January 2019
Congratulations to Martina and Kate on both passing their Swim England Level 2 coaching qualification
December 2018
December Club Newsletter
Arena League
Well done to all the swimmers who participated in the final round of the Arena League in Southampton. The club were immensely proud of the effort and dedication shown by all the swimmers. We were 5 swimmers short of our strongest team and that inevitably had a big impact on the end result. However, the commitment and team spirit were never in doubt.
I would like to give a special mention to 11/U and 13/U girls who stepped up to compete in a lot of races, often in the age group above. Despite their schedule there was no complaints and they all gave every race 100%. I would also like to thank those swimmers who had very few races. Everyone in the team is as important as each other, and it’s often that one race that makes the difference. Tom J and Gary Bennell who swam superbly in their 50m freestyle relays spring to mind.
The final round is worth double points. Yet again we were very close to our main rivals, but yet again we finished in 7th position. The full results of the gala are attached and the final league standings are below. Believe me when I day 10th position in the league was a realistic target.
With this being our first season back in a league the committee and coaches will review the competition ahead of next year and would welcome feedback.
Well done to all the swimmers who participated in the final round of the Arena League in Southampton. The club were immensely proud of the effort and dedication shown by all the swimmers. We were 5 swimmers short of our strongest team and that inevitably had a big impact on the end result. However, the commitment and team spirit were never in doubt.
I would like to give a special mention to 11/U and 13/U girls who stepped up to compete in a lot of races, often in the age group above. Despite their schedule there was no complaints and they all gave every race 100%. I would also like to thank those swimmers who had very few races. Everyone in the team is as important as each other, and it’s often that one race that makes the difference. Tom J and Gary Bennell who swam superbly in their 50m freestyle relays spring to mind.
The final round is worth double points. Yet again we were very close to our main rivals, but yet again we finished in 7th position. The full results of the gala are attached and the final league standings are below. Believe me when I day 10th position in the league was a realistic target.
With this being our first season back in a league the committee and coaches will review the competition ahead of next year and would welcome feedback.
Coaching Success
Congratulations to Martina Slavik and Kate Le Fevre who passed their Level 2 coaching certificates last weekend. This qualification takes considerable time and dedication over a three month period and is a great achievement. Well done to both of you.
Masters Coach Appointment
Kate Le Fevre has been coaching the Masters squad on Monday night for the past 10 weeks. Given her recent Level 2 qualification and the overwhelming positive feedback from the swimmers Kate was offered this position on a permanent basis, and we’re delighted she’s accepted. This is a great addition to help develop our growing Masters squad.
Team Photo and Press Release
I have sent a report to the local papers regarding the Arena League final round, so with any luck something may appear this week. Thank you to everyone who came to the photo, there was a great turn out. I have written another article for the press regarding the new kit, blocks etc. I hope something will come out before Xmas. Thank you to Annette’s husband, Keith, who kindly came down to take the photos for us.
Congratulations to Martina Slavik and Kate Le Fevre who passed their Level 2 coaching certificates last weekend. This qualification takes considerable time and dedication over a three month period and is a great achievement. Well done to both of you.
Masters Coach Appointment
Kate Le Fevre has been coaching the Masters squad on Monday night for the past 10 weeks. Given her recent Level 2 qualification and the overwhelming positive feedback from the swimmers Kate was offered this position on a permanent basis, and we’re delighted she’s accepted. This is a great addition to help develop our growing Masters squad.
Team Photo and Press Release
I have sent a report to the local papers regarding the Arena League final round, so with any luck something may appear this week. Thank you to everyone who came to the photo, there was a great turn out. I have written another article for the press regarding the new kit, blocks etc. I hope something will come out before Xmas. Thank you to Annette’s husband, Keith, who kindly came down to take the photos for us.
Officials Course
Thank you to the parents who volunteered to attend the J1 official’s course in March. We have seven or eight names down now, which will really help to bolster our workforce. More info to follow.
Land Training – Thank you Richard!
Sadly, we will be saying farewell to Richard Broome as our Land Training coach. Richard really kick started this part of training a number of years ago. He’s done a fantastic job and will be hard to replace. So hard in fact that we’re turning to paid professionals to try and fill the void. The provisional plan is to offer a rotation of Spinning and Strength Conditioning classes to the Competition and Performance squad swimmers aged 14 and Over. It is important that this is well attended to ensure it’s an effective use of resources. This should start in January on Sunday mornings, but there will be more information to follow. A big thank you to Richard for all he’s done for the club.
Xmas Fun Gala
We hope everyone has a fantastic time at the gala this weekend. It’s always a great event, and huge thanks to Tina Surrage for organising this again.
Annual Membership Payments
The club is pleased to announce that we are able to hold the annual fee/joining fee to £40 for this calendar year. This payment is due by no later than January 31st. It should be paid under the reference ‘BloggsJAnnual’, so not to be confused with monthly training fees. Those new swimmers who joined between October and December and have just paid a £40 joining fee are exempt.
Oxford City Development Gala Refunds
If you are owed a refund from the COSC Development Meet last month, which was cancelled, then please deduct this from your annual £40 membership fee, as it will be a lot easier than getting everyone’s bank details and issuing refunds.
Payment for Galas
Thank you to everyone who pays promptly and before the deadlines sent out by Kay for Open meets. However, we are still experiencing quite a few late payments, which then have to be chased up. I’m sure you can appreciate that as volunteer administrators this is time consuming and so swift payment is gratefully received.
