Swim 21: What is it?

Swim 21 is the ASA's Club Development model - a planning tool, based on the principles of Long Term Athlete Development, enabling clubs to help athletes, teachers, coaches and administrators to achieve their full potential. It focuses particularly on the needs of athletes - striving to provide them with the best possible support and environment.

Swim 21 Accreditation is a 'Quality mark'. It recognises nationally and regionally the clubs that are committed to providing safe, effective and quality services for the benefit of their members.

Clubs work steadily towards the attainment of a series of outcomes all of which are seen as essential if the right level of support is to be provided at each stage of an athlete's development.

Swim 21 Accreditation is available to ASA clubs of all aquatic disciplines that are positioned at one or more of the four levels of:

• Teaching
• Skill Development
• Competitive Development
• Performance

The ASA has a commitment to achieving its equity targets throughout the sport. Swim 21 is no different and the Association is keen to support clubs in the shared objective of widening the participation base and hence the performance of the sport as a whole.

Swim 21 Review Swim 21 Accreditation was first launched in February 2002 and  it was always the ASA's intention to review its progress during the first 4 years of operation to ensure that it is keeping pace with the needs of the sport and in particular, the needs of the athletes. This review took place in 2006 and recognised the benefits of including all aquatic disciplines within the programme as well as the need for a number of changes to the process, which have been the subject of some sample testing with 'about to be' or current Swim 21 Accredited clubs. The changes focused particularly on: Streamlining and simplifying the Modules to embrace all disciplines A revision of the elements to ensure that outcomes are in line with the expectations of our National Performance Directors and Long term Athlete Development (LTAD) The Gold/Silver Award system and the merits or otherwise of having two levels of accreditation. The new format is one level only - gold/silver has been removed