Deep Blue Swimming are running a personalised coaching session for adults (17+) who wish to take their swimming skills to a higher level.

As a result of a production being staged at the church hall there will be no land training on Sunday 29th January. Training will resume as normal Sunday 5th February.

Neil has just been informed that the proposed re-opening of the University pool has been delayed yet again until Monday 21st November. Training this Friday (18th) is therfore cancelled.

We have finally received confirmation from the University that they have the all clear from the latest tests on their water supply. The pool is planned to open again on Tuesday 15th and we are therefore confident that training will resume at the normal time of 7.30pm on Friday.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their patience during this frustrating period and look forward to seeing a good turnout onn Friday.

Grassroots Invitation Meet

Sunday 4th December 2011

Due to the large number of our land training regulars racing at the COBSC Halloween Meet there will be no session on Sunday 30th October. The next sesion will be 9.30 Sunday 6th November.

The next Rising Stars Gala is to be held at Shipley Pool on Sunday 13th November. Swimmers to be at the pool by 5.00 for a 5.15 warm-up. The gala is open to swimmers between the ages of 8 and 13 years on the day. To ensure that the correct level of swimmers participate the only COBSC swimmers eligible are those from the Winning Edge squad. Any swimmer will be excluded from a stroke in which they have gained a Yorkshire Championships qualifying time.

Entry forms can be downloaded from the Grassroots website (http://grassroots-swimming.org/page3.htm) or hard copies obtained from Ruth when paying your training fees. Completed entry forms must be handed to Ruth or Andy. In order to make life easier for Andy & Richard and to ensure that each swimmer is placed in the correct heat/lane please make every effort to   provide the swimmers pb's. Where a swimmer hasn't raced a specific stroke before you can ask their coach for an estimated time.

Payment can be made in cash or by cheque, payable to Bradford Swimming Club.

We have today recieved notification from Unique Fitness & Lifestyle (AKA University Pool) of ongoing maintenance work (see below). The pool will be closed for at least another two weeks meaning that there will be no training on Friday 30th Sept & Friday 7th Oct. Neil will be at the University tonight to understand the nature of the problem and to try and establish when the pool will re-open.

Hi Ruth

Unique has closed down for at least two weeks to allow essential maintenance to be carried out on our water supply which means we will not be able to accommodate your sessions on the 30^th of September and 7^th of October.

I’m so sorry about the inconvenience this will cause you but we are unable to allow any access while this work is carried out. I tried to call you but a seem to have an incorrect/old number on file.

We do not have a definite completion date as yet but I will contact you again as soon as we know when your sessions can resume.

Regards

Diana

Unique: Fitness and Lifestyle

University of Bradford

Great Horton Road

Bradford

BD7 1DP

We are holding a race night on Saturday 26th November at Bolton Villa's Cricket Club. There will be pie & peas (£1.50) and hot dogs (£1) available on the night. Entry is by ticket only, available in advance to enable us to plan the event more effectively.

Our Social Secretary, Helen Whiteoak, has organised a Halloween party on Friday 28th October at Fields Social Club (as per presentation evening). Doors open at 7.30pm. Adults £2 and children £1. Fancy dress not essential but is desirable.

As with the presentation evening, can everyone bring some food for the buffet. Also, any donations of prizes for the tombola would be much appreciated.

Following on from the sucess of last years sponsored swim we will be running the event again. In order to maximise the benefit of the session it will be held at Eccleshill on Tuesday 27th Sept during the normal training times of 7.00 - 8.30pm.

All funds raised will go towards the running of the club and subsidy of other events. Please obtain you sponsorship form from Ruth when paying for your next session.

Apologies for the short notice, but we have just been informed that the university pool is closed on Friday 16th September. To the best of our knowledge this is a one off and training the following Friday will be at 7.30 pm as normal.

Land training starts again on Sunday 4th September. We start at 9.30 prompt and would request that everyone attending is at the hall no later than 9.25.

Unfortunately, due to Neil's work commitments, there will be no sessions on the 11th and 18th September but normal service resumes on Sunday 25th Setember.

Land training would be of  benefit to all our swimmers and the club would encourage everyone, circumstances permitting, makes an effort to attend these sessions.

As usual, we will have a small break during the summer holiday period.

Swimming

Last training session - Friday 29th July

Recommence - Tuesday 16th August

On Wednesdays 17th, 24th & 31st August only, training at Shipley will be 7.00 - 8.00.

Land Training

Sunday 24th   July - no training

Sunday 31st July - 9.30 - 11.00

August schedule still to be confirmed.

Please note that due to Neil's work commitments there will be no land training on Sundays 19th & 26th June. It is also likely that due to swimmers and coaches being at the Barnsley Summer Sizzler at Ponds Forge there will be no training on Sunday 3rd July.

The Grass Roots group is an umbrella body that works with and above the local swimming clubs (Bradford, Dolphins, Bingley, Keighley & Ilkley). They are responsible for the running of the Rising Stars Gala's, Summer Medley program and assist with training and funding for the local clubs.

They are now looking to raise their profile and one part of this is the creation of a new logo. Neil has handed out some entry forms for a competition to design this logo. Entry forms are also available to download on the bottom of the Admin page on this website.

If all you creative types could take time out to submit a design it would be most appreciated. Completed entries can be submitted to Sarah Fisher, Neil or Andy.

The next Rising Stars Gala is to be held at Shipley Pool on Sunday 10th July. Swimmers to be at the pool by 5.00 for a 5.15 warm-up. The gala is open to   swimmers between the ages of 8 and 13 years on the day. To ensure that the correct level of swimmers participate the only COBSC swimmers eligible are those from the Winning Edge squad. Any swimmer will be excluded from a   stroke in which they have gained a Yorkshire Championships qualifying time.

