PERFORMANCE PATHWAY
The Swim Ireland Performance Team have identified within the Performance V-MOST that a progressive and targeted Regional Programme is a key tactic in achieving the Performance objectives for 2022 and through to 2028. The programme will be aligned to the ‘On Track’ system and will sit directly below the National Programme, displaying alignment to the National programme in terms of principles and content and will not operate as a standalone programme.
The information is provided for swimmers, coaches and parents. To find out more about the Regional Programme please see below, or contact Mark Craig via talentid@swimulster.com.
Talent Identification
Despite the name, the majority of these sessions are focused towards “developing talent”. That is to say they focus on developing attributes in swimmers that are considered indicators of talented individuals.
These sessions run on a 10-week basis as follows:
September – December (Christmas)
January – March (Easter)
April – June (End of Season)
At the end of each course the swimmers are assessed in their ability to adopt and develop the taught skills which is our first level of “Talent Identification.” Athletes meeting set criteria will be invited to attend Talent Development sessions.
Talent Identification sessions currently run in three locations across the province:
North – Magherafelt (Wednesdays)
South East – Newry (Tuesdays)
South West – Enniskillen (2 Sundays/month)
Clubs have the final say on who they send to these sessions and their decisions are fully supported by the Swim Ulster Pathway Development Coach. Swimmers are expected to maintain their current level of training with their clubs and supplement their training with the talent ID sessions.
TALENT DEVELOPMENT
This is an additional training opportunity for those qualifying through the Talent Identification sessions. These sessions will increase the workload for the athletes while encouraging application of talent attributes learnt at Talent ID sessions.
The main goal of the Talent Development sessions is to offer support and advice to the swimmers around training, competition and personal skills, seeking to enhance their chances of making themselves successful both in and out of the pool. This session currently runs on a Sunday morning in Magherafelt. Places are earned by the individual swimmers through achieving qualification standards. Swimmers are expected to maintain their current level of training with their Clubs and supplement their training with the Talent ID and Development sessions (2 additional sessions). Progression from this session should be movement towards the Ulster Regional Programme.
Regional Programme (Ulster) 2024-2025
Swim Ireland Performance will operate a three-tiered Regional Programme encompassing a Skills Academy for age group athletes, a Development Programme for youth athletes and a Pathway Programme for senior athletes. A Regional Programme athlete can potentially be a member of the Skills Academy for two years before progressing to the Development Programme which provides support to athletes as they aim to achieve national programme selection within a one to four-year period. Consideration will also be made in regards to older athletes with a Regional Pathway Programme, providing motivation and encouragement to athletes targeting events with an older age profile identified via the ‘On Track’ system. Information surrounding the Swim Ireland Regional Programme 2024-25 can be found here.
additional support
The Swim Ulster Pathway Coach will provide additional support opportunities throughout the season when possible to offer development opportunities to swimmers within Ulster. These include, but are not limited to:
- Holiday Skills camps
- Competition attendance and support
- Race feedback
- Additional training opportunities (e.g. for Summer Meets)
- Starts and Turns sessions
- Club Visits
- Informal advice for coaches/swimmers/parents
The Programme aims to support athletes as they aim to reach their full potential at Senior National and/or International Level.The information is provided for swimmers, coaches and parents. To find out more about the Regional Programme please click on the links or contact Mark Craig via talentid@swimulster.com.
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