Our club categorises Performance and Competitive as High Performance Squads. This means they benefit from more pool time, access to land work, advanced technological equipment to enhance analysis and greater support structure.

Explore the benefits available in these squads and the expectations below and on their specific pages!

Dedicated to Excellence

The University of Surreys High Performance Squads are open to those swimmers who, display the appropriate work ethic, meet the competitive criteria, make the required commitment to training and competition, and demonstrate a serious attitude required to become a top swimmer. Swimming at this level becomes a “lifestyle” choice. Invitation into and continued membership of the High Performance Squads should be seen as a privilege and not an automatic right. As a result of the Universities’ ongoing success and the ever increasing demand for places within our High Performance Squads, criteria for membership continue to be refined on an annual basis.

General

Membership to the University Squads is exclusively at the Coaching Team’s discretion. Please note that a swimmer does not automatically secure a place in the High Performance Squads by just achieving the relevant Performance Eligibility Time alone. Both admittance to and continued membership of the University Squad will normally depend on a swimmer satisfying all of the criteria below.

Probationary Period

In entering any of the University of Surrey High Performance Squads swimmers will generally serve a minimum three months probationary period during which time they will be carefully monitored to ensure they are coping with the relevant squad’s training and competition culture. During this period the Coaches will assess a swimmer’s attendance, attitude, aptitude, effort and progress. Generally, at the end of the probationary period a review meeting will be held with swimmer to discuss the swimmer’s performance and decide on whether the swimmer will be offered a permanent place. In the case of a swimmer not being offered a permanent place, an alternative proposal will be made.

Work Ethic and Attitude

A swimmer must demonstrate a consistently appropriate strong work ethic over the entire year. Numerous factors will be taken into account when determining whether a swimmer has displayed a suitable work ethic including (but not limited to):

  1. The Coaching Team’s opinion on how a swimmer has coped with the training culture of their current squad.
  2. The swimmer showing that they can accept feedback on performance and accept personal responsibility in all aspects of training.
  3. Swimmers taking responsibility for managing their own lifestyle to ensure they gain from the training programme being delivered. This includes arranging training around lectures, socializing, nutrition and sleep patterns being maintained at a world class standard.

Commitment to the Squad Training and Competition Schedule

Attendance records are continuously monitored to ensure that a swimmer is dedicating sufficient time to develop both the skill and fitness levels required in the pool and the gym to succeed. The mandatory squad minimum hours for both pool and land training have been set by the University of Surrey Coaches, taking into consideration the Long-Term Athletic Development Plan together with their experience and success in developing high performance swimmers of all ages. Swimmers are expected to regularly attend more than the minimum training hours in order to maximise their improvement and maintain the standards of excellence expected of the High Performance Squads. They are also expected to follow their squad’s competition programme throughout the year. Any variation to the published training or competition programme can only be made with the express permission of the squad Coaching Team. To minimise compromising swim fitness levels, the inevitable loss of water skills and a general feel for the water, members of all of the University High Performance Squads are expected to restrict taking prolonged breaks from training during the swimming season. This includes maintaining training through holiday and exam periods within the University Programme.

Experience shows that if a swimmer takes seven days off for a holiday during the training season, generally it will then take a further twenty-one days to regain swim fitness levels. In the meantime the respective squad’s training regime has progressed. It is mandatory for University of Surrey High Performance swimmers selected to represent the University of Surrey in league galas or relay teams to compete for the University even if they consider such participation to be in direct conflict with their personal goals. Selection for team events should be viewed as an honour and athletes will be expected to perform with pride.

General Conditions of Membership to the High Performance Squads

All University Of Surrey swimmers will be expected to:

  • Make a full commitment to all aspects of the University of Surrey Swimming Programme,including competition.
  • Be expected to make the correct athlete management choices i.e. Social, Nutrition, Injury-Prevention, Time Management and be coachable.
  • Fully support and contribute to the positive ethos of the University of Surrey SwimmingProgramme.
  • Attend a minimum of 80% of available training sessions and designated competitions.
  • If applicable accept and meet all of the scholarship requirements.Failure to meet any of the above conditions may result in a swimmer being asked to leave these training groups.