The Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) will launch its Aqua Skills Festivals in 2007 to introduce more children to its range of pool-based activities.
The festivals are part of the Government-funded PE, School Sport & Club Links (PESSCL) strategy, which aims to develop a national high quality school sport competition framework and provide competitive opportunities for all school children by 2010.
As part of this drive for more competitive sport in schools the Government announced an additional cash injection of £519m in December 2004 to continue and expand the PESSCL strategy between 2006 and 2008. The increased funding has led to the employment of new Competition Managers in School Sport Partnerships and from January, 62 managers will be in place in 19 county areas.
Including elements of swimming, diving, synchronised swimming and water polo, the new competition framework will provide fun and exciting opportunities for school children aged 7-11 and follows the national governing body’s Long Term Athlete Development plan.
Since the introduction of the PESSCL programme, the ASA and the English Schools Swimming Association (ESSA) have been working in close partnership with the Youth Sport Trust (YST) and National Council for School Sport (NCSS) to develop an Aquatic School Competition Framework to allow young people to experience more high quality aquatic activities than ever before.
With festivals taking place from April 2007, ASA clubs will be contacted in the New Year to lend support to these swimming celebrations.
ASA Schools Competition Development Officer Yvette Heywood is looking forward to getting the Aqua Skills Festivals underway.
“The new format enhances what was previously on offer and means that children get to try out a range of aquatic activities,” she said. “The festivals are designed to be fun and flexible to allow schools to tailor them to their individual needs.
“The main aim of these festivals is to get children into the water, enjoying themselves and becoming more active. If some of them go on to join local clubs then that’s even better.”
All schools will be able to deliver Aqua Skills Festivals as part of an aquatic course, with additional assistance from Competition Managers in the following counties; Bedfordshire, Black Country, Cheshire, Cornwall, Essex, Hampshire, Hereford and Worcester, Humberside, London East, Manchester, Merseyside, London South, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Somerset, Sussex, Tyne and Wear, West of England and West Yorkshire.
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For more information on the Aquatics School Competition Framework log onto www.britishswimming.org or contact Yvette Heywood on yvette.heywood@swimming.org
For media information contact ASA media officer Amanda Smith on 01509 632238, 07876 652 318 or email amanda.smith@swimming.org
The Amateur Swimming Association is the English National Governing Body for Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Open Water, and Synchronised Swimming. It organises competition throughout England, establishes the Laws of the Sport and operates comprehensive certification and education programmes for Teachers, Coaches and Officials as well as its renowned Learn To Swim Awards scheme. The ASA supports 1,600 affiliated swimming clubs through a National/Regional/County structure. The ASA aims to ensure everybody has an opportunity to learn to swim.
www.britishswimming.org
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