Age Group Development Squad 1 & 2 - Notice Board: August 2026

Tuesday, 25 August 2026

City of Leeds September Meet Entries

Hi all,

Entries for the City of Leeds September Meet held at John Charles on the Saturday 26th September & Sunday 27th September are now open for entry online. Entries for this competition will close to Leeds swimmers at 21:30 on Monday 31st August. If you wish to discuss entries, please see coaches after the sessions this week.

Swimmers are advised to enter 2 – 3 races per session. Swimmers should enter races they have not already achieved Short Course Yorkshire Qualifying times in. This meet is also a great opportunity to try any races you have not competed in before to get a time posted on the Swim England Rankings. Those swimmers that attend Thursday mornings can have a go at the 400m races.

Held on 26th & 27th September at John Charles (Short Course)

Age at 27th September 2026 (open to swimmers aged 9yrs +)

ALL Heat Declared Winners

ALL Mixed Events

50m/100m/200m all strokes
400m Freestyle

100m/ 200m IM/ 400m IM

City of Leeds September Meet Pack

For those swimmers trying events for the first time please use the Standard times formula in the link below to work out an appropriate entry time.
Standard Times Formula

Please use the link below to access a copy of your best times.

Regional Development Lifetime Bests

Regional Performance Lifetime Bests

Below is a link to the Short Course Yorkshire Times

Yorkshire Short Course Championships 2026 (Lower Age Group – 12 & Under)

Yorkshire Short Course Championships 2026 (Lower Age Group – 13 & Over)

To make entry into the competition

- Log into your online account using the link (https://swimleeds.myswimmingclub.uk/)

- On the Menu Bar click Gala's

- Click Enter Gala and follow the instructions

* Please note entries will not be accepted until payment is made.

The Regional Team

Regional Squad - Attendance

Hi all,

Just a friendly reminder that as we get back into the swing of things after the Summer Break, all members of Regional Age Group Development 1 and 2 (aged 9 years+) should be attending one early morning (Mon/ Thu) as agreed before taking up placement in the squad. Prescribed mornings will be communicated within the next few weeks.

Saturday mornings will start this week. Thursday mornings will resume from Thursday 1st October and Monday mornings from the 5th October (this is later than planned, to let swimmers get settled back into their routine with school after the long summer break).

This will hopefully maximise your swimmer's potential and give them the best possible chance of meeting the squad criteria by the end of the January New Year Meet 2027. This competition will be the last chance to qualify for the Long Course Yorkshire Championships 2027.

Squad criteria and membership standards can be found here.

Remember, consistency week in week out is the key to success and swimmers who have to miss a session should try where possible to make up.

The Regional Team

COLSC Needs your help!

Hello all,

Welcome back! We hope you had a wonderful summer break.

We have two home galas coming up; City of Leeds Club Championships on the 5th September and the City of Leeds September Meet on Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th September.

We need your help please!

The start of the season is a great time to get involved, those who have been thinking about it, the Club Champs is one day and you can see whether volunteering is for you.

Please email Anna on anna.darnell79@gmail.com to discuss further and chat about all the volunteering opportunities.

Thanks and see you on poolside soon.

Anna

Anna Darnell

COLSC Gala Director

Welcome Back!

Hi all,

Welcome back. I hope you have enjoyed the summer break!

Below is a link to this year's competition calendar, but please note that the dates for January-July are subject to change as not all meets have been confirmed.

Competition Calendar 2026-2027

Any queries regarding meets etc can be found on the meets page of the City of Leeds Swimming Club Website here. Any meet specific information i.e. races to enter etc can be found on the Regional Blog here or will be communicated through your squad coach.

Upcoming entry dates for your diaries

City of Leeds September Meet - Opens 20th Aug & Closes 31st Aug

City of Sheffield Snow Frills Meet - Opens 10th Sept & Closes 21st Sept

Yorkshire SA Winter Meet - Opens 10th Sept & Closes 21st Sept

City of Leeds Autumn Development Meet (for swimmers too young to compete in the Regional Competition Calendar) - Opens 24th Sept & Closes 5th Oct

ASANER Age Group Championships - Opens 8th Oct & Closes 19th Oct

City of Leeds Xmas Meet - Opens 29th Oct & Closes 9th Nov

City of Leeds New Year Meet - Opens 5th Nov & Closes 16th Nov

City of Leeds Winter Development Meet (for swimmers too young to compete in the Regional Competition Calendar) - Opens 26th Nov & Closes 7th Dec

Yorkshire Long Course Championships - Opens 21st Dec & Closes 11th Jan

Equipment

Please can you ensure that your child has the required training equipment. Here's a quick reminder of what is needed:

· Fins

· Snorkel

· Pullbuoy

· Paddles

· Kickboard

· Drinks Bottles

· Appropriate Gym Trainers for Land Training

· Spare Cap & Goggles

Any club kit is available through kit locker here. If you require a replacement STS Cap, you can purchase one from the Aquatics Centre Reception (you will need to keep the receipt and pass it to Sharon Barraclough or your squad coach, so that they can give you the cap).

The Regional Team

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Quote Bank!

"Kevin!, On the whole I think C Central have swum absolutely fantastic this year". Jacob Butterfield - C Central.

"Winners are not people who never fail, but people who never quit"

"I wouldn't say anything is impossible. I think that everything is possible as long as you put your mind to it and put the work and time into it". Michael Phelps.

"Train insane, or remain the same".

"Dream. Believe. Achieve".

"You can't put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get". Michael Phelps.

