Going to a gala

Training

The most important part of your preparation for any competition is your training, working hard and listening to your coach and their instructions is vitally important to your success in competition.

Swimwear

During a competition you will need two different suits, a training suit for warm up and a competition suit for racing. Racing costumes are likely to be 1-2 sizes smaller than your normal training costume. They should be uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time. If purchasing a costume at a gala where coaches are present please get them to check the size before you purchase. If you order yourself then please make sure you can not fit more than two fingers in at the waist, top and sides of the costumes.

Poolside clothing

While on poolside it is important to stay warm and dry. When swimmers get out of the pool they must dry themselves off properly before putting on their dry clothes. We recommend you bring at least two towels, and depending on the temperature on poolside you will need the club tracksuit bottoms, polo shirt, and tracksuit top or hoody. Although some poolsides tend to be very warm it is important that swimmers keep their muscles as warm as possible in between warm ups, swim downs and races.

Hats

The club have many different training hats which are a bit of fun and keep in theme with the atmosphere of the club. However, when in competition swimmers must wear the club hat which is gold and blue.

Food/Hydration

Keeping your energy levels stocked and your body hydrated will help not only your performance in the pool but also your recovery after a race. Non-fizzy drinks should be in constant supply throughout the duration of a competition. It is also very important swimmers do not eat high salt content food such as crisps and fast food during competition this only adds to dehydration and the ability for swimmers to make their muscles work effectively.

Pre-Competition Signing in

Most competitions require you to sign in before each session to confirm that you will be swimming the races you entered. It is important that you make a note of the sign in times and get to the sign in tables in plenty of time as they can form long queues. If you miss the deadline then swimmers will not be allowed to swim. If there is a possibility you might be late or get stuck in traffic on route, make sure you have a contact number to ask someone else to sign you in. The last thing you want is to travel a few hours down the motorway to get there and the swimmer is not allowed to compete.

Signing out

Some competitions have no signing in, but if you have decided not to compete in a particular evernt you need to contact the event organiser to cancel that event. Failure to sign out could lead to the club being fined. We strongly recommend that you speak with your coach before pulling out of any event.