December Training Schedule
There will be a short break in training over the festive period. The details of the break can be found at our website home page,
Training Kit
If your swimmer does not have the correct training kit then Christmas may be a good opportunity to purchase the necessary items. All swimmers in the Competition and Performance squad should have:
- Fins
- Snorkel
- Hand Paddles
Kick boards are no longer necessary and can be left at home. Pull buoys will be used, but there are lots of spares available. Please can I ask that all kit, clothing and water bottles are clearly labelled because quite a lot of it gets left behind.
Finally, on behalf of the whole club we’d like to thank you for your continued support and wish you all a very happy festive season.
Best Wishes,
KGSC Committee
Thank you to the parents who volunteered to attend the J1 official’s course in March. We have seven or eight names down now, which will really help to bolster our workforce. More info to follow.
Land Training – Thank you Richard!
Sadly, we will be saying farewell to Richard Broome as our Land Training coach. Richard really kick started this part of training a number of years ago. He’s done a fantastic job and will be hard to replace. So hard in fact that we’re turning to paid professionals to try and fill the void. The provisional plan is to offer a rotation of Spinning and Strength Conditioning classes to the Competition and Performance squad swimmers aged 14 and Over. It is important that this is well attended to ensure it’s an effective use of resources. This should start in January on Sunday mornings, but there will be more information to follow. A big thank you to Richard for all he’s done for the club.
Xmas Fun Gala
We hope everyone has a fantastic time at the gala this weekend. It’s always a great event, and huge thanks to Tina Surrage for organising this again.
Annual Membership Payments
The club is pleased to announce that we are able to hold the annual fee/joining fee to £40 for this calendar year. This payment is due by no later than January 31st. It should be paid under the reference ‘BloggsJAnnual’, so not to be confused with monthly training fees. Those new swimmers who joined between October and December and have just paid a £40 joining fee are exempt.
Oxford City Development Gala Refunds
If you are owed a refund from the COSC Development Meet last month, which was cancelled, then please deduct this from your annual £40 membership fee, as it will be a lot easier than getting everyone’s bank details and issuing refunds.
Payment for Galas
Thank you to everyone who pays promptly and before the deadlines sent out by Kay for Open meets. However, we are still experiencing quite a few late payments, which then have to be chased up. I’m sure you can appreciate that as volunteer administrators this is time consuming and so swift payment is gratefully received.
December Training Schedule
There will be a short break in training over the festive period. The details of the break can be found at our website home page,
Training Kit
If your swimmer does not have the correct training kit then Christmas may be a good opportunity to purchase the necessary items. All swimmers in the Competition and Performance squad should have:
- Fins
- Snorkel
- Hand Paddles
Kick boards are no longer necessary and can be left at home. Pull buoys will be used, but there are lots of spares available. Please can I ask that all kit, clothing and water bottles are clearly labelled because quite a lot of it gets left behind.
Finally, on behalf of the whole club we’d like to thank you for your continued support and wish you all a very happy festive season.
Best Wishes,
KGSC Committee
August 2018
August Club Newsletter
Dear Parents and Swimmers,
We hope you've had a lovely break. Here's some important updates for you.
Officials and Volunteers
I put this at the very top of the newsletter because for the club it’s probably the most important matter - we are in dire need of more officials!
We cannot enter leagues and open meets without them. At present we still have a woefully low number, and it is unfair to rely on just a few. The sad truth is that if we do not have more volunteers we will be forced to withdraw from galas and leagues next year.
I'm hoping we have enough volunteers to run a club specific training course. Please contact me back to let me know if you will undergo a basic training course, so I can set one up.
You do not need to have swimming knowledge for this role. You will be trained and mentored by experienced officials until you are comfortable. It often just involves using a stop watch. You simply need to be willing to help your club on occasions - thank you in advance!
We hope you've had a lovely break. Here's some important updates for you.
Officials and Volunteers
I put this at the very top of the newsletter because for the club it’s probably the most important matter - we are in dire need of more officials!
We cannot enter leagues and open meets without them. At present we still have a woefully low number, and it is unfair to rely on just a few. The sad truth is that if we do not have more volunteers we will be forced to withdraw from galas and leagues next year.
I'm hoping we have enough volunteers to run a club specific training course. Please contact me back to let me know if you will undergo a basic training course, so I can set one up.
You do not need to have swimming knowledge for this role. You will be trained and mentored by experienced officials until you are comfortable. It often just involves using a stop watch. You simply need to be willing to help your club on occasions - thank you in advance!
Sunday Training Schedule
We are making some amendments to the Sunday training schedule with the hope of improving both attendance and the suitability of what we can offer to our swimmers across squads.
ere's the key info.
No Land Training at 17.00-18.00 on Sunday anymore.
Sunday Morning Training will work as follows:
This should make LT more suitable and aid the development of the younger swimmers in the water.
We are making some amendments to the Sunday training schedule with the hope of improving both attendance and the suitability of what we can offer to our swimmers across squads.
ere's the key info.
No Land Training at 17.00-18.00 on Sunday anymore.
Sunday Morning Training will work as follows:
- 07.00-08.00: Pool - Competition and Performance Squads
- 08.00-09.00: Land Training - Competition and Performance Squads (14 & Overs ONLY)
- 07.45 - 09.00: Pool - Academy, Competition and Performance Squads (13 & Under ONLY)
This should make LT more suitable and aid the development of the younger swimmers in the water.
Committee Updates
Thank you to everyone who attended our AGM. Those who were present would have heard that Alan Brown stepped down as Treasurer.
Alan has been involved in the club as a parent, official and committee member for many, many years. His youngest (Caitlin) is now off to University and so it seems a logical time for Alan to pass the baton on. The club would like to thank Alan for everything he’s done for the club, and we hope he stays in touch, not least to start our Xmas galas!
We need more parents to take up these roles as older parents vacate them.