Entry forms can be downloaded from the diary page on this site or hard copies obtained from Ruth when paying your training fees. Completed entry forms must be handed to Ruth or Andy no later than Tuesday 28th June. No entries will be accepted after this date. In order to make life easier for Andy & Richard and to ensure that each swimmer is placed in the correct heat/lane please make every effort to   provide the swimmers pb's. Where a swimmer hasn't raced a specific stroke before you can ask their coach for an estimated time.

Payment can be made in cash or by cheque, payable to Bradford Swimming Club.

Please be aware that due to their being no swimming lessons early in the evening our training session at Shipley pool will be from 7.00 - 8.00 pm. Training will return to the normal time of 8.15 - 9.15 pm the following week.

Please find below an e-mail received from Kerstin Schultz at MSV by Neil on behalf of the club following the Easter exchange visit.

Hi Neil, 

first of all thank you all very much for the wonderful time our groups had together.

We felt very welcome and would like to thank the host families again for their charming hospitality.

The program that was prepared for us was great. Each and everyone of us was amazed with how much effort you made our time in Bradford so exciting.
In our opinion especially the evening program and the competition were a great success.

Last, but not least I want to thank you for being so cooperative and easy on me with the communication. It worked perfectly fine and I hope to be able to do just as good next year.

Greetings from Mönchengladbach

Kerstin

Land training sessions will recommence on Sunday 22nd May. There will not be a session on Sunday 29th May as it is a bank holiday weekend, but training will be weekly from that point on.

Land training on Sunday 1st May is cancelled. Nest session is Sunday 8th May.

In order that everyone can keep in touch and share any photo's during the exchange visit we have created a facebook group.

Friday 23rd April 2011

9:00 - 10:00 am  Bradford Bulls R.L.F.C . Pick up (Hosts only)

16:00 till 17:30 pm Aireborough Leisure Centre. Training session (Host only)

19:00 pm Bolton Villas Cricket Club. Hosts evening (platter of food) (Host only)

Saturday 24th April 2011

14:30 pm Aireborough Leisure Centre. Swimming Gala

19:30 pm Goals Soccer Centre.

Sunday 25th April 2011

10:00 - 10:30 am Dewhirst Coaches. Chesterfield

19:30 pm Bradford & Bingley Sports Club.

Monday 26th April 2011

10:00 till 13:00 Laser quest/Zone.

13:00 pm Bradford City F.C Ltd. Suite opens at 13:00, kick off 15:00. Corporate entrance

19:30 pm The New Tyke Pub.Evening Presentation and Gift Exchange

Tuesday 27th April 2011

07:30 - 08:00 am Bradford Bulls R.L.F.C

Addresses and Postcodes

Bradford Bulls R.L.F.C . The Grattan Stadium, Rooley Avenue, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD6 1BS

Aireborough Leisure Centre. The Green, Guiseley, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS20 9BT

Bolton Villas Cricket Club. All Alone Rd, Idle, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD10 8TZ

Goals Soccer Centre. 282, Kings Rd, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD2 1NR

Dewhirst Coaches. Traveltech House, Thorncliffe Rd, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD8 7DD

Bradford & Bingley Sports Club. Wagon Lane, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16 1LT

Laser Quest/Zone. 114 Thornton Road Bradford West Yorkshire BD1 2DX

Bradford City F.C Ltd. The Coral Windows Staduim, Valley Parade, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD8 7DY

The New Tyke Pub. The Thornton Road Bradford, West Yorkshire BD13 3DG

40^th German Exchange Easter Gala and Events.

As you are hopefully aware, the exchange with Monchengladbach Swimming Club is taking place this Easter. It is 40 years since the first exchange took place and we are hoping to make this as successful and enjoyable as previous years. We hope all members and families will give their full support and participation for all the organized events whether you are hosting or not. All activities are charged at cost and the evening socials are free. Please make every effort to attend.

Saturday 23^rd April.

On Saturday the exchange gala will be taking place at  Aireborough Pool, start time15.00hrs. The clubs competing will be Bradford Swimming Club, Monchengladbach,  Bradford Dolphins, Bingley Swimming Club and Halifax Swimming Club. In the evening, we will be having a social at Goals, Kings Rd, from 19.30 hrs onwards. There will be food and a Dj and we have hired some pitches for those wishing to participate in football ( England V Germany). We hope all members and their families will make the effort to attend whether swimming or not.

Sunday 24^th April.

On Sunday we have arranged for a trip to Chester. The coach departs at 10.30hrs. If there is space and you would like to go please give your name to Helen or Neil. There will be a small fee of £5 per seat.

In the evening we are having another social at Bradford & Bingley Rugby Club, Wagon Lane, Bingley. There will be food and a Dj and live music. This should be a good evening. All you need to do is turn up to make the event a success.

Monday 25^th April.

We have organized Laser Quest for Monday morning, in Bradford on Thornton Rd. Everyone is welcome to attend if they wish. We have managed to secure discounted rates for this, which is £7.50 per head. For the afternoon we have booked a conference suite at Valley Parade, to watch the Bank Holiday Match. There is a bar in the suite which leads out to the terrace. If you wish to attend the game, the cost is £10 per adult and £5 per child. This should be a good social gathering. Again if you wish to attend either of these activities please give your names to Helen or Neil.

Evening Presentation and Gift Exchange.

The presentation disco is booked for 19.30 hrs at the New Tyke Pub Thornton. This is the farewell disco for the Germans and we hope everyone will make the effort to attend. There is food provided and we have booked a photo booth (free of charge). Historically, following the presentation, Bfd Swimming Club has received an invitation to attend a Gala the following Easter at Monchengladbach, which is normally accepted.

Discipline.

