CBHSC Aim to provide a wide range of competitive opportunities for members of all ages / abilities.
A typical competitive pathway for our members:
- First Step – Diddy / In-house galas / Level 4 Open Meets
- Next: County qualifying times / Level 3 Open Meets
- Next: Regional qualification and competing at Regional Championships / Level 2 Open Meets
- Highest club level: National qualification, requiring exceptional dedication and training. / Level 1 Open Meets
For a select few, this journey may even lead to International team selection.
Our competition calendar is frequently reviewed to ensure that members have the ability to measure improvement & achieve qualification times throughout the seasons.
How do I find out which events I can enter?
The club use Swim Club Manager to manage entries to meets on behalf of swimming members. Typically, you will receive emails from the club highlighting galas that you are able to enter. If in doubt please ask a coach or the competition secretary for clarification & guidance.
All events will have a Closing Date & time for entries – please ensure that you get your entries in before this time, as typically late entries will not be accepted.
Qualifying Times:
For certain events you will ned to have achieved a qualifying time in order to enter. This will typically include County Championships, Level 3, 2 & 1 Open meets, Regional Championships & National Championships.
Some events also have cut-off times, which if you have a personal best time faster than you will not be able to swim that event.
What if we don’t have a time for an event?
The main event programme should explain whether swimmers with ‘No Time’ are permitted. Often, they are but they may need to get an estimated time from their coach. Talk to your coach if unsure.
What do Short Course and Long Course mean?
Short Course is a 25m pool and Long Course is a 50m pool length.
What do the Levels 1, 2, 3 and 4 mean for each Open Meet?
These relate to the purpose of the meet, the pool length and the entry criteria. Level 1 is the highest level and Level 4 is the lowest.
What’s a licenced event?
A licenced event is one which conforms to specific set of rules for the levels mentioned above (Level 1, 2, 3 and 4). There are some events, like the Diddy Gala, which are just for our own club and don’t have the official licence. These are primarily to develop our own swimmers and prepare them for the licenced events.
What is the British Rankings database?
If your swimmer is ASA registered and swims at a licenced event, then their times will be logged on the British Rankings database. You can access it online at: www.swimmingresults.org/
What is the ASA membership?
ALL swimmers at the club need to be registered with the ASA for insurance purposes. This is usually Category 1 to start with, which will be sufficient for all non-licenced events such as the Diddy Gala and Level 4 meets such as our own Club Champs and Invitational Meet. An upgrade to Cat 2 membership is required when the swimmer wants to compete in Level 1, 2 or 3 events.
Team Galas / Leagues:
The club also attend a number of team / league events. For these the coaching team will use software & knowledge of the members to select the best possible team for the event, whilst following the various rules and regulations. Occasionally the cub are able to enter more than one team, in which case & whenever possible the club would look to field an A & B team etc.
For further information about how the club select a team – please visit the CBHSC Team Selection Policy Page.