Squads

Club Structure

The club structure has been aligned to the Athlete Development Support Pathway (ADSP), making sure swimmers receive the right type and volume of training for their given stage of development and showing that the club provides a holistic approach to swimmer development. More about the ADSP for swimmers can be found on the Swim England website.

Our Pathways

All swimmers who join Stingrays are invited for a trial regardless of their age or ability. The Head Coach will then decide on the best placement of each swimmer within the programme. Swimmers progress through our squad structure based on ability, attitude and attendance, as decided by the Head Coach with input from assistant coaches. All swimmers in competitive squads are expected to compete for the club, attend a high percentage of training sessions and abide by the swimmers' code of conduct.

Club Pathway

For swimmers seeking an active lifestyle and participation pathway. Swimmers in this pathway will attend one session a week. The pathway focuses on enjoyment, fitness and the health and social benefits that come with this level of participation.

Performance Pathway

For swimmers who want to train and compete at Regional and National level. A programme to allow swimmers the opportunity to reach their full potential, building and developing the physical capacities and infrastructure required to perform at the highest level.

Non-Performance Pathway

For swimmers who want to train and compete aiming at County level and beyond. Swimmers in this pathway will swim up to 8 hours a week – enough training to meet swimmers' needs whilst maintaining the enjoyment, health and social benefits.

Junior Squad

The Junior Squad gently introduces talented young swimmers into the competitive environment. Swimmers learn movement literacy and develop their fundamental skills which will last a lifetime. “Perfect” practice over speed and distance is the focus; once strokes and skills are learnt, the volume and intensity of training can gradually increase. Swimmers learn stroke discipline, body balance, co-ordination of movements and early development of body-weight strengthening through our land-based exercises and games, with structured warm-ups and cool-downs.

In the Junior Squad, swimmers will enhance their turns, transitions, breakouts, starts and fundamental stroke technique, giving them the best possible grounding in the sport. Once ready, swimmers can progress along any of the club's pathways depending on their individual aims and levels.

Club Squad

For swimmers seeking an active lifestyle and participation pathway, the Club Squad enables swimmers to maintain their involvement in swimming without a high training workload. Swimmers attend one session a week at Five Rivers Leisure Centre, with a focus on enjoyment, fitness and the health and social benefits of swimming. It is ideal for swimmers aged 11–18 who want to stay involved in the sport and maintain their fitness but may prefer to place more emphasis on other sports or activities.

Swim School

The Stingrays Swim School offers structured swimming lessons from the age of 4 years until 12 years. It caters for complete beginners or for children looking to improve their swimming fundamentals. Our lessons programme is unique to Stingrays and aims to offer an environment and structure to help children master the basic strokes while offering a range of onward pathways, including a pre-competition skills squad to help with the transition into competitive swimming.

Swimming Pathways & Club Structure