Nobody came forward to take the role on either before or at the AGM, and therefore Chris Aust has stepped up to take on the position of Treasurer alongside his Chairman responsibilities – thanks Chris!
Thank you to everyone who attended our AGM. Those who were present would have heard that Alan Brown stepped down as Treasurer.
Alan has been involved in the club as a parent, official and committee member for many, many years. His youngest (Caitlin) is now off to University and so it seems a logical time for Alan to pass the baton on. The club would like to thank Alan for everything he’s done for the club, and we hope he stays in touch, not least to start our Xmas galas!
We need more parents to take up these roles as older parents vacate them.
Nobody came forward to take the role on either before or at the AGM, and therefore Chris Aust has stepped up to take on the position of Treasurer alongside his Chairman responsibilities – thanks Chris!
Upcoming Gala's
It’s great to see so many entries for the first meets (COSC Dev Meet & Gloucester) of the season
The club must pay out significant amounts for these gala’s in advance and so swift payment is important. Thanks.
It’s great to see so many entries for the first meets (COSC Dev Meet & Gloucester) of the season
- City of Oxford Development Meet (Gala 1) – Development meets provide the ideal opportunity for swimmers from the Academy and Comp squads to get official times for future meets. There’s no qualifying requirements, swimmers can submit ‘No Time’ (NT) if they haven’t swam the event before.
Look out for more of these Development Meets throughout the season on the events page of our website. - Gloucester Sprint Meet - For some age groups we have entered relays (great practice for Arena League). The relay team selections will be made available at the start of the first session of the gala.
- Arena League - You have hopefully saved the dates (Oct 13, Nov 10 & Dec 8). A squad list for round 1 will be published mid Sept. We will be organising coach transportation for this meet, which swimmers will be expected to use. More info to follow.
- The last open meet (L3) of the calendar year will hopefully be at City of Oxford in November - gala entries and info to follow.
The club must pay out significant amounts for these gala’s in advance and so swift payment is important. Thanks.
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Equipment
Thanks to the hard work of Chris Aust and Sarah Kearney from the sports centre we are delighted to announce we now have 4 new starting blocks that are customised to suit FINA specifications. These are a huge improvement on the blocks that the club has been using since before I was born...! They come at a hefty price, but are long overdue. In addition we have new lanes ropes and clocks, so we're all set for the new season. |
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Press Release
Once the new clothing arrives we will be aiming to have a club photo and an official opening of the new blocks to form part of a press release for the club. More info to follow.
Once the new clothing arrives we will be aiming to have a club photo and an official opening of the new blocks to form part of a press release for the club. More info to follow.
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Congratulations to our University Leavers
Congratulations to our senior swimmers who took their A-levels recently. Our captains Zak, Caitlin and Chelsea all achieved straight A’s! Chelsea is off to study Medicine at UEA, Caitlin Sport at Birmingham and Jess a PE degree at Chichester. Zak will be taking a year out before embarking on an Economics degree. We will be sad to see Caitlin, Chelsea and Jess go, but wish them every success and hope that they will be back training with us in the holidays. With their departures in mind news will follow in due course regarding new club captains. |
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‘Parents Responsibility’ When Training Ends
The club just wanted to clarify, especially to new parents, that once off poolside swimmers become the responsibility of their parents.
Work commitments and the staggered leaving time of some of our swimmers means coaches may not be available to supervise any problems. The club therefore relinquishes responsibility once swimmers are off poolside.
With this in mind, please ensure you are present before the session ends. If there is a problem and your child needs supervising please call the sports centre and ask them to notify a poolside coach straight away. Thanks.
The club just wanted to clarify, especially to new parents, that once off poolside swimmers become the responsibility of their parents.
Work commitments and the staggered leaving time of some of our swimmers means coaches may not be available to supervise any problems. The club therefore relinquishes responsibility once swimmers are off poolside.
With this in mind, please ensure you are present before the session ends. If there is a problem and your child needs supervising please call the sports centre and ask them to notify a poolside coach straight away. Thanks.
Coming Up...
Looking forward to an exciting season ahead.
- Back to full training from Sunday 2 Sept (on the new Sunday schedule).
Please note Saturday training does not recommence until 15 Sept.
- Olympic Pool Event - Saturday 8th Sept, 12-2pm - don't forget to plan your journeys in advance.
More info on meeting time and location for registration and pick up will follow.
Looking forward to an exciting season ahead.
July 2018
2017 KGSC AWARDS
During the social /rounders day at the Kidlington Leisure Centre the following awards were presented for performance throughout 2017
Best Attendance
Awarded to the swimmer that has attended the most sessions throughout the year - therefore showing commitment and consistency
Nominees
Winner - Whilst very, very close: Chelsea
During the social /rounders day at the Kidlington Leisure Centre the following awards were presented for performance throughout 2017
Best Attendance
Awarded to the swimmer that has attended the most sessions throughout the year - therefore showing commitment and consistency
Nominees
- Katie P
- Ellie B
- Chelsea
Winner - Whilst very, very close: Chelsea
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Most Improved
Awarded to the swimmer who has shown the most improvement over the year in either PB's, technical development or both Nominees
Winner - Moses |
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Trainer of the year
Awarded to the swimmer who demonstrates consistently excellent effort and desire to improve during training Nominees
Winner - Lucy Mc |
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Top Junior Girl (13&U)
Each coach gives their own personal reasons, so this is an all round award that recognises attitude, achievement, effort and improvement Nominees
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Top Junior Boy ( 13&U)
Each coach gives their own personal reasons, so this is an all round award that recognises attitude, achievement, effort and improvement Nominees
Winner - Alex |
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Top Senior Girl (14 & over)
Each coach gives their own personal reasons, so this is an all round award that recognises attitude, achievement, effort and improvement Nominees
Winner - Chelsea |
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Top Senior Boy (14 & over)
Each coach gives their own personal reasons, so this is an all round award that recognises attitude, achievement, effort and improvement Nominees
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May 2018
May Club Newsletter : IMPORTANT CLUB DEVELOPMENTS
Dear Members,
As usual there’s lots going on behind the scenes, but we’ve omitted to send out a recent Newsletter, so I thought I mention a few updates. We have an AGM in the not too distant future whereby we will share lots more information.
