How can I join the club?
The Club has three entry level squads and holds group assessments at key stages of the season for admission. Swimmers should be reasonably proficient on all 4 strokes and turns & dives will also be assessed.
A typical training session at entry level will last for an hour and fifteen minutes during which swimmers will work on consolidating their technique whilst learning basic skills on how to swim in a squad (e.g using the pace clock, circle swimming in the lane, tumble turns & starts).
Swimmers at this level take part in internal Development Meets once every six weeks, allowing them a safe and controlled environment to practice what they have been learning in training.
The Club also accepts swimmers above entry level and from other programmes/Clubs on application to the Head Coach.
If you are interested in joining the Club then please email Head Coach Laurel Bailey – joinwarrenderbc@gmail.com
Where are training sessions held?
Although Warrender took its name from its original home at Warrender Baths on Thirlestane Road, as a large club operating over 70 training sessions per week it is necessary for us to use a range of pools throughout the city in order to offer the necessary pool time that swimmers need to develop effectively.
Which pool a swimmer uses will depend on which training squad they are in and will vary according to the day and time of the week. We recognise that good swimmers need good quality pool time and we try to ensure this is the case wherever possible.
The pools at which we train are:
- Royal Commonwealth Pool
- Leith Academy High School
- Forrester High School
- Ainslie Park Leisure Centre
- Glenogle Swim Centre
- Warrender Swim Centre
- Craigroyston Community High school
- James Gillespie’s
Do I need to come to all the training sessions?
Attendance is very important and ideally should be both regular and frequent. Each squad has a minimum attendance criteria and we understand that the younger swimmers have other commitments.
Remember that the best improvement comes with consistent attendance.
What do I need to bring for training?
For each training session, remember to bring:
- your swimsuit
- goggles
- water bottle
- swim cap
As swimmers progress through the squads, they will need additional technical equipment to help aide their training development. This can be found on the proswimwear page.
As a welcome to the club, each swimmer receives a Warrender Swim Cap.
Will my child have the chance to swim in competitions?
When your swimmer joins the Club at entry level, they will normally start at internal Development Meets. These meets are designed to introduce swimmers to a competitive swimming environment and to develop their skills as they progress in the sport. Development Meets are attended by a large number of swimmers from the development level squads (3 Benson squads, 2 Smith squads and 2 Wilkie squads) and are also a great way of meeting up with other parents. They take place on a Sunday evening within the Club’s training session time. These meets ensure that we can introduce swimmers to racing in a safe and controlled environment where it is ok for mistakes to be made and where we can use it as a learning experience for the future. At Development Meets there are no winners or losers, everyone is trying to improve themselves from the last time they raced. As swimmers progress and gain confidence they will be invited to take part in external competitions against swimmers from other clubs. The Club squads race at meets ranging from local Club and regional meets through to British and International representative meets.
Are the coaches qualified?
All of our coaches are qualified to UKCC level or equivalent and hold a lifeguarding qualification.
From time to time new coaches will start by assisting lead coaches, gaining experience of the Club and swimmers before they take on the responsibility of coaching a squad themselves.
Our Head Coach, Laurel Bailey, works closely with all of our coaches, mentoring and developing them both during training sessions and at specific individual workshops throughout the year.
All of our coaches are given the opportunity to take part in ongoing CPD within Scotland and Great Britain, ensuring we are doing our best to deliver the highest levels of coaching possible.
What does the Squad Administrator do?
Every Squad has an administrator (a volunteer parent) whose job it is to help facilitate communication between the Club and the parents.
Upon joining the Club you will begin to receive messages from your particular Squad administrator. Please make sure that you notify your squad administrator of any changes in your contact details, as this is particularly important so that we can notify you of any last minute changes/cancellations due to problems with a pool.