All swimmers are expected to be ready to swim for the start time. It will not be acceptable for a swimmer to turn up late as this interferes with the training schedule for that squad. Swimmers are expected to have been to the toilet prior to swimming, toilet breaks will be permitted half way through the session. Swimmers must turn up with the correct equipment, hats, goggles, fins, floats and a drink. Can we please remind you that there are three swimming sessions and one land training session per week. In order to improve and support these venues we need you to turn up to more than one session per week.

You are expected to be considerate towards other swimmers and listen to what your coach says. All swimmers that adhere to these rules will have the full support and encouragement of the club.

There has been some complaints about the behaviour in the changing rooms recently regarding some of our members and this is unacceptable. Your behaviour reflects on the club and we do not want our name bringing into disrepute. We will not jeopardise our training sessions for the behaviour of some of our swimmers. If swimmers are found to be misbehaving they will be suspended with a view to being expelled if their behaviour does not improve.       

Parents responsibility.

We would like to remind parents that it is their responsibility to make sure that their children are changed and in the pool at the start of the session and that their children conduct themselves in an appropriate manner. A parent needs to be available at all times in case of an emergency, or in case the session has to be cut short for some unforeseen reason. If you do have to leave then it is important that their coach is informed and you leave a contact number.

Gala’s

Can we please remind people that we are a competitive swimming club and your are expected to swim out for us when asked. Competing is an important part of your training. It provides your coach with vital information regarding your development needs and gives them information to help them structure your training. Competing should be your end goal, it is a measure of all your hard work in training and that of the coach regarding the planning and time that they commit to you. Not competing is like training for a football team but never playing a match.

All eligible swimmers should now have recieved a copy of the entry form for the Rising Stars Gala at Shipley Pool on Sunday 3rd April. This is an entry level gala and affords an opportunity for those who haven't competed before to dip their toes into the world of competitive swimming. The club would request that all those eligible enter where at all possible.

The final date for entries is Friday 18th, to be handed in to Andy or Ruth. Payment by cash or cheque (payable to Bradford Swimming Club).

Land training on Sunday 3rd April will incorporate the beep test. This will provide Neil the opportunity to measure everyone's progress since the last test on  9th January. Can all those coming to the session please arrive in good time to ensure that we are able to get started at 9.30 prompt. Please ensure that you have suitable footwear and clothing for the test.

Due to Neils work commitments and prior engadgements for alternative instructors it is with regret that we must cancel land training on Sunday 6th March. Training will resume as normal on Sunday 13th March.

There is a meeting in the canteen area at 7.45pm Wednesday 2nd March for the families hosting our German visitors from MSV. Neil has managed to pair up all our guests with host families and would like to discuss the specifics with those involved.

We have been informed thet the next Rising Stars Gala is to be held on Sunday 3rd April at Shipley. Entry forms haven't been made available yet but should be circulated within the next week or so. Andy Mitchell will be co-ordinating entries.

The gala is open to boys and girls aged from 8 to 13 years on the day of the Gala. As per the last gala, with the exception of the Winning Edge squad, members of COBSC are not elligible to swim.

Just a reminder of events happening this Saturday -

For those doing the bag-packing at ASDA, Helen Whiteoak will meet you in the vestibule 5 minutes before your allotted time.  This particular web master would love to help out but he's going to have a boring day at pool side in Leeds!

Once you have finished bag-packing, its a quick dash home to throw your best horse-racing gear on so you can get to Bolton Villas Cricket Club for 7pm - the first race starts at 7.30. 

Good luck to all the bag packers, punters and jockeys - have a great day - and THANK YOU for your efforts!

The next bag-packing session has been arranged for Saturday 22nd January and will be held at Asda, Shipley.  We need as many packers as possible and also request that more parents stay and help please.  Its a long day for just a couple of people to work it, the more people that can help the better the day will be.

Our last bag-pack at Tesco's brought in £708.79 - a big THANK YOU to all those that helped organise and run it and of course, those that helped pack!

Helen Whiteoak will be coming around soon to get you to book those bag-packing times in the near future.

The land training session on Sunday 9th January will incorporate a fitness test. This will be carefully managed by Neil in the form of a beep test. It is Neil's intention to hold these tests periodically throughout the year in order that he can track each swimmer's progress and help ensure that their training is in line with their capabilities.

All attending need to have comfortable/supportive trainers and lightweight clothing, as it's likely to get very warm.

Even if a swimmer is unable to attend the land training sessions on a regular basis, it will still be beneficial to undergo the fitness tests, as it allows the coaching team to assess the effectiviness of training provided. It also provides additional information to work with when the coaches are considering movements between the squads.

Any member wishing to undertake land training must complete a brief health questionaire, available from Neil, in advance before they can be permitted to join in.

We look forward to seeing a few new faces on the day!

Just a reminder for those that weren't around just before Christmas that training commences again from Tuesday 4th January. A great opportunity to burn off all the chocolate that you've eaten and to start preparing for the first Kirklees & District gala on the 16th!

Due to the adverse weather conditions and the road conditions around the cricket club we have been forced to cancel the race night on Saturday evening. The event will be rescheduled to January, date to be advised. Refunds are available to those that require one. Alternatively, all horses, riders and entry tickets will be honoured at the rescheduled event.

The annual gala presentation evening is to be held 7.30pm Friday 26th November at Fields Sports & Social Club. During the evening we will be presenting the medals for the club championships as well as announcing the top boy/girl for the past year and the club captains for the coming year. Preferably entry is by ticket, available in advance from Helen or Michelle at a cost of £2 adults and £1 children. You can however pay on the door. As in previous years, everyone attending is requested to bring some food for the buffet. Please speak to Helen or Michelle to ensure that we have a variety of items to eat rather than 1000 sausage rolls! Donations for raffle prizes would also be appreciated.