"I can definitely take more off my world record - a lot more. I have no doubt about that. I'm by no means putting pressure on myself, it's just the belief I have in myself ..... I'm not going to limit myself by nominating times or anything like that. I never thought I'd do 14:34 and I did. I thought I'd maybe do 14:38 or 14:39 that day, and I went nearly five seconds quicker so I don't want to limit the possibilities". Grant Hackett.

"In training everyone focuses on 90% physical and 10% mental, but in the races it's 90% mental because there's very little that seperates us physically at the elite level". Elka Graham.

"The hardest thing about climbing the ladder of success is getting through the crowd at the bottom".

"We need to create a way of working, and that's why I felt the need to set some rules. For example, we will all eat together, leave the table together - it is all about respecting each other. And being punctual is key". Fabio Capello.

"Unleash the Inner Beast!".

"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing". Muhammad Ali.

"Many people say you are as only good as your last race, but we know we are only as good as our next race!".

"It was not the 10 work outs I did every week for four years that allowed me to overcome my competitors, it was the ones that they missed". Graeme Smith (1996).

"It's how you prepare months before in the training pool that will determine your performance at the main event. Your ruthless attendance, quality and consistency of your training will serge you forward to a result you will be happy with!"

"Winning the Gold Medal was undoubtedly the biggest day of my career, mostly because I won the way I had prepared to run it. It was a totally satisfying experience". Frank Shorter (American Athlete, Olympic Gold Medalist) (Munich 1972).

"Go into the sport because you have fun doing it, not because of 'what if's' and dreams of gold medals. That way, no matter what happens, you win". Shannon Miller (American Gymnast, two time Olympic Gold Medalist) (Atlanta 1996).

"As the years go by I train physically harder and I am always trying to go faster, further and higher. I train seven days a week and at the end of the day, I'm pretty tired but I never wish I was anyone else. If I miss a days training I feel guilty and I know I should have done it. I'm conscientious and unless I have a very good reason to, I never miss a session. It seems unfair to train for years and miss days just for the hell of it, and if I ever start to skip days, I would realise my attitude was not right and it was time for me to finish". Olympic Champion.

"Have a clear goal in your head of where you want to be and never give up!".

"Remember what doesn't challenge you, doesn't change you!"

"Not a day goes past where I don't go to bed with aching limbs ..... I have lost friends over it ..... I have lost girlfriends because of it ..... My family hates it ..... The only person that understands it wants to beat me ..... But I love it more than anything in the world!"

"Don't let the fear of losing be greater than the excitement of winning". Robert Kiyosaki.

'Winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose. Nobody goes undefeated all the time. If you can pick up after crushing defeat, and go on to win again, you are going to be a champion someday'. William Rudolph (American Athlete, three-time Olympic Gold medalist) (Rome 1960).

"It's been told that swimming is a wimp sport, but I don't see it. We don't get timeouts in the middle of a race; we can's stop and catch our breath; and we can't ask for a substitution".

"We can accomplish almost anything within our ability if we but think we can".

"In 2004 , I won a bronze. This is a silver. Maybe in 2012, it will be a gold. Slowly, slowly". Eliud Kipchoge (Kenyan Athelete, Olympic silver medalist) (Beijing 2008).

"I came out here to beat everybody in sight and that is exactly what I'm going to do. Sure, I can do anything". Mildred 'Babe' Didrikson (American Athlete, two-time Olympic gold medalist) (Los Angeles 1932).

"Before the (Olympic) trials I was doing a lot of relaxing exercises and visualisation. And I think that that helped me to get a feel of what it was going to be like when I got there. I knew that I had done everything that I could to get ready for that meet, both physically and mentally". Michael Phelps. (6 Gold Medals, 2004 Olympic Games).

"Success comes with determination to get up the morning after the hardest practice of your life and do it all over again!"

"There is nothing like the smell of chlorine in the morning, and nothing like the smell of victory in the evening"

"Enjoy the journey, enjoy every moment and quit worrying bout winning and losing". Matt Biondi. (American Swimmer, eight-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Los Angeles 1984, Seoul 1988, Barcelona 1992).

"You only get one shot, go out there and do your best". Chad le Clos (200m Butterfly Champion).

"No negative thoughts cross my mind on race day. When I look into their eyes, I know I'm going to beat them". Danny Harris. (American Athlete, Olympic Silver Medallist. Los Angeles 1984).

"When I go out and race, I'm not trying to beat opponents, I'm trying to beat what I have done ... to beat myself, basically. People find that hard to believe because we've had such a bias to always strive to win things. If you win something and you haven't put everything into it, you haven't actually achieved anything at all. When you've had to work hard for something and you've got the best you can out of yourself on that given day, that's where you get satisfaction from". Ian Thorpe.

"I concentrate on preparing to swim my race and let other swimmers think about me, not me about them". Amanda Beard.

"An athlete cannot race with money in his pockets. He must race with hope in his heart and dreams in his head". Emil Zatopek. (Four Time Olympic Gold Medallist).

"If you win something and you haven't put everything into it, you haven't actually achieved anything at all. When you've had to work for something and you've got the best you can out of yourself on that given day, that's where you get satisfaction from". Ian Thorpe. (Australian swimmer, five-time Olympic gold medallist. Sydney 2000, Athens 2004).

"No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, show up and never give up!".

"Push harder than yesterday if you want a different tomorrow".

"Champions train, losers complain".

"Success isn't overnight. It's when everyday you get a little better than the day before. It all adds up." Dwayne Johnson.

"Life is full of disappointments, failures and setbacks. None of those things can permanently stop you. You have the power to overcome anything that life throws at you. There is nothing as powerful as a made up mind. Surround yourself with people who remind you that you matter, and support you in the ways that matter most to you. No person, situation, or circumstance can define who you are. Don't give up. cave in, or stop believing that it's possible. It's not over until you win."