Video: ASA Chief Executive and Chairman answer your questions

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“No, they are not a cash cow”, “it has a huge role to play”, and “it is all smoke and mirrors” are some of answers provided by ASA Chief Executive David Sparkes and Chairman John Crowther to website visitor questions. So, what were the questions? Read on to learn how to find out.

If you have ever wondered what Masters Swimming means to the ASA, the NGB’s views on the quality of diving facilities across England, or the role of online learning in the sport then you need to spend some time watching the video below.

In it ASA Chief Executive David Sparkes and Chairman John Crowther offer their views on a range of issues sent in by www.swimming.org visitors. A full list of questions answered in the video can be read below. Thank you to everyone who sent in their questions.

Questions

“All too often we see Age Group swimmers burn out. How many hours of good quality training do you think swimmers 12 to 14 should do a week?”
“There is a very widely held view that National Masters are seen by the ASA as a "cash cow". Please can you explain to the Masters population just what the value of the ASA is to Masters?”
“The teaching CPD courses I have attended tend to not include advances that are happening at the elite level. Why is this?”
“What role does online learning for teachers and coaches have to play at the ASA? How will this be achieved?”
“There is a complete lack of understanding by pool managers about what the National Plan for Teaching Swimming (NPTS) is hoping to achieve, and no support for teachers who hoped to see it implemented correctly. How can the ASA change this?”
“What can be done to get more local diving facilities, such as the one in Maltby in Rotherham? There are so many areas of the country without any diving facilities at all.”
“We have a growing swimming club in Lincolnshire but we simply cannot get sufficient pool time for our top swimmers. Any suggestions?”
“Now Free Swimming has ended, what exactly is the ASA doing to drive people into the pool?”
“What can we do to make swimming in this country as interesting and fun as it seems when you are on your holiday?”

Useful?

Talk

5

3.02pm 14th December 2010
Sally Skipper, National Learn to Swim Officer from Loughborough

Hi Maria. Thank you for your query.

The NPTS highlights swimmers should be able to swim a stroke to an “expected standard” ( legal tends to be used more for competitive swimming).
The NPTS Expected Standards are highlighted within the NPTS Teachers Guide and other examples are given on the NPTS DVD. It is also reminded that any ASA Level 2 teacher will have covered stroke assessments using the BLABT approach as part of their training which again will help with assessments of expected standards.
If you and your colleagues need any further support on this area please refer back to your NPTS Teachers Guide and DVD. The IOS also run courses on each of the strokes if you feel you need to access a refresher on expected standards and likewise many learn to swim programmes have accessed the support of a Swim21 Club Coach to help develop strokes and expected standards for stages 8,9 and 10 of the NPTS.
I hope this is useful feedback.
Kind regards
Sally
4

12.16pm 8th December 2010
maria webb from Dorset

Please can you give me the specific website where I can find the following information:
The definition for the ASA Legal strokes for the 4 competitive strokes. On the ASA NPTS Stage 5 it refers to “front crawl must be legal”.... “breaststroke must be legal” in the outcomes before you can move children up to the next stage.
Where is the definition of “legal” for each stroke written down by the ASA please?
3

2.19pm 3rd November 2010
Tania Hancott from Hampshire

Hi was just wondering what ASA stands for?
2

8.26am 7th October 2010
Sharon Smart, ASA Public Relations Manager from Loughborough

Thanks for your question Jude. The ASA is very aware that there should be a long term approach to training for young people, especially in their important growth and development years.

This is why the ASA has developed the Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) pathway, which is about achieving optimal training, competition and recovery. The supporting document aims to help parents and club helpers understand the principles behind training and competition for young swimmers. You can read it at http://www.swimming.org/library/document/asa-success-is-long-term.

The shorter guide to LTAD is also worth a read as it provides a summary table that gives you information on advised training hours, session length and training volume. Read it at http://www.swimming.org/library/document/asa-a-shorter-guide-to-ltad
1

11.07am 5th October 2010
Jude Honeywood from KENT

I have two children who swim competitively for a local club ages 12 and 13. I would like to know what kind of hours would be recommended for them to swim per week and what kind of training should they be doing, i.e meterage or stroke technique?

Is there a guide available for parents to refer to? If not would one be available, as many parents just do as they are told to by swim coaches. Some clubs take great delight in achieving great young swimmers then burning them out and moving onto the next batch, which is not necessarily right for the child, surely consistent improvement over a period of time is far better?