There will be a DJ throughout the evening to keep everyone entertained, which combined with a keenly priced bar should make for a very informal atmosphere. Following a couple of incidents in previous years, the committee would like to remind parents that they are responsible for the behaviour of their children on the night and would request that they stay within the concert hall, other than when visiting the toilet.  

The full address for the club is: Field Sports & Social Club, Chelsea Rd, off Hollingwood Lane, Lidget Green, BD7 2RE. Google maps link here .

We have managed to find a venue to start doing land training sessions. The venue is St James Church hall on Beaufort Grove, off Bolton Road (BD2 4LH). The sessions will be on Sunday morning 09.30 - 11.00, starting with immediate effect.

Land training is an important part of any sport these days and it is important that swimmers attend if they want to improve. We will be working on core body, strength, endurance, flexibility and coordination. I will be looking for good posture and technique to ensure that the exercises are done correctly and safely. This is paramount.

I will endeavour to vary the sessions to keep them interesting.They will take on a cct training format with some games involved. A lot of work has gone in to achieving this and so it would be nice to see the sessions well attended.

If you would like to attend, all you need are some suitable trainers, shorts or tracksuit bottoms, a suitable top, a skipping rope and a drink. For some of our older girls it may be advisable to wear a sports bra to prevent discomfort during some of the more strenuous activities. The cost is £2.50 per session. Each swimmer will be required to complete a physical readiness questionnaire (PAR-Q), available from me, before participating.

I have over 20 years experience of teaching fitness training and have my level 2 gym instructors certificate. For the sessions I can't attend I will endeavout to find a suitable replacement. If not, I will cancel the session with plenty of notice.

Should you have questions please ask me. I hope to see you all there.

Neil Brundle - Acting Head Coach

It is with much regret that we must inform our members that we have lost the use of the John Charles Centre on a Sunday evening with immediate effect. Our pool space at this session was sub-let from Leeds Water Polo Club. Unfortunately they have been presented with an increase in the hire cost of almost 100%. They have been unable to absorb this additional cost and have therefore had to give up the session.

The committee will be working over the coming weeks to try and identify some additional pool time at an alternative venue. 

Results of the 2010 Club Championships at Aireborough Pool are now available as an Excel file on the gala & meets results page. A copy will also be posted on the notice board at Eccleshill pool. Well done to all those that competed and especially to the swimmers that set 14 new 25m pool club records.

Two Bradford Swimming Club swimmers took part in this event; Lynda Devanny and Claire Wilson. Well done to them both.  Lynda swam the course in 33.07 minutes - a very impressive swim for her first outdoor event.  Claire completed the mile-long course in a speedy 25.38 minutes. 1,366 swimmers took part in this inagural event at Salford.  The water temperature was 14.5 degrees C which Lynda complained was a little chilly for her liking!

The course used in 2010 featured a unique 'Dock to Dock' lay-out, which started in one dock (No 9) near The Lowry arts centre, traversed Mariners Canal and finished in another dock (No 8) beside the Watersports Centre.

Should anyone want to compete in the series of British Gas Outdoor Swims for 2011 ask either of them for details - I'm sure they'll welcome the company!

12 of our female swimmers took part in the Rotherham Metro meet at Ponds Forge on Saturday 18th and left with a substantial haul of medals and speeding tickets. Every swimmer picked up at least one medal with some getting considerably more. Lots of pb's were achieved during the course of the day. A big thank you to Rik and Mina from all the swimmers and parents for their work poolside on the day.

Results now available on the Results page - a big well done for the 7 Speeding Tickets, 13 Gold Medals, 8 Silvers and 4 Bronze that we took away!  Lets hope was can double that tally at the Barnsley Meet in December.

We are reliably informed that the next Rising Stars gala is to be held at Shipley pool on Sunday 21st November. Further details and entry forms will be available nearer the time.

It has been decided that we will enter for this Open B/C grade meet again after the success of last year.  However, will only enter if we receive more than 12 enteries as it is unfair on the coaches to spend time out of their weekend for just a small handful of swimmers. 

Entry forms will be available next week - when you complete it, please fill in your ASA registered times (which can be found from here - http://195.184.236.5/historic/index.php) or known PB's if an ASA time isn't available and give it with a cheque to Andy, Richard or your coach.  If we fail to reach 12 swimmers by cut of date, we will return the cheques and not compete.

Also, a quick reminder that we need your enteries for the Club Championships - completed forms and payment to be handed in by Tuesday 14th September please.  This is YOUR championships - we exepect all swimmers to partake.

A Squad - Neil & Lynda

FOCUS ON STAMINA AND SPEED.  Increasing distance gradually.  Do not let swimmers plato.

B Squad - Ian & John

BUILD ON STAMINA, SPRINTS & SCULLING.  Sets ideally shoud be 75m/100m/125m.  Sculling shold be done in each session.  Streamlining should be automatic for B Squad.  Starts and turns to be addressed where possible.

C Squad - Helen

BUILD TECHNIQUE, STREAMLINING & SCULLING.  Sets ideally should be 50m, eventuallybuilding to 100m sculling.  Drills, technique should be addressed in all sessions.  Starts and turns to be adressed where possible.

D Squad - Mina

TECHNIQUE, STEAMLINING, AQUATIC BREATHING, STARTS & TURNS.  Sets ideally should be 50m with the aim of 75m once main points have been mastered.  Drills and sculling to be used in all sessions, focus on streamlining upon water entry.

E Squad / White Squad -Rick/Daniel

ALL BASICS TO BE COVERED (DRILLS, STREAMLING, STARTS, TURNS, SCULLING, AQUATIC BREATHING).  Sets should be done as 25m/33m building to 50m/66m in order to ensure that swimmers undersatnd and execute the sets correctly therefore helping them to progress through the squads at a later stage.