Club Annual General Meeting
You may have seen the save the date on the website home page. Our AGM is due to take place on the evening of Tuesday July 3rd, venue and time TBC.
There’s a lot happening at the club and we’d like a very strong attendance. I am also hoping to use this event to give a presentation regarding competitions and nutritional advice for parents/swimmers.
More info will follow regarding the AGM and presentations, and we will be asking for confirmation of attendance in due course.
Club Clothing
Understandably, lots of parents have been asking about getting club clothing. For some time now the club has been reviewing its clothing. This process takes some time to get right, but we are close to releasing information about our new kit – so please watch this space. We now have no stock left of current clothing and we will not be ordering anymore. Therefore, if you don’t have any KGSC clothing for your upcoming gala please just wear appropriate sports attire and we’ll get this finalised shortly.
South East Regionals
Congratulations to our trio of girls who qualified for the Regional Championships, which is a very high standard event. Chelsea and Katie P swam last week with solid performances. Chelsea’s best age group finish was 9th in the 200m Breaststroke, with Katie finishing 23rd in the 50m Breaststroke. Well done girls.
Lucy M swims this weekend in the 50 and 100m Backstroke events - Good luck Lucy!
City of Oxford SC Development Meet – Sunday, May 20th
We have a large number of swimmers (27) attending the latest Development meet on Sunday 20th May. Please ensure you check the link on our website about how to prepare and what to bring to a gala. This is important!
http://www.kgsc.co.uk/top-tips-when-competing.html
Please arrive in plenty of time and if for any reason you cannot attend please give plenty of notice.
Club Socials
Richard and Lianne Broome have been busy organising some social events for the summer. We hope these will be well attended and please ensure you have replied to them, if you are planning on attending.
Training Departure Times
The club is bringing in a new requirement for all new members that the earliest departure time from weekday training is 07.15 (apart from occasional exceptions). It is important swimmers and parents do what they can to ensure swimmers can maximise their training time and minimise disruption to sessions. If your swimmer needs to alter their departure times, please can you put this in writing to me in advance. We obviously have duty of care for the swimmers and need to know when they are meant to depart. Thank you for your assistance with this, and if any can stay later and get changed quicker that will get a big thumbs up from the coaches
As usual there’s lots going on behind the scenes, but we’ve omitted to send out a recent Newsletter, so I thought I mention a few updates. We have an AGM in the not too distant future whereby we will share lots more information.
Club Annual General Meeting
You may have seen the save the date on the website home page. Our AGM is due to take place on the evening of Tuesday July 3rd, venue and time TBC.
There’s a lot happening at the club and we’d like a very strong attendance. I am also hoping to use this event to give a presentation regarding competitions and nutritional advice for parents/swimmers.
More info will follow regarding the AGM and presentations, and we will be asking for confirmation of attendance in due course.
Club Clothing
Understandably, lots of parents have been asking about getting club clothing. For some time now the club has been reviewing its clothing. This process takes some time to get right, but we are close to releasing information about our new kit – so please watch this space. We now have no stock left of current clothing and we will not be ordering anymore. Therefore, if you don’t have any KGSC clothing for your upcoming gala please just wear appropriate sports attire and we’ll get this finalised shortly.
South East Regionals
Congratulations to our trio of girls who qualified for the Regional Championships, which is a very high standard event. Chelsea and Katie P swam last week with solid performances. Chelsea’s best age group finish was 9th in the 200m Breaststroke, with Katie finishing 23rd in the 50m Breaststroke. Well done girls.
Lucy M swims this weekend in the 50 and 100m Backstroke events - Good luck Lucy!
City of Oxford SC Development Meet – Sunday, May 20th
We have a large number of swimmers (27) attending the latest Development meet on Sunday 20th May. Please ensure you check the link on our website about how to prepare and what to bring to a gala. This is important!
http://www.kgsc.co.uk/top-tips-when-competing.html
Please arrive in plenty of time and if for any reason you cannot attend please give plenty of notice.
Club Socials
Richard and Lianne Broome have been busy organising some social events for the summer. We hope these will be well attended and please ensure you have replied to them, if you are planning on attending.
Training Departure Times
The club is bringing in a new requirement for all new members that the earliest departure time from weekday training is 07.15 (apart from occasional exceptions). It is important swimmers and parents do what they can to ensure swimmers can maximise their training time and minimise disruption to sessions. If your swimmer needs to alter their departure times, please can you put this in writing to me in advance. We obviously have duty of care for the swimmers and need to know when they are meant to depart. Thank you for your assistance with this, and if any can stay later and get changed quicker that will get a big thumbs up from the coaches
May 2018
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Congratulations to our trio of South East England Regional qualifiers who will be flying the KGSC flag over the coming weekends..
Qualifying in itself is a real achievement and we wish them all the best.
Who will be the next junior boy to qualify? |
October 2017
September Club Newsletter : IMPORTANT CLUB DEVELOPMENTS
Dear Members,
In August the club was awarded its SwimMark accreditation. This is a new version of Swim21 and is seen as the gold standard for all swim clubs.
