pull buoy, hand paddles, snorkel and runners are required at various stages - check with your Coach as to which items you may need.
Members are also encouraged to purchase a Club Shirt, and other Uniform items as desired. Many items can be sourced second-hand from club members - and this is a good starting point for beginners.
Train, train, train! Depending on your availability and enthusiasm, training will vary from 1-2 sessions per week for Cygnets and build up to 7+ sessions per week for Gold Squad members. Consistent and regular training is key to success in the pool and swimming performance!
Once swimmers have shown improvement at squad level, they may be interested to start swimming competitively. Further information is available from our Swim Meets page.
From this point on, the journey varies greatly from swimmer to swimmer. Achieving PB's (Personal Best's) is always the goal for each swimmer in each event, and with enough training and dedication swimmers can push for Victorian Country, State and possibly even National Championship qualifying times.
Hopefully this brief guide will help start you on your swimming journey! If you've got any queries at all, please don't hesitate to get in touch with the club - we look forward to helping you out!