Thanks

Lynda.

The Club have organised a bag packing session to raise funds for the Easter Exchange 2011 at Tescos on Canal Road, Bradford on Sunday 28th November.

The session will run from 11am until 5pm and we need every member to contribute in order to make this a success.  On the day, club shirts MUST be worn.

I will be coming around the members to confirm what times you wish to do - this is a great oppourtunity to raise some much needed funds for the club as it's the first week in Advent.  Two recent bag backs by other local swimming clubs have raised over £1,500 between them.

More dates are to follow on future fund raising events I am arranging and if you have any ideas please come and speak to me or contact me via the details held on the website.

Many thanks

Helen.

This years Bradford Swimming Club Annual Championships are to be held at Aireborough Pool, Guiseley on Saturday 2nd October. Warm up commences at 6.00pm for racing to start at 6.30pm.

Entry forms with further details are available from Ruth whilst paying your training fees or can be downloaded from the bottom of the admin & membership page.

All entries must be submitted to Andy, Jim or Ruth no later than Tuesday 14th September. No entries will be accepted after this date. Please ensure that where possible personal best times for each race are listed on the form, as this will ensure that the swimmers are placed in the correct heat/lane for their ability.

All medals and trophies will be awarded at the presentation evening on Friday 26th November at Fields Sports and Social Club, Clayton.

Please note that due to it being a bank holiday weekend there will be no training session at The John Charles Centre on Sunday 29th September.

Helen Whiteoak, our social secretary, is looking for a group of helpers from the parents and members of the club to assist her in organising the German Exchange trip.  She is hoping to find people that can help in finding and pricing venues, organising trips etc.  If you can spare an evening or so a month to help, please liase with Helen directly on a swimming night. 

Please note that during the school break, the training session at Shipley Pool on a Wednesday will commence at 7pm and finish at 8pm.  This will be for weeks 1, 4, 5 and 6, as there is no training during weeks 2 and 3.

Normal training times will resume after the break.

Due to the switch in training nights at Shipley from Thursday to Wednesday we have had to find an alternate venue for the monthly committee meetings. The next meeting will be at 7.30pm Thursday 22nd July at The Albion. If you require directions please get in touch with Graham.

As you hopefully already know, the club will be finishing for swimming on Friday 6th August, returning on Tuesday 24th at Eccleshill.

Sunday's at John Charles may still be available as the pool is open all Summer (except the Bank Holiday Weekend) - I'll try keep you posted on here, otherwise check with coaches.

Please note, due to Water Polo not going ahead this evening (Sunday 11th July), training at John Charles is cancelled for all Bradford Swimming Club members.  Please pass the message on - we don't want anyone turning up because they haven't been told! Thanks!

A very warm Ponds Forge was the setting for 11 of our swimmers in the Borough of Barnsley Summer Sizzler Long Course meet on Sunday 4^th July.  Swimming against teams from the length and breadth of Yorkshire and beyond, our intrepid bunch of athletes shone in a mix of 50m, 100m and 200m races.  In the morning session, 14 personal best times were recorded, with a clutch of trophies and medals won.  The heat started to take effect in the afternoon session with some tired looking swimmers out there, but they still increased their tally of winnings and personal best times.

Congratulations go to (in no particular order!) Maria Campean (who was competing at Ponds Forge for the first time), Roisin Duffy, Megan Anderton, Yolanda Davies, Lucy Bicker, Jovana Lugonja, Azura Cairns-Poole, Anna Davidson, Chloe Whitlock, Chloe Molyneux and our sole male representative Dale Brundle.  Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, there were some good strong performances on the day and every one who took part should be pleased with their efforts.

A big thank-you also goes out to Rick Davis and Mina Anderton for looking after our swimmers on the day.   

Once a full set of results have been made available, they will be published in the usual place on the website!

The next Open Meet we have committed the club to is the Rotherham Metro Short-Course Meet on Saturday 18^th September.  Entry forms are available from various club members – see your coaches, Rick Davis, Andy Mitchell or Richard Poole if you need a form or download it here –

Rotherham Metro Entry Form

Let's try and take a good number of swimmers down to Ponds Forge, it would be great to see some additional faces beyond those that went down this weekend!

A few pointers for those   members that are swimming at the BOBSC Summer Sizzler at Ponds Forge on Sunday.

Warm-up is at 08.00 and this is also the time by which Rick has to have the entry cards submitted. Can we therefore suggest that everyone aims to meet up in the entrance lobby at 7.30. This will allow the swimmers with experience of the venue to guide those that don't.

There is an excellent café on site which provides a variety of well priced meals, snacks and drinks throughout the day

Poolside seating for the competitors is limited so it may be prudent to take a beach towel to sit on.

Directions to Ponds Forge can be found here

The best place to park is probably the Q-Park which is just to the side of Ponds Forge. The entrance is somewhat concealed as it is an automated roller shutter door just past the left hand side of Travel Lodge. Details can be found here , but if unclear it may be prudent to discuss with one of the other parents attending. A discount voucher can be obtained from the Ponds Forge reception during the meet to reduce the cost at the pay meter.

Good luck to everyone!

A clash with Englands first game in the World Cup took a heavy toll on the turnout at Saturday's 2nd Aire & Wharfe 2010 Gala. Understandably, this was most evident amongst our male swimmers. However, the girls ensured that what we lacked in quantity we more than made up for in quality. This was most evidently demonstrated in the girls 10/11 years 50m butterfly. Our swimmers occupied 6 of the top 7 places, having 5 in the final together with the reserve. At the turn in the final it was neck and neck but in a very tight finish  Azura Cairns-Poole managed to just get ahead of the pack to take Gold. Our swimmers occupied the first four placings with a spread of just 1.3 seconds. However the most astonishing aspect of this event was the 9 seconds that Megan Anderton took off her pb to make the final!