A key part of SwimMark process is to ensure the long term viability of the Club and therefore the committee sets objectives and plans for its future development. Two of our key objectives are outlined below:
1. To enhance the development of our younger swimmers by offering them more pool time and quality coaching
2. To formalise the coaching structure, roles and personnel and improve even further the commitment and accountability of the volunteers
To achieve this some significant club developments need to take place, which will affect all swimmers. Rest assured any developments have the longevity of the club and its success at its core.
Please ensure you read all the information carefully and note the changes that will take effect from Monday 2 October 2017.
Squad Structure
There will still be four squads, but there will be some changes to their names, personnel, fees and training time allocation.
Please check the lists (below) to see which squad your child is in. We apologise if anyone’s name is missing, and ask that you contact the club for clarification.
Dear Members,
In August the club was awarded its SwimMark accreditation. This is a new version of Swim21 and is seen as the gold standard for all swim clubs.
A key part of SwimMark process is to ensure the long term viability of the Club and therefore the committee sets objectives and plans for its future development. Two of our key objectives are outlined below:
1. To enhance the development of our younger swimmers by offering them more pool time and quality coaching
2. To formalise the coaching structure, roles and personnel and improve even further the commitment and accountability of the volunteers
To achieve this some significant club developments need to take place, which will affect all swimmers. Rest assured any developments have the longevity of the club and its success at its core.
Please ensure you read all the information carefully and note the changes that will take effect from Monday 2 October 2017.
Squad Structure
There will still be four squads, but there will be some changes to their names, personnel, fees and training time allocation.
Please check the lists (below) to see which squad your child is in. We apologise if anyone’s name is missing, and ask that you contact the club for clarification.
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Academy
Alex A Rose A Sebastian B Eloise B Oliver C Holly C Vishnu G Vishwa G Sam H Elena H Elizabeth H Eris K Alison L Jasper P-T Sophia P Bea P Eliza R Oscar R Mia S Alexia V Isabella V Tabatha W Ferne W Molly W Kaitlyn W |
Competition
Daniel A Moses B Meg B Dylan D Ben H Kirsty Hoffman Aisha H Alexia J Chelsea J Madison J Harrison J P Vincent L F Magnus P-T Laura S Tom S Raia S-A Carl W F |
Performance
Christopher Aust Joshua B Chelsea B Gary Bennell Ellie B Caitlin B Benjamin D Zak G Thomas J Lucy McG Amy N Katie P Lucy P Jessica S Lucy S Ian Surrage Daniel W James Ward Mark Ward |
Masters
Dennam Carpenter Hannah Clements Paul Cusdin David Eyles David Foster Ellie Fowler Alice Mannifield Amanda Mayes-Baker Mark Northwood Jonathan Richards Valerie Richens Chloe Ridewood John Springle Jennifer Watts Verity Wesgate |
Training Times by Day – Please note Sunday AM Changes
Session Day Session Time Squad(s)
Monday 06.00-07.30 Competition & Performance
Monday 20.00-21.00 Masters
Wednesday 06.00-07.30 Competition & Performance
Friday 06.00-07.30 Competition & Performance
Saturday 10.00-12.00 Academy
Sunday (AM) 07.00-08.15 Academy
07.45-09.00 Competition & Performance
Sunday (Land Training) 17.00-18.00 Competition & Performance
Sunday (PM) 18.00-19.00 Performance & Masters
Session Day Session Time Squad(s)
Monday 06.00-07.30 Competition & Performance
Monday 20.00-21.00 Masters
Wednesday 06.00-07.30 Competition & Performance
Friday 06.00-07.30 Competition & Performance
Saturday 10.00-12.00 Academy
Sunday (AM) 07.00-08.15 Academy
07.45-09.00 Competition & Performance
Sunday (Land Training) 17.00-18.00 Competition & Performance
Sunday (PM) 18.00-19.00 Performance & Masters
This change will allow us to increase the training allocation for our Academy Squad, essential for helping the swimmers and the club move forwards. Swimmers in the Academy should make every effort to attend both sessions, weekly.
Competition and Performance Squads will be expected on poolside at 07.45 for Pre Pool warm up.
Competition and Performance Squads will be expected on poolside at 07.45 for Pre Pool warm up.
Training Fees
After freezing the fees at the last review the club now needs to increase them. For new swimmers the fees will start with immediate effect. For existing swimmers we ask that you alter your standing order by 1 January 2018. This will then coincide with your annual £40 ASA and Club one off membership payment (payable on joining).
New Monthly and Annual Fees
Squad Monthly Fee Annual Membership Fee
Academy £36 £40
Competition £40 £40
Performance £40 £40
Masters £22 £40
The club has always prided its self on being the best value club in the County, and has run on a solely voluntary basis. Whilst this will remain the bedrock of the Club currently, to secure the clubs future, whilst improving the quality and consistency of what we offer, the club wants to ‘reward’ the time and commitment of its volunteers and their accountability, which in part, necessitates an increase in fees.
We believe the club cannot continue to thrive in the long term whilst it runs on a purely voluntary basis with no accountability.
To this end and to help with both recruitment and retention of volunteers we intend to offer a range of discounts to assistant coaches and reimburse lead coaches for swim set development services.
Despite these changes we hope you still recognise the fantastic value these fees offer, far below most competitors and averaging between £1.40 and £3.00 per hour of training.
Discounts
Siblings = 25% discount off the lower of the training fees (where applicable) for each sibling
Assistant Coaches = 25% discount off monthly fees for each weekly swim session coached
Students = £22 per month. This is for University students aged 18 and over who train with us during their holidays.
After freezing the fees at the last review the club now needs to increase them. For new swimmers the fees will start with immediate effect. For existing swimmers we ask that you alter your standing order by 1 January 2018. This will then coincide with your annual £40 ASA and Club one off membership payment (payable on joining).
