Frequently Asked Questions

New entrants to the club are aged 7 – 10 when they join.
A level of proficiency in all four strokes, stamina to swim lengths of the pool, and an ability to listen and take instruction from our coaches are the criteria to join, and these will be assessed at trials.

There is no maximum age, and older swimmers will be accommodated in suitable squads where appropriate. We do not have a “masters” squad, as yet and so cannot accommodate new swim members over 18 years old.

The club is not a substitute for lessons and so we would expect all new joiners to have attended some form of swim lessons and be reasonably proficient at all four strokes. They should also have the stamina to swim lengths of the pool.

We also welcome swimmers new to the area or looking to move club and will match the swimmer to the squad that will best develop their technique and skills.

The squad that a swimmer is invited to join will be at the sole discretion of the head coach.

We would encourage you to contact the head coach, who will discuss individual circumstances with you. If we feel the needs of your child would be better met elsewhere, we will make recommendations and introductions.

Please contact the head coach using the “Get In Touch” form below, and we will contact you to invite your swimmer to attend one of our trial evenings. Trials are held regularly and so if the initial date offered is unsuitable, we can offer the next trial date.

If the trial is successful you will be contacted by the head coach and membership secretary who will take you through the joining process, which includes becoming a member of the Scottish Amateur Swimming Association and signing up to our policies and code of conducts.

-For every training session, a swimmer needs:

• One-piece costume or jammers
• Well-fitting goggles (plus a spare if possible)
• Swim cap – you will be provided with a club cap on joining and further caps can be purchased from the club
• Water bottle
• Towel

Other kit, such as floats and pull buoys are provided in the Bronze and Silver squads, but may need to be provided as the swimmer progresses.

Each squad has a number of sessions, carefully tailored in length and programme to the stage the swimmers are at, and there is a choice within that squad as to which sessions should be attended.

Commitments start at 2 sessions per week for our Bronze squad, totally approximately 2.5 hours per week, but can reach 8 sessions (approximately 20 hours) per week for our elite swimmers training with the East Lothian Swim Team.

The training times are shown on the Training Information page. 

Attendance is very important and ideally should be both regular and frequent. Each squad has a minimum recommended attendance criterion.

If for any reason it is necessary for a swimmer to miss a session which they normally attend, just let the coach know the reason beforehand by dropping them an email.

Remember that the best improvement comes with consistent attendance at sessions.

Each squad has a number of sessions when it trains, and requires the swimmer to attend a minimum number of sessions. There is generally an option of which sessions from the squad choice available for example.  However, as each squad is tailored to the swimming level, it is not possible to choose sessions between the different squads.

All sessions are at least one hour. Some sessions in the Gold and Junior Masters squads are two hours long. Training times can be seen on the Training Information page.

Training is generally held at the Aubigny Centre in Haddington. Some sessions for Silver, Gold and Junior Masters sessions are held at the pools at North Berwick and Mercat Gait in Prestonpans.  Venues can be seen on the Training Information page.

Swimmers should arrive and be ready approximately 10 minutes before a session, although admittance to poolside will depend on other users in the pool at the time. Each session begins with a short land warm-up.

You can only attend the sessions which are offered for your particular squad as the coaches tailor sessions specifically for training levels.

Sessions are devised by the coaches to be ability and age appropriate to allow our swimmers to thrive. This means improving technique and stamina. There will be instruction and technique work on all four strokes, turns and diving. There will be sets that are intended to improve fitness and stamina. There may be races within a session to help encourage our swimmers to enjoy the competitive side of swimming, and games and elements that improve technique while the children have fun.

The emphasis of all the sessions is on our core values of promoting and valuing health, good nutrition, fitness, sportsmanship, citizenship, honesty, respect, hard work, discipline, teamwork and fair play.

We use Team App for all club communications, and you will be asked to install this app on a smart phone, tablet or computer for all club communications. In the unlikely event that a session is cancelled a post on team app will be made. 

We would recommend coming into the centre when bringing a swimmer to their session, rather than dropping at the door, in case you have missed a cancellation communication, however unlikely this is.

We encourage our swim families to take an interest in their swimmer’s progress, however you don’t necessarily need to watch every session. These are some important guidelines we would ask you to keep in mind:

• Young swimmers like their parents approval, and to show them how well they are doing, however we ask you not to communicate with them or interrupt them during a practice, as this takes the focus away from what the coach is trying to achieve
• Parents should not interrupt the coaches while they are coaching, unless in the case of emergency. If you need to communicate with a coach, please do so before or after training or contact them later. They will always be happy to speak with you.
• Our coaches spend a considerable amount of time planning weekly training sessions for each of their squads. Each training set or instructional drill has a purpose and often builds on previous sets throughout the week. If you have not attended all training sessions, you may not understand the purpose of what the swimmers are doing on any given day.
• Please do not coach your child based on what you see (or think you don’t see) him/her do. Many times when teaching stroke skills, the coaches ask our swimmers to do things that might not look correct or might actually be illegal according to the rules, but does have an important purpose in teaching skills (ie. swimming one-arm fly or breaststroke with a flutter kick). Please contact your child’s coach if you have any questions.
• Please do not coach your child outwith training sessions.  Our coaches spend a considerable amount of time planning weekly training sessions for each of their squads to ensure the swimmers get the right level of training.  Any further coaching could lead to injury and exhaustion.  Please contact your child’s coach if you have any questions.

No, the sessions are for the swimmers only. Parents are able to sit in the café areas of the pools to observe the sessions.

Swimming fees are paid monthly by standing order to the club account.

The costs are calculated for each squad to include a membership element and a fee to cover the pool hire and coaching cost of the particular squad. Unfortunately, unlike some other sports such as football, athletics and hockey, swimming is not a cheap sport due to the pool hire costs. We calculate the costs over an entire year and divide this by 12 to get the monthly fee amount and so you will be paying fees even when we are taking a break.  The breaks have been factored into your monthly fee.