Other medal winners were Lucy Burnside (gold) in the Girls Open 100m backstroke, Abigail Shuttleworth (silver) and Abigail Devanny (bronze) in the 11/12 years 50m butterfly, Dale Brundle (silver) in the boys 13/14 years 100m freestyle, Crysta Rhodes (bronze) in the girls 15/16 years 200 I.M. and Lucy/Katie/Anna/Laura (silver) in the 4 x 50m freestyle team.

In amongst these and other swims were a number of pb's and Yorkshire Championship qualifying times. Congratulations to everyone who swam.

A full set of results is available on the results section of this site.

Doors open at 5.00pm for Sunday's Rising Stars Gala at Shipley pool. Warm-up begins shortly after with racing to commence at 5.45pm. We have a somewhat smaller than usual squad of 26 swimmers competing, However, there are likely to be some highly competitive races with everyone having the opportunity to gauge their progress over the last few months.

The coaches have requested that our swimmers stay poolside at all times until they have swum their last race. This will allow the coaching team to better control the flow of swimmers to the marshaling area and also ensures that we have plenty of support for our   fellow   squad members   whilst they are racing.

Result sheets will be posted, as they are issued, on the wall  adjacent to  our squad to prevent the congestion around the medal table that occurred at the last gala.

Good luck to everyone!

Please be aware that the training session scheduled for Sunday 20th June at the John Charles Centre has been cancelled due to the clubs participation in the Rising Stars Gala at Shipley.

For those that are involved in the Summer Medley Series, please note that the final has been changed to the 17th July starting at 5pm at Shipley pool.  If we get any further information, we'll keep you posted on our website!

Once again, it has been agreed by the Coaching Staff that we will submit a team to this event which is held at Ponds Forge, Sheffield.  Details will be handed out in the next week.

We took 12 swmmers last year, some of whom had never swum at such a prestegious pool and to say it was their first time on such a big stage, they all perfomed really well.  This year, we would look to take around 20 swimmers although numbers are not limited.

It does fall on the same day as a B&D meet, you would be expected to race there if you are not at Sheffield.

You will need ASA Level 2 membership to race this meet, please speak to one of the coaching staff if you are unsure about this.

Just a reminder that training will take place this Sunday at John Charles.  Normal swimming times apply - 6.45pm until 8.15pm.

Currently, this is very poorly attended, so it's an ideal session to get plenty of high quality training in, as the coaches don't have to contend with 30+ swimmers! However, we would love to get more swimmers down there so if you're free do attend... It is a bank holiday weekend,  it's bound to rain, so what else is there to do!?

See you there!

At the last committee meeting we discussed how best to communicate important informaition to our members.  One option was to send an SMS text message to each member.

I have set up a user poll on this page, asking whether you would like to receive information this way - this isn't an opt in/opt out option, just trying to gauge user support of this idea.  I'll leave the poll up until the next committee meeting (June 17th) where will discuss the idea again.

The coaching staff have noticed that swimmers are yet again arriving late and finishing early.   Please can you make sure you arrive at the pool in good time, so the session can be started as punctually as possible without distruption to the lane.   Any swimmer arriving late needs to speak to the head coach prior to entering the pool.

If you know you have to leave early, please inform your lane coach prior to the start of the session.   If you do not speak to the coach, you will be expected to swim the complete session.

Regular late-comers/early leavers could face disciplinary action.

It has been noted that some parents do not know who to contact should they have an issue with swimming or club matters.   For ANY coaching or swimming matters, the point of contact is Head Coach Lynda Devanny.   Lynda is available at most sessions during a week and is always willing to discuss any matter relating to the role of her team.   If she is unable to deal with your grievance immeadiatley, she will make a further followup appointment.  

If you approach any other member of the committee or coaching staff with regards a swimming or coaching issue, you will only be refered to Lynda.

If you have a matter of concern with regards the Club as a whole, then please put it in writing and pass to one of the committee members who will then bring the matter up at the next committee meeting.

Congratulations to Maria Campean who is the deserved recipient of the Jim Littlefair Trophy, for her efforts over the last three months.

The last training session at Shipley Pool on a Thursday will be the 27th May.  The session will then move to a WEDNESDAY, commencing 9th June 2010.  The times of this session will be 8.15 until 9.15pm.  We appreciate this is quite a late session but the committee took the decision that any session is better than no session at all. 

The decision to move was forced upon Bradford Swimming Club and it should be noted that the Club did all it could to try and retain the Thursday session for its swimmers.  Without the efforts of some club members organising petitions and letters, the Club could have lost the Shipley session completely.

Just a reminder that all completed enteries need to be returned to Rick Davies by Friday 21st May.  If you are wanting to swim this gala, you must have ASA Category 2 membership - the subs for this can be paid at the same time as the entry fee for the gala.

Dependant upon numbers, the club are thinking of taking the squad down in a mini bus - a contribution from the parents/swimmers may be required. 

Feedback/thoughts would be appreciated.  At the moment, this is just an idea but the club think it will be good for team bonding.

Having recently undertaken an appraisal of the six squads within the club, the coaching team, led by Head Coach Lynda Devanny, have taken the decision to close all the female squads to new members. All age groups are now fully represented and the club is struggling to ensure regular participation in team based races for all its members.

There are still a limited number of vacancies available in some of the male squads, dependent upon age and ability.

We have   today received confirmation that the next Rising Stars Gala will take place on Sunday 20th June at Shipley Pool. Precise timings are currently unknown but typically the event starts at about 5.30pm with a finish time of about 8.30pm. Entry forms and further details should be   published in the next few days and we hope to make them   available to all our swimmers from Tuesday 25th onwards.