New Monthly and Annual Fees
Squad Monthly Fee Annual Membership Fee
Academy £36 £40
Competition £40 £40
Performance £40 £40
Masters £22 £40
The club has always prided its self on being the best value club in the County, and has run on a solely voluntary basis. Whilst this will remain the bedrock of the Club currently, to secure the clubs future, whilst improving the quality and consistency of what we offer, the club wants to ‘reward’ the time and commitment of its volunteers and their accountability, which in part, necessitates an increase in fees.
We believe the club cannot continue to thrive in the long term whilst it runs on a purely voluntary basis with no accountability.
To this end and to help with both recruitment and retention of volunteers we intend to offer a range of discounts to assistant coaches and reimburse lead coaches for swim set development services.
Despite these changes we hope you still recognise the fantastic value these fees offer, far below most competitors and averaging between £1.40 and £3.00 per hour of training.
Discounts
Siblings = 25% discount off the lower of the training fees (where applicable) for each sibling
Assistant Coaches = 25% discount off monthly fees for each weekly swim session coached
Students = £22 per month. This is for University students aged 18 and over who train with us during their holidays.
Coach Roles
Each session requires an absolute minimum of two coaches and more during the Saturday and Sunday morning sessions. The volunteers roles are outlined below.
Head Coach
Johny Richards
Lead Coach
Johny Richards, Rod Fowler, Joe Walker and Richard Broome
Assistant Coach
Martina Slavik-Ali, Tina Surrage, Chris Aust, Nicola Parsons, Kate Le Fevre, Helen McGrath and Annette Johnstone
We would like to welcome a new lead coach to the team, Joe Walker. Joe joins us from Bicester Blue Fins where he has coached for the past 5 years under the tutelage of South East Region coach Craig Oliver. He has headed up the junior squads as well as working with Craig and the more senior squads. Joe also swam to regional level himself. He will join us as a lead coach, writing sessions and attending galas.
Rod Fowler is stepping down as Head Coach and will take the post of honorary life president of the club. Rod will continue to be a lead coach on Sunday mornings and Monday evenings, allowing him the chance to work with swimmers from the Academy through to Masters. We’d like to thank Rod for the incredible amount of time he has given and continues to give to the club.
Johny Richards will take the position of Head Coach from Rod at from the beginning of November on completion of his Swim England Level 2 Coaching certificate.
After 12 years of service Dave Clements will step down from his regular coaching role and will still act as cover. Dave will be a great loss from the poolside and we can’t thank him enough for the countless early morning and weekends he’s given - long since his children stopped swimming competitively.
Each session requires an absolute minimum of two coaches and more during the Saturday and Sunday morning sessions. The volunteers roles are outlined below.
Head Coach
Johny Richards
Lead Coach
Johny Richards, Rod Fowler, Joe Walker and Richard Broome
Assistant Coach
Martina Slavik-Ali, Tina Surrage, Chris Aust, Nicola Parsons, Kate Le Fevre, Helen McGrath and Annette Johnstone
We would like to welcome a new lead coach to the team, Joe Walker. Joe joins us from Bicester Blue Fins where he has coached for the past 5 years under the tutelage of South East Region coach Craig Oliver. He has headed up the junior squads as well as working with Craig and the more senior squads. Joe also swam to regional level himself. He will join us as a lead coach, writing sessions and attending galas.
Rod Fowler is stepping down as Head Coach and will take the post of honorary life president of the club. Rod will continue to be a lead coach on Sunday mornings and Monday evenings, allowing him the chance to work with swimmers from the Academy through to Masters. We’d like to thank Rod for the incredible amount of time he has given and continues to give to the club.
Johny Richards will take the position of Head Coach from Rod at from the beginning of November on completion of his Swim England Level 2 Coaching certificate.
After 12 years of service Dave Clements will step down from his regular coaching role and will still act as cover. Dave will be a great loss from the poolside and we can’t thank him enough for the countless early morning and weekends he’s given - long since his children stopped swimming competitively.
Gala Entry Process Changes
All gala information, including our schedule of meets can be found on the club website Events Page:
We will be tweaking the system we use for members to enter gala’s. This is to make the process quicker for our Events Secretary (Kay Hofmann,) but also to reduce the chance of error and make swimmers and parents accountable for their entries.
Competition and Performance Squad Members
You should enter as many of the open meets that you can, trying not to exceed more than three swims in a session unless agreed with the head coach first.
Entering Format 1
For some galas that use specific software you will receive an email asking you to directly enter your events onto an online system. Your times should automatically come up because it will be linked to the Swim England national database of times.
Entering Format 2
For those gala’s not using the software you will continue to email Kay your list of entries, but you MUST include your personal best entry times. Parents and swimmers should know these and you should log these after each gala, but official times can be found using the link on the personal best page in the members only section of our web site below:
It will not be the Events Secretaries responsibility to look up and enter times on your behalf. However, if you have any questions or you are unsure of your time or whether you are eligible to enter you can, of course, contact the club.
Academy Squad Members
The Academy squad have a more limited range of local galas. It is important those swimmers with aspirations to reach the Competition Squad enter as many of these as possible. They provide excellent race practice/experience and are designed for novice swimmers, because they require no entry times from previous galas. The meets we enter include:
Gala Withdrawals Notice
Before you can enter a gala it is important that you are sure you can commit to the meet. Not only will you lose your money if you withdraw after entries have been confirmed, but also it causes a lot of disruption on the day for the club and our coaches.
