'Existing talent and promising potential' in National Junior Squad for 2020-21 season

A ‘healthy blend of existing talent and promising potential’ has been chosen for the Swim England National Junior Squad for the 2020-21 season.

Seventy-one swimmers have been selected for the squad and they will attend a number of online camps which aim to turn them into the stars of the future.

Swim England’s talent team has engaged with more than 600 youngsters during the coronavirus pandemic and has chosen the squad from these swimmers.

The first camp will take place at the beginning of December and further online camps will take place in the new year until coronavirus restrictions have been lifted which allows for the resumption of competitive activity.

Grant Robins, Swim England Head of Talent – Swimming, said: “The selections have been made with inclusion in mind. These unusual times and our method of delivery has also allowed us to be more flexible with numbers and criteria.

“It’s essential in these times that we stay engaged with our future performance potential. Using rankings, both long and short course as well as our event camps, has allowed us to be as inclusive as possible.

“This year has been particularly difficult to select this squad due to the lack of competitions but we believe there is a healthy blend of existing talent and new swimmers who have shown promising potential in the last 12 months.

“The decision has been taken earlier than usual to increase the numbers on our pathway and engage with more swimmers through the online approach.

“We have engaged with more than 600 swimmers and those selected demonstrate the thriving nature of our pathway activities.

“The goal of the online camps is to ensure that the swimmers have the necessary skills and behaviours so that they can look forward to a successful and enjoyable international swimming career.

Compete with confidence

“We have written specific content to allow each individual swimmer to really think about what it is they need to do over the coming few months so that when racing resumes, they have that edge and can compete with confidence and newly-found racing skills.

“We believe the content and the delivery method is perfect to ensure the soft, technical and tactical enhancements that are needed for them to become stars in the future.”

The junior squad will be led by Swim England talent officers Mike Parker and Richard Blackshaw and they are both looking forward to helping the swimmers achieve their true potential.

Mike said: “We have thought long and hard about what these swimmers need to perform at the highest level in the future and our programme reflects the current situation with Covid as well as skills they will need once racing begins again next year.

“This programme offers the swimmers an opportunity to engage and learn that one per cent that will make the difference in the future.

“We have some good swimmers on this camp and we are hoping this will help to make them great.”