We only ever aim to break even on pool hire and coaching costs and raise other funds to subsidise the club’s expenditure.

Fees start £37 per month for Bronze squad.

The club is in the process of implementing a hardship fund to promote accessibility. In the first instance, any enquiries should be directed to our Membership Secretary after a successful trial

All of our coaching team and poolside helpers are members of the Scottish Amateur Swimming Association and are members of the PVG (Protection of Vulnerable Groups) scheme, having undergone the appropriate checks. We have child welfare officers on our committee with the relevant training and have a child protection policy in place. 

All of our coaches are qualified to the appropriate UKCC level or equivalent and hold a lifeguarding qualification. Our coaches, under the lead of the Head Coach take all available and appropriate opportunities for mentoring and developing their skills and gaining CPD points/qualifications. They work with other clubs in the area and are often given the opportunity to attend regional and national coaching sessions

We actively encourage our older swimmers to volunteer and assist at younger squad training sessions, enabling them to gain qualifications and experience coaching younger swimmers.

The club has the following squads, aimed at different stages of a swimmer’s development and ambition. Progress through the squads is based on achievement of specified goals and coach assessment. These goals and achievements have been set by our experienced coaches, and while we work with the parents on their swimmer’s progress, the club will defer to the coach’s experience and assessment for when swimmers are ready to move to the next squad.

• Bronze Squad – focus on developing good technique in all strokes, learning new skills such as tumble turns and diving, introducing competition skills/experience and building stamina and fitness so that children become better, stronger, faster swimmers
• Silver squad – focus on improving technique, fitness and stamina and further developing their competition skills and speed, participating in competitions suitable to their age and ability.
• Gold – continue to work on technique, fitness and skills and is the main competition squad, aiming for East District level Competitions.
• Junior Masters – designed to enable swimmers to continue training and focus on technique and train alongside Gold Squad. Swimmers can still compete but only when and if they choose.
• East Lothian Swim Team (ELST) – a composite team of swimmers from Haddington, Musselburgh and Tranent clubs. This squad consists of our most talented, committed swimmers who have the ability and ambition to train for, and compete at East District, Scottish National and British National levels.

Yes, there is a set progression through the squads based on a range of criteria involving technique, speed, stamina, competition entry and mindset, appropriate to the age and development of the swimmer.

Achievements and progress are individual to the swimmer, as development differs between children. The Club and the coaches help children to become the best swimmers that they can be, in a culture of fairness, where confidence is built and individual progress is celebrated. We celebrate improvement in technique as well as achieving personal best times.

We celebrate children having the confidence to join in a competition, as well as any medals gained. We are inclusive, supportive and encourage individuality. Our trusted coaches are there to guide swimmers through their training and support the swimmers as they endeavour to be the best swimmer, and the best club member they can be.

We are fortunate to have an experienced and well-qualified coaching team supported by a number of volunteer coaching assistants, including a number of our senior swimmers.

Our committee is made up of dedicated volunteers who help deal with the finances, membership services, governance, organise Club competitions and complete external competition administration. The Club’s success is built on their dedication as well as the significant contribution of the parents who get involved, either on poolside or in other ways.

The club is affiliated to SASA (Scottish Amateur Swimming Association) and holds the swiMark accreditation, a quality aquatic development programme for clubs, providing a nationally recognised standard that will enable clubs to:

• develop safe, effective and child friendly environments, based on good practice
• improve swimmers, teachers, coaches and volunteers
• encourage lifelong participation through sustainable swimming development pathways

We have a comprehensive handbook, policies and procedures and codes of conduct to ensure the smooth running of the club.

We use Team App for all of our communications. An easy to use free app for smartphones, tablets and computers. We sometimes send emails for specific communications if needed and make use of a newsletter and social media as well as a noticeboard at the Aubigny centre.

We also hold regular parents evenings and all coaches and committee members are contactable.

Our club captains arrange social activities, and there are often squad specific team-building activities.

A major highlight of the club is our fantastic French Exchange which can be seen on our French Exchange page.

From the Bronze squad, our swimmers are encouraged to take part in competitions. These will be age appropriate and within a fun environment. Our swimmers are fully supported by the coaching team. 

Haddington is a competitive club and so our swimmers are encouraged to compete, always in a supportive environment.

We promote healthy competition and the benefits that can bring to children’s development.

We have full procedures in place and full details are provided once your child is in the club.

To remain vibrant and successful, the clubs needs participation from all our parents. Those already involved are committed to the welfare of the swimmers and the club as a whole. But they also have an incredible sense of belonging.

Like all clubs, we achieve more as a team with the contributions of the parent/guardians and so we ask parents of swimmers to help out.

Training is always provided where needed and roles include timekeepers and swimming technical officials, committee roles, fundraising and social activity organisers.

Like the swimmers, all of these roles are issued with a clear code of conduct and all are expected to follow it always to ensure we maintain our inclusive, supportive and respectful approach towards members & swimmers.

We appreciate we all have busy lives, so the club is always appreciative of any involvement, no matter how large or small. 

There are many ways to get involved including fundraising, marshalling at competitions or helping out for specific projects and events being run by the club.   As part of the Club’s participation in competitions, we must provide a certain number of these officials.

Timekeeping is the best and easiest first step, with a simple 2-hour training session. We pay for this training and provide on-going mentoring and it’s a great way to get to know how the club and competitions are run.

Staying on the premises means you can see your swimmer’s progress and get to know other parents and families, and perhaps get more involved in the club. However, it is not likely you will stay for every session. Our coaches have up to date contact details so that parents can leave the premises and be contacted if needed.