If your swimmer does need to withdraw from part, or all, of the meet, you must contact the club as soon as possible. The event organisers need to know if swimmers will not be present because they have hundreds of heats (races) to organise. Late withdrawals have to be managed by the coaches and also waste money in galas where we have entered relay teams.
Congratulations and Good Luck
Well done to Daniel A and Alex Y who were selected to attend a County development day based of their 200 IM rankings. We hope the day provides both useful advice and inspiration moving forwards.
The club would also like to wish Jamie Ward every success as he moves off to University this month. Jamie has been a swimmer of the club for many years and Club Vice Captain for the past two. Daniel W will be taking over the Vice Captain role form his brother, and we’re sure he’ll do a great job.
And Finally....
Well done to all the swimmers on a good start to the year, and some top swimming at the Gloucester meet. We are pleased to say the club is in a healthy position with lots of new enquiries and we hope it will continue to develop and thrive over the coming months and years. A huge thanks goes to the many volunteers who make this all possible.
Best Wishes
Chris Aust
KGSC Chairman
All gala information, including our schedule of meets can be found on the club website Events Page:
We will be tweaking the system we use for members to enter gala’s. This is to make the process quicker for our Events Secretary (Kay Hofmann,) but also to reduce the chance of error and make swimmers and parents accountable for their entries.
Competition and Performance Squad Members
You should enter as many of the open meets that you can, trying not to exceed more than three swims in a session unless agreed with the head coach first.
Entering Format 1
For some galas that use specific software you will receive an email asking you to directly enter your events onto an online system. Your times should automatically come up because it will be linked to the Swim England national database of times.
Entering Format 2
For those gala’s not using the software you will continue to email Kay your list of entries, but you MUST include your personal best entry times. Parents and swimmers should know these and you should log these after each gala, but official times can be found using the link on the personal best page in the members only section of our web site below:
It will not be the Events Secretaries responsibility to look up and enter times on your behalf. However, if you have any questions or you are unsure of your time or whether you are eligible to enter you can, of course, contact the club.
Academy Squad Members
The Academy squad have a more limited range of local galas. It is important those swimmers with aspirations to reach the Competition Squad enter as many of these as possible. They provide excellent race practice/experience and are designed for novice swimmers, because they require no entry times from previous galas. The meets we enter include:
- Banbury Club Championships (Sept/Oct)
- City of Oxford Development Meets (3-4 times per year)
Gala Withdrawals Notice
Before you can enter a gala it is important that you are sure you can commit to the meet. Not only will you lose your money if you withdraw after entries have been confirmed, but also it causes a lot of disruption on the day for the club and our coaches.
If your swimmer does need to withdraw from part, or all, of the meet, you must contact the club as soon as possible. The event organisers need to know if swimmers will not be present because they have hundreds of heats (races) to organise. Late withdrawals have to be managed by the coaches and also waste money in galas where we have entered relay teams.
Congratulations and Good Luck
Well done to Daniel A and Alex Y who were selected to attend a County development day based of their 200 IM rankings. We hope the day provides both useful advice and inspiration moving forwards.
The club would also like to wish Jamie Ward every success as he moves off to University this month. Jamie has been a swimmer of the club for many years and Club Vice Captain for the past two. Daniel W will be taking over the Vice Captain role form his brother, and we’re sure he’ll do a great job.
And Finally....
Well done to all the swimmers on a good start to the year, and some top swimming at the Gloucester meet. We are pleased to say the club is in a healthy position with lots of new enquiries and we hope it will continue to develop and thrive over the coming months and years. A huge thanks goes to the many volunteers who make this all possible.
Best Wishes
Chris Aust
KGSC Chairman
September 2017
Ellie sweeps up medal haul at Gloucester Gala
Ellie B was on great form for Kidlington and Gosford at the Sunday 17th sprint meet hosted by Gloucester Swimming club.
Ellie picked up two golds (100m I.M. and 50m Backstroke), one silver (50m Breaststroke) and a Bronze (50m Butterfly).
10 year old Magnus collected his first competitive swimming medal in the 50m breaststroke with a Bronze in a time of 48.34.
Mark W won the 50 Freestyle Open age in a time of 25.73, whilst there were also individual medals for Lucy M, Daniel A and Josh B on a successful first meet of the season for the KGSC squad.
Ellie B was on great form for Kidlington and Gosford at the Sunday 17th sprint meet hosted by Gloucester Swimming club.
Ellie picked up two golds (100m I.M. and 50m Backstroke), one silver (50m Breaststroke) and a Bronze (50m Butterfly).
10 year old Magnus collected his first competitive swimming medal in the 50m breaststroke with a Bronze in a time of 48.34.
Mark W won the 50 Freestyle Open age in a time of 25.73, whilst there were also individual medals for Lucy M, Daniel A and Josh B on a successful first meet of the season for the KGSC squad.
Girls Open 4 x 50 Medley Relay Team after picking up their silver medal! L to R: Lucy P, Ellie B, Chelsea and Caitlin
August 2017
Masters News 2017.
This year a few master swimmers have been competing under the KGCS banner.
Here is a review of their progress.
One is the first meets of the year was Essex County Championships. Chris Aust attended. Swimming in the 35/39 years age group
Aust took gold in the 50 breast, fly and free as well as the 100 breast. All inside Masters county record time.
The club had 3 swimmers at the Midland Masters Meet.
Kirsty Hoffman (30/34) claimed a silver in the 50 fly with a time of 38.95 and also 2 bronze medal finishes in the 400 free and the 50 breast. Whilst covering the most meters of the KGSC swimmers she picked up 4th place in the 200 free.
Gary Bennell (40/44) took bronze in a 32.56 50m backstroke. The tactic of 'fooling your competitors by almost missing the start of the race' rewarded him with a 4th place finish in the 100 fly. Gary also took 7th in the 50 and 100 free.