We have consistently taken a large number of swimmers to these galas, with 42 entering the last event in March.

Completed entry forms should be returned to either Jim Littlefair or Andy Mitchell. If known, can we please ask that the swimmers current pb's are   stated on the entry forms. Should these be unknown please leave blank and the club will work to provide a time that is a fair reflection of the swimmers capabilities.

Entry fees can be paid in either cash or cheques made payable to Bradford Swimming Club.

Listed below are the latest coaching rotations and training emphasis foe each squad. To take place with immediate effect.

ROTATION FOR MAY

A SQUAD                       IAN & DANIEL

B & C SQUAD               HELEN & MINA

D SQUAD                       RICK & JOHN

E & WHITE SQUAD      LYNDA & NEIL

A SQUAD

FOCUS ON STAMINA, SPRINTS & SCULLING

Incorporating starts and turns when possible, i.e. Shipley/ J.C.

B SQUAD

BUILD ON STAMINA, SPRINTS & SCULLING (Summer Medley)

Sets ideally should be 50mtrs/75 mtrs/100mtrs/125 meters

Sculling should be done in each session. Streamlining should be automatic for B Squad. Starts & turns to be addressed when possible.

C SQUAD

BUILD TECHNIQUE, STREAMLINING & SCULLING (Summer Medley)

Sets ideally should be 25 – 50mtrs, eventually building to 75mtrs sculling, Drills, tech to be addressed in all sessions. Starts & turns to be addressed when possible.

D SQUAD

TECHINIQUE, STREAMLINING, AQUATIC BREATHING, STARTS & TURNS

Sets ideally should be 25mtrs with the aim of 50mtrs once main points have been mastered. Drills and sculling to be used in all sessions, focus on streamlining upon water entry.

E SQUAD

ALL BASICS TO BE COVERED (DRILLS, STREAMLINING, STARTS, TURNS,

SCULLING, AQUATIC BREATHING)

Sets should be done as 25mtrs/33mtrs only, in order to ensure that swimmers understand & execute the sets correctly therefore helping them to progress through the squads at a later stage.

WHITE SQUAD

Beginners, basic swimming techniques including breathing, streamlining, sculling & forward rolls. Working on half lengths, building to 1 & 2 lengths once technique is up to standard.

Lynda Devanny

Head Coach

All swimmers in C & D squad attending the training session at Eccleshill on Tuesday 27th are requested to bring their club teabag tops in order that the squads can be photographed for inclusion on the website and display on the notice board.

To ensure that this doesn't intrude into swimming time can everyone be changed and ready for 6.50pm.

Due to unforseen circumstances, the training session scheduled for Sunday 11th April at the John Charles Centre has been cancelled. Can everyone please spread the word to those without internet access.

Just a quick reminder that our Social Secretary, Helen Whiteoak, has organised an Ice Skating session at Bradford Ice Skating Rink.  Please can you confirm with Helen if you intend to go - the details are ....

Meet at 12pm outside the rink.  The session runs till 15:45 and the cost is £4 plus £2.50 skate hire.  Helen needs firm numbers so she can inform the ice rink.

So the coach left on time and they arrived on to the ferry about 2.30am (I know this, I got a text!) - not sure where they are right now though!

What we need now are comments, stories and pictures whilst the swimmers are out there, from both our club and our hosts!

Get your stories mailed to mail@bradfordswimmingclub.org.uk or add your comments at the end of this blog - the best will be posted on the Germany Visit 2010 page from the main menu - the best story as voted for by the committee will win a book voucher (all enteries in by Sunday 11th April, please!).

Also, if you have photos, get them to me and we'll publish a selection of them!

Good luck in the gala!

As a result of the exchange visit to Germany over the Easter weekend there will be no training from Thursday 1st April to Tuesday 6th inclusive. The first training after the break will therefore be Thursday 8th at Shipley.  

Another quick date for your calendars.  The 2nd Rising Stars of the series is scheduled for the 20th June 2010.  The eagle-eyed amongst you will notice this clashes with the team event of the Kirklees & District gala.  The club will advise nearer the time which events it would like you to swim.

Good luck to those entering the Rising Stars Gala on the 14th March.

Rising Stars Gala

Sunday 14^th March

5.00pm – 8.30pm at Shipley Pool

All our 7 to 13 year old swimmers are invited to swim the latest Rising Stars Gala at Shipley pool on Sunday 14^th March. This event is aimed at novice to intermediate standard swimmers and is therefore suitable for a large number of our members.

In order to ensure the correct standard of swimmer participates, anyone with a 2010 Yorkshire Championship qualifying time on the day of the Gala will not be able to race in the relevant stroke.

At the last Rising Stars Gala in November we entered 35 swimmers and were the top scoring team. This time around we are looking to take 40 swimmers. All our eligible swimmers are expected to compete in all the strokes for which the coaches deem them to be competent. Any swimmers with dual membership with City of Bradford are expected to swim for Bradford Swimming Club.

All entries are based upon age on the day. Entry forms will be available when paying training fees or from Andy Mitchell. Please return completed entry forms to Andy together with the correct entry fee, either cash or cheques made payable to Bradford Swimming Club. Closing date for entries is Tuesday 2^nd March.

Lucy Rhodes - 7th February

Happy 13th Birthday!

Chloe Whitlock - Wednesday 27th January - 12 years old.

Mathew Hayes - Friday 29th January - 11 years old.

Happy Birthday to both of you!

Two advance diary date notices - Saturday October 2nd is the date of the Club Championships.  Please be aware that the venue this year is Shipley Pool.  The Club Presentation Night will be held on Friday 26th November, with the venue to be confirmed.

Further information will appear nearer these events.

