Swimmers can now apply for Aquatic Diploma in Sporting Excellence

Applications are now open for an industry-leading educational programme for swimmers on the Swim England talent pathway.

The Aquatic Diploma in Sporting Excellence (DiSE) is delivered in conjunction with Loughborough College and gives athletes the opportunity to combine their studies alongside training and competitions.

It is a two-year programme which is delivered through Swim England workshops, camps, club visits and online one-to-one progress reviews, supported by professional coaches, specialist practitioners, talent staff and DiSE assessors.

Topics covered include career planning and finance, lifestyle nutrition, health and safety, technical, tactical and physical skills, mental skills, anti-doping, sports injuries, behaviours and values plus comms and media.

Swimmers who have graduated through the programme include Olympic champions Adam Peaty and Rebecca Adlington.

Developing skills and qualifications

Rachel Weston, one of the Swim England DiSE managers, said: “This fantastic opportunity offers the perfect environment for talented athletes to combine their sport and education and earn a prestigious, recognised qualification.

“Young, emerging athletes will gain the skills, knowledge and ability to pursue their full potential in sporting excellence, alongside developing the skills and qualifications for their post-18 career.”

The DiSE 2022 programme will run over two academic years from September 2022 to July 2024 and applications must be submitted by 30 June 2022.

Applicants must be born between 1 September 2005 and 21 August 2006, be enrolling on a full-time state-funded further education programme, a member of an English club and meet the sport specific performance criteria.

Para-swimmer Megan Richter, who completed the DiSE programme, said she would recommend it to anyone who was considering applying.

She added: “I enjoyed the DiSE programme.

“I was worried at first that it would be hard to balance with school and training but it was very flexible.

“My tutor kindly came to my school for one-to-one meetings so I could have meetings in my free periods and it was easy to catch up if I had to miss a session for a competition.

“She was very supportive and helped me out if I was ever unsure about it.

Recommend the programme to anyone

“I got to meet lots of people from other aquatic disciplines that I would not have otherwise spoken to and got to learn the differences between my sport and theirs.

“I am currently doing my swimming coaching qualification and I think having this apprenticeship will increase my interest as an applicant.

“I found the nutritional advice the most helpful and have implemented it into my daily routine.

“I would recommend the programme to anyone who is considering it.”

Swimmer Lauren Cox added: “The DiSE programme was really enjoyable, the workshops were fun, and everyone was really friendly.

“I found it especially interesting to learn about why we train and how important the aspects out of the pool are, like nutrition and the psychology of being an athlete.

“The tactical and technical workshops helped me gain a deeper understanding of my training and how I could actively improve my performance by taking ownership of my training programme and setting more personal and achievable goals.

“I found it really manageable with my A-levels, the workbooks were clear and easy to understand so I could fit them in around training and schoolwork.

“The DiSE Assessors were really supportive and helpful with any questions I had.”

To find out more about DiSE and apply, click here or email [email protected].