Chris Aust competed in the 100 FC, IM and the 200 breast, all completed inside masters county record time taking 3 golds.
The long course National Championships took place in Aberdeen. Aust was the sole competitor for the club, and after booking flights to the wrong city eventually competed in the 200 free (silver) 50 breast (silver) 200 IM (bronze) again all swims inside masters county record time.
Martin Bennell (brother of Gary) competing for Southampton took gold in the 50 breast 35/39 years in British record time. Beating Aust by 0.01. Martin was a KGSC member growing up and competed for us at County level 2 years ago.
The masters season now take a break before the next short course nationals meet in Sheffield late October. The club will be entering a few warm up meets beforehand and always welcome more competitors - it's not as scary as you may think. You may even get to see some old faces from your younger swimming days.
There is also a decathlon competition within the masters meet. This is where you combine your best 10 races from the year to score fins points. You have to swim all four strokes, IM and one distance event. The scores are adjusted through a formula to allow for age. So there's other opportunities out there, not just open meets.
If you are interested in competing (at any level) speak to Chris Aust.
Results pages are on the masters section of the swim ASA website so you can gauge what level you are at.
This year a few master swimmers have been competing under the KGCS banner.
Here is a review of their progress.
One is the first meets of the year was Essex County Championships. Chris Aust attended. Swimming in the 35/39 years age group
Aust took gold in the 50 breast, fly and free as well as the 100 breast. All inside Masters county record time.
The club had 3 swimmers at the Midland Masters Meet.
Kirsty Hoffman (30/34) claimed a silver in the 50 fly with a time of 38.95 and also 2 bronze medal finishes in the 400 free and the 50 breast. Whilst covering the most meters of the KGSC swimmers she picked up 4th place in the 200 free.
Gary Bennell (40/44) took bronze in a 32.56 50m backstroke. The tactic of 'fooling your competitors by almost missing the start of the race' rewarded him with a 4th place finish in the 100 fly. Gary also took 7th in the 50 and 100 free.
Chris Aust competed in the 100 FC, IM and the 200 breast, all completed inside masters county record time taking 3 golds.
The long course National Championships took place in Aberdeen. Aust was the sole competitor for the club, and after booking flights to the wrong city eventually competed in the 200 free (silver) 50 breast (silver) 200 IM (bronze) again all swims inside masters county record time.
Martin Bennell (brother of Gary) competing for Southampton took gold in the 50 breast 35/39 years in British record time. Beating Aust by 0.01. Martin was a KGSC member growing up and competed for us at County level 2 years ago.
The masters season now take a break before the next short course nationals meet in Sheffield late October. The club will be entering a few warm up meets beforehand and always welcome more competitors - it's not as scary as you may think. You may even get to see some old faces from your younger swimming days.
There is also a decathlon competition within the masters meet. This is where you combine your best 10 races from the year to score fins points. You have to swim all four strokes, IM and one distance event. The scores are adjusted through a formula to allow for age. So there's other opportunities out there, not just open meets.
If you are interested in competing (at any level) speak to Chris Aust.
Results pages are on the masters section of the swim ASA website so you can gauge what level you are at.
May 2017
Johny Richards competing at the Blenheim triathalon
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April 2017
South East England Regionals (15 & Overs) Sucess
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Congratulations to Chelsea who came 3rd in the 200 Breaststroke (2:44:90 converted to SC) at Wycombe in the SER Championships in the 17&Over age group.
Chelsea went into the final in 5th place, but sliced another 2 seconds off, collecting a bronze medal and fine PB - a fantastic achievement and hopefully an inspiration to the other KGSC swimmers. Chelsea also came 11th in the 100 Breast (1.17.60) and 14th in the 50 Breast (35.00 converted to SC). WELL DONE CHELSEA. |
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January 2017
2016 KGSC AWARDS
During the social / training day at the Olympic Pool on 28/01/2017 the following awards were presented for performance throughout 2016
Best Attendance
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Awarded to the swimmer that has attended the most sessions throughout the year - therefore showing commitment and consistency
Nominees
Winner - Whilst very close, Caitlin (which considering her injuries, is a credit to her determination to train) |
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Most Improved
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Awarded to the swimmer who has shown the most improvement over the year in either PB's, technical development or both
Nominees
Winner - Dan W |
Trainer of the year
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Awarded to the swimmer who demonstrates consistently excellent effort and desire to improve during training
Nominees
Winner - Tom J |
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Top Junior Girl (13&U)
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Each coach gives their own personal reasons, so this is an all round award that recognises attitude, achievement, effort and improvement
Nominees
Winner - Lucy Mc |
Top Junior Boy ( 13&U)
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Each coach gives their own personal reasons, so this is an all round award that recognises attitude, achievement, effort and improvement
Nominees
Winner - Daniel A Awarded subsequently as Dan A was unable to attend on the day |
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Top Senior Girl (14 & over)
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Each coach gives their own personal reasons, so this is an all round award that recognises attitude, achievement, effort and improvement
Nominees
Winner - Chelsea |
Top Senior Boy (14 & over)
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Each coach gives their own personal reasons, so this is an all round award that recognises attitude, achievement, effort and improvement
Nominees
Winner - Zak |
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The Nigel Aust Award
2015 Winner - Mark Ward
( accepted on his behalf by JW ) |
This prestigeous award is given to a member of the Club who has displayed outstanding commitment and dedication over a prolonged period of time and therefore made a significant contribution to the sucess of the Club
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2016 Winner - Johny Richards
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Personal Best & Meet Times I Training Times I Club Records I Membership & Training Fees I Media Archive I Image Gallery
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