Chris Lund from the City Of Bradford Swimming Club is looking to arrange another time keepers course - Bradford Swimming Club already have two qualified time keepers.  The course consists of an hour or so theory and discussion followed by a practical, hands-on, live session at one of the meets with electronic timing.

If you would like to be considered for the course, please speak to Richard Poole or Andy Mitchell who will put your name forward. 

Abigail Devanny - Wednesday 20th January

Happy 12th Birthday

Photo's from the Barnsley Xmas Sprint have now been added. Keep an eye out for further additions to the gallery over the next few days including Rising Stars, COBSC Xmas meet and the presentation evening.

Not particularly an official swimming club social, but it would be good if you, family and friends could join us for a night of beer, food and music.

I am organising tickets for this ever-popular event, which is held at Victoria Hall, Saltaire, over the last weekend of February - our tickets will be for the Friday night session (26th) at a cost of £5.00 per head.

Please give your ticket money to either myself (Richard) or Andy Mictchell over the next week or so - tickets tend to move quite quickly so I want to get them sooner rather than later.

More information can be found here - Bradford Beer Festival.

Can anyone wanting to train at The John Charles Centre tonight please phone Neil (Bfd 636320) before setting off. As a result of the weather forecast we are expecting a low turnout and may need to cancel if insufficient swimmers are attending.

Just confirmed by the coaches - swimming at Shipley is ON tonight. We'll see you there!

Please be aware that swimming at Eccleshill has been cancelled tonight due to the weather conditions.

Please be aware that there is NO SWIMMING on Friday 18th or Sunday 20th of December for Bradford Swimming Club members.

The results are now available to view for the two events held recently under the "Results" section of the website.  Hopefully, some reports will appear here soon....!!

Natasha Wilson - Tuesday 15th December - 10 today.

Fina, the governing body, issued new guidelines for competitve swimsuits during 2009.  As some of you may be looking to purchase new swimsuits for Christmas, we have decided to reproduce these guidelines below.

1. Swimsuits for men may not extend above the navel or below the knee and for women may not cover the neck or extend past the shoulders or below the knee.

2. A limited religious/medical condition exception exists but requires pre approval at the national level.

All swimmers are expected to be ready to swim for the appropriate start time. It is not acceptable for a swimmer to turn up late as this interferes with the training schedule for that squad.

If a swimmer does turn up late they must wait on poolside until the head coach has spoken to them before they enter the water (if allowed).

Swimmers must turn up with the correct equipment, hats, goggles, fins, floats and a drink. You are expected to be considerate towards other swimmers and listen to what your coach says. All swimmers that adhere to these rules will have the full support and encouragement of the coaches. Swimmers that do not will be dealt with as seen appropriate by the committee.

Further information on discipline can be found under "Lane Etiquette", which can be located under "Training Schedules".

Just a reminder that we will be shortly organising our trip to Germany for those swimmers that wish to attend. It will be over the Easer period and numbers will be limited to one coach full. We will departing on 1st April 2010 and returning 5th April 2010.

Members will be staying at the homes of German swimmers, as they did with us this Easter.  Priority will be given to those swimmers that hosted our guests this year, followed by those that offered but weren't required to host..  If numbers then allow, the invite will then  be opened up to all other members.

Costs will be advised in the near future when an information sheet is sent out along with a reply slip.  To give some indication, our previous trip to Germany cost in the region of £80.00 per swimmer plus spending money.

The last training sessions will be:

Shipley - Thursday 17th December

Bradford University - Friday 18th December

John Charles - Sunday 20th December (tbc - please check back).

Eccleshill - Tuesday 22nd December

Training will restart on Tuesday 5th January 2010 at Eccleshill pool.

City of Bradford Swimming Club members will be training as normal with COBSC up until and including the 23rd December.  The full COBSC Christmas Schedule is now published on their website - www.cobsc.co.uk.

The coaches and committee would like to wish all members a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year and to thank you for all your commitment over the past year.

Happy 16th birthday Crysta Rhodes - Friday 4th December.

Happy 17th birthday Hannah Whitworth - Monday 7th December.

Conratulations to Bradford Swimming Clubs' Azura Cairns-Poole who swam in the 200IM in the BAGCATS North East Championships which were held at the new Sunderland Aquatics Centre this weekend.  Finishing 22nd from 26 starters, she swam a personal best time of 3.06:16, knocking 4.74 seconds off her previous best time.

Happy 13th birthday Claire Woodhead - Friday 27th November.

It was agreed at the AGM that as of the new membership year (1st December 2009), that there would be a rise in membership fees and training costs.  Fees will be £30.00 for the first swimming member of a family, with a sliding scale for subsequent swimmers within the same family - this will be announced in the near future.  This increase has been brought in to cover the various increases in insurance and ASA memberships.

Training fees will raise to £2.50 per session per swimmer or £3.50 if you are swimming in the "Learn to Swim" lane.

Just a quick reminder that it is the Clubs Annual General Meeting this Wednesday.  The meeting is open to all members of the club and we look forward to welcoming as many of you as possible.  Remember, this is YOUR club - if you want a say on how it is run, then this is the ideal meeting to come to.  It is held at Idle Cricket Club on Cavendish Road, Idle, commencing at 7.30pm.

Many congratulations go out to the 30+ squad of swimmers from Bradford Swimming Club.  We had a very successful evening, winning 45 medals and gaining 13 Grade A/Yorkshire times.  Some very tight races involving our 10 years old and 11 year old girls and our younger boys.  The full results can be found on the Results pages.

Remember, as this event was not electronically timed, any PB's will not be listed on the Yorkshire ASA website - keep track of your own personal best times on the form that can be downloaded on the club records page and inform your coaches so we can maintain our database of times.

Again, a very big WELL DONE!!