| Chairman's Corner (April 2011) |
Dear All,
With the Spring Term coming to an end and a busy Summer term starting after Easter I thought it was an appropriate time to update you on a number of important issues and decisions that have been made by your committee.
Training Times
Although the Spring term included the most successful Surrey Championships the club has ever had we continue to struggle with a lack of quality pool time for many of our swimmers. Yes we have been very fortunate to start using Epsom College two mornings (06:15 to 7:45!) a week for Prem Squad and A Squad but as you may be aware there is an urgent need to provide Club Squad and A Squad with their own pool time rather than sharing. Our ever expanding Masters section also require additional and more flexible pool time and with Seahorses are breaking point Seamus wants to expand our offering at the top end of Seahorses to accommodate the ever increasing numbers.
Your committee and coaches have spent many hours over the past few weeks desperately trying to maximise additional pool time that has become available after Easter. This additional pool time although far from ideal is not something we can afford to turn down. Having now consulted coaches and committee members the new changes, as from the start of the new term, after Easter will be:
Club Squad will now have their own dedicated pool time without the need to share, allowing more structured and effective sessions to be provided and to allow additional swimmers to join as and when required. Club Squad sessions will now be:
- Tuesday night at St John‚s 8:00-9:00, instead of Wednesday at Freemans.
- Friday night at Freemans 7:30-9:00, instead of sharing with B Squad 6:30-7:30
- Sunday night at Downsend 7:30 -9:00 instead of sharing with A Squad at Rainbow.
Masters will now be offered three sessions a week providing additional pool time and more flexibility and the continuity of using the same pool for all their sessions. Masters new programme will be:
- Sunday night at Epsom College 6:00-7:00 as normal
- Tuesday night at Epsom College 9:00-10:00
- Thursday night at Epsom College 9:00-10:00
Seahorses continue to flourish under the guidance of Seamus and his band of merry teachers and helpers, so much so that we will be setting up a Senior Development Squad who will now be training twice a week in preparation for moving up into C Squad. We will be also offering a new Junior Club Squad session on a Sunday afternoon at Epsom College to cater for the ever increasing number of youngsters who want to come along to improve their general fitness and to enjoy themselves. The new sessions for Seahorses will be:
Senior Development Squad:
- Sunday evening 4:00-5:00 at Downsend
- Friday evening 7:20-8:20 at Epsom College
Junior Club Squad:
- Friday night 8:20-9:20 at Epsom College
- Sunday afternoon 1:00-2:00 at Epsom College
- Tuesday night 7:00-8:00 at St Johns
We appreciate that the changes to Club Squad and Masters may not be ideal for everybody but the coaches feel the improved swimming environment for both squads will have a significant impact on the quality of the training available to the existing and future members of both squads. If not ideal for you I would ask you to give the new sessions time to settle down as I am sure that once a new routine is established you will appreciate the benefits that the new sessions offer.
Swim Fees
In addition to the additional training facilities detailed above over the last year the Club has gone to considerable efforts to increase the available Pool time for all swimmers and to expand the range and quality of coaching that we provide swimmers during their pool time.
The main beneficiaries of these efforts have been Premier and A squads especially in relation to morning sessions, and use of the hub facility at Guildford. However, we also recognise that pressure on family budgets remain intense.
In light of these considerations we have revised the swim fees as noted below, holding 2010 levels for all but Prem, A Squads.
Therefore, with effect from April 1st, 2011 the rates for each squad will be as follows;
Prem £185 per qtr (was £165),
A £160 per qtr, (was £145)
B £125 per qtr, (was £125)
C £105 per qtr, (was £105)
Club £125 per qtr, (was £125)
Masters £75 per qtr. (was £75)
Due to the introduction of a 3rd session for Masters their quarterly fee will increase from 1st July to £85 per quarter.
Seahorse fees will be notified separately.
I hope you will appreciate that your committee and coaches continue to provide an ever improving swimming and training environment for all our members. With a membership now exceeding 400 and with an ever increasing number of new members it is inevitable that we will need to procure additional pool time whenever and, within reason, wherever it becomes available. With additional pool time and the increasing need to provide all swimmers with additional time in the water it is inevitable that we will be faced with continuous change but I hope you will agree with me that, to date, the changes made have been reflected in the quality of the facilities provided and have certainly been reflected in the success that our swimmers are having in the pool.
If you have any queries or concerns that you would like to raise in relation to either the revised pool times or the swim fees please do not hesitate to drop me an email (leigh.atkinson@btconnect.com) or give me a call (01737 370513).
Many thanks for your continued support.
Best regards.
Leigh Atkinson
Chairman, Epsom District EDSC
