Herts County Championships – 6th, 7th, 20th & 21st March
Closing date for entries Sunday, 31st January
There have been a number of changes to the entry process for Herts County Championships in 2010 so please read these notes very carefully, even if you’re an old hand at County competitions. A full copy of the championship rules with the changes highlighted is available from the club website.
The County Championships is one of the major competitive events of the year. They are for swimmers aged 9 and above as at 21st March who have met minimum qualifying times; these are available from the club website and on the notice board.
If a swimmer has met the minimum times then we would expect them to swim at Counties; if they’re not going to swim please let us know why.
Under certain circumstances you are allowed to estimate entry times for Counties if, for example, a swimmer has a qualifying time at one distance but not another, or a PB is particularly historic. Talk to a Coach before you consider estimating entry times. Unlike some competitions you must have an entry time; if you don’t quote a time you will not be allowed to swim.
The closing date for entries is Sunday, 31st January at the pool. Entries must be submitted on the appropriate entry form with payment; the entry form is available from the club website and from the rack next to the club post box. Technically there are three competitions running simultaneously – BAGCAT, youth and championship. Most people will only enter one of these; if you’re not certain you almost certainly want the BAGCAT competition (14 and under boys, 13 and under girls). You only need to complete the section of the entry form relating to the competition you’re entering together with the fee calculator. However, if you’re one of the few people who might be entering more than one competition you must complete all the appropriate forms, although you only need to provide one cheque.
There is very little time to double check and collate your entries in the format required by County; please do not be late. County will not accept any late entries or any entry not submitted by the Club.
Unfortunately County’s closing date is a week earlier than last year and has only just been communicated to us. This means that
- The second round of the club championships (breaststroke and IM on the 31st January) will be held on the closing date for County entries. Anyone expecting to compete in these strokes and intending to use the times from the Club Championships in their entry will need to bring your entry form with you to complete on the day; we’ll be working late to get everything entered!
- The last round of the club championships (back and fly on the 7th February) will not be held until after the closing date. We will schedule time trials for these strokes during training if necessary; please contact your Coach as soon as possible if you’d like a time trial.
The structure of Counties has changed; there are now only four days of competition with three sessions on both Saturdays and two on the Sundays. You need to consider very carefully which events to swim to avoid becoming overloaded. If in doubt, consult your Coach. A schedule of events is available from the club website and on the notice board.
Finally, all swimmers participating in Counties must be registered as a category 2 ASA member. Swimmers in Junior Squad and above should be this level already. Anyone in Otters or below who has achieved County qualifying times or thinks that they may achieve them should contact me as soon as possible so we can complete the necessary paperwork.
If in doubt, ask a coach, and ask them sooner rather than later!