Club Overview
Our Aim
Our aim is to provide individuals of all ages living in West Oxfordshire an opportunity to experience swimming within a local competitive swimming club. Swimmers can enjoy the fun of swimming at all levels from training for fitness to a competitive level competing against clubs in the West Midlands.
Training Philosophy
We are a competitive swimming club and aim to provide swimmers of all ages and abilities with the opportunity to compete in events from local to national level. Although a relatively small club, we pride ourselves on competing successfully at all levels, from local friendly galas to National Championships. Competitive swimming demands much from swimmers and their parents, but the rewards for hard work, dedication and commitment are high too. And not just in individual success, but also in fostering team spirit, gaining self-discipline and confidence, improving fitness and making friends that last a lifetime.
Club Overview
The Witney & District Swimming Club is affiliated to the Amateur Swimming Association South East District. Membership comes from Witney, Carterton, Burford, North Leigh, Eynsham and other nearby villages. We train most mornings and evenings at the Windrush Leisure Centre in Witney.
We currently have a membership of 120 swimmers, and within the squads they swim for fitness, enjoyment or at a competitive level.
The Witney & District Swimming Club was formed in 1975 just after the Windrush Leisure Centre in Witney was opened. In October 2005 the Club celebrated its’ 30th birthday with a fantastic party held in September 2005 at Wood Green School, Witney. The emphasis is on competitive swimming with most of our swimmers being of school age.
The purpose of the Club is to encourage competitive swimming and for the improvement of swimming standards. The Club uses the ASA competitive levels as a basis of teaching to the younger swimmers.
The Club has a full calendar of galas except for August which is a rest period for the sport as a whole. There is a club activity on nearly every Saturday to ensure that swimmers of all ages and abilities can experience competitive swimming.
In November 2004, the Club was accredited the ASA Swim 21 Award in recognition of its high standard of training, development and operating standards. Swim 21 is a recognition by the ASA that the Club has demonstrated quality in all aspects of Club development. Witney & District Swimming Club were the first Club in the Oxfordshire area to receive this award.
Training generally takes place at the Windrush Leisure Centre, Witney. The Club welcomes swimmers once they have had their sixth birthday to our Water Babies squad. After an initial assessment, a swimmer will be placed in one of the following squads:
Novice Squad
Swimmers aged 7 years plus. Swimmers are initially taken on for a sixth month trial before progression to the Junior Squad.
Junior Squad
The swimmers are split into three squads:
- Adelie (9 years)
- Kings (10 years)
- Emperor (11 years)
Senior Squad
The swimmers aged 11 years are split into four squads:
Masters
The masters section of Witney and District Swimming Club train on Monday and Friday mornings from 6.15am to 7.15am. at the Windrush Leisure Centre. We do not have a coach but training schedules are set and groups are arranged by ability. We swim all the stokes and the training would suit previous swimming club swimmers.
The age group for masters is 25 plus but we do sometimes have 19 year plus. There are various masters open swim meets held all over the country if you wish to take part in competitions but just swimming for fitness is the aim of some of our members.
Anyone wishing to give it a try can contact Andrew Colling for more information.
Water Polo
If you would like to know more about Water Polo or join the team, they train on Sunday nights at the Windrush Leisure Centre in Witney between 7.30pm and 8.30pm. Contact Bob Whiteley for more information.
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