Overview & Types of Gala
As we are an ASA affiliated competitive swimming club, we expect most swimmers to compete. You are allowed to start competing in ASA licensed galas when you reach the age of 9. In most cases, you need to have an ASA category 2 licence which the club arranges and renews at the start of the year.
There are many different levels of competition, from easy to faster top level galas. All swimmers compete against other swimmers of the same age group, either their age at the time of the gala or at the end of the year. Galas are either short course (SC) 25m pool or long course (LC) 50m pool. It is slightly harder to swim fast in a 50m meter pool, therefore, these times are generally slightly slower.
This guide is designed to explain as much as possible, however do ask if you are not sure about anything.
ASA Licensing/Grading System
The Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) licenses Meets at levels 1 (highest) to 4 (lowest). The meet conditions will state which level the event is aimed at and you must have a Category 2 licence to swim in an ASA licensed meet.
- A Level 1 Meet will have minimum qualifying times and is broadly aimed at swimmers aiming for National Qualifying Times (NQTs). Meets are long course only.
- Level 2 Meets have minimum qualifying times and upper limit times; these are aimed at those looking for District and County qualifying times (QTs). Meets are short course only.
- Level 3 Meets typically have upper limit QTs (swimmers may not enter if their times are faster than the specified QTs) and are aimed at County and Club swimmers. Meets are long and short course events. Their purpose is to enable athletes to achieve times for entry into Regional and County Championships and other Meets at Level 1 or Level 2.
- Level 4 Meets may have QTs in the same way as Level 3 meets, but they have more freedom in terms of using electronic timing and qualified officials. Meets are entry level events in pools 25m or greater. They are for inexperienced athletes and swimmers seeking to compete outside their club environment. If times are good athletes progress to Level 3 Meets.
Open or Closed Meet
Competitions or Meets are classified as "open" or "closed".
- An Open Meet, as the name implies, is open to all and usually hosted by another swimming club.
- Closed competitions are for selected groups only e.g. North West Regional Age Groups, County Championships and our own Club Championships.
What is the difference between a Gala and a Meet?
Galas are generally classified as swimming competitions where teams compete against each other and Meets are competitions where individuals compete, though the swimmers will still be part of a club for whom they compete. However, the word gala usually gets used for everything!
League Teams
The club is usually invited to compete in a number of league events each year such as the National Arena league and the Cumbria Diddy League. If a child is selected to swim in one of these leagues the club will pay the entry fees and usually organises a team bus to get to and from the event. Swimmers results go towards points for their club and the club with the highest points wins.
Club competition calendar
You don’t need to be invited to enter Open Meets by a coach. If you would like to try competitive swimming, just keep an eye on Swim Manager for entry details. If you are not sure then speak to your coach, who will help you decide if a Meet is suitable. Entry fees for open meets are payable by the swimmer.
Why should I enter an open meet?
An Open Meet is the only way for you to get qualifying times as an individual to be able to enter County, Regional and National events. It’s a way of measuring yourself against others, improving your Personal Best times and maybe even winning medals.
The great things about swimming is that although winning is most people's ultimate goal, as long as swimmers do their best to achieve their own targets, such as getting a PB (personal best time) or swimming with good technique or practicing for a more important race/stroke, then they will have succeeded. All competitions are learning experiences. By taking part in competitions regularly swimmers become more competent both with technique and speed.
REMEMBER If you want to improve your times you need to enter competitions regularly! This will increase your chance of being selected to swim for the club and helps your coaches make decisions about moving swimmers up groups. Once you are 9 years old you should aim to enter 3-4 open meets each year in addition to our internal club galas and any league meets.
At all Meets included in our competition calendar, the club provides Coaches and/or Team Managers to support the swimmers and we stay together as a team. Any club swimmers can enter provided they meet the entry criteria and will be competing as individuals against other swimmers from both CAQ and other clubs.
Is your child 9 or over?
This is the magic age when your child will be able to swim most licensed open meets but you will need to check in the meet conditions if the “Age as at” date is age at time of swimming or end of year. Until then they will only be able to enter the club championships or friendly invitational meets from other clubs.
“Age as at:”
Most lower level galas use the age the child is on the last day of the gala for the entry times and the age group they are competing in. However, most of the higher level galas and the Counties, Regionals and Nationals, all use the age of the child at the end of the year. This can be an advantage or disadvantage depending on your birthday! So if your child's birthday is on May 3rd and the meet is in April, your age group with be either 12 for age on day or 13 if it’s your age at the end of the year.
Do they have any licensed times? (swimming times gained at a licensed gala)
Certain galas have a set of qualification times that your swimmer needs to have to enter. With many galas you will need to check the qualification time and the upper time in case your swimmer is too fast.
Competitions are limited to certain durations so this means that organisers have to limit the entries. This is done through qualifying times. Meet requirements usually include qualifying times and sometimes a separate list of slower consideration times.
If qualifying times are stipulated, then you will need to prove that your child has swum at this time or faster (for that age group) at a previous meet (times held on the ASA website). Even then they are not guaranteed entry. An example of such is a regional or national event.
If the gala has an upper qualifying time, then you will need to prove that your child has not swum faster than this time at a previous meet (times held on the ASA website). This is to encourage less experienced swimmers to take part.
If the meet is oversubscribed, swimmers with the slower entry times may be rejected or "scratched" from that event. The meet organiser will be informed in advance of the meet and the fee for a scratched entry will be refunded.
Whenever you compete at a licensed gala, the time you swim that stroke and distance in is recorded into the ASA National Rankings Database. The best time you get is your qualifying time for that race (PB. or personal best). Each time you beat it, your time is updated.
Heats and Age Groups
The top three positions in each event and each age group (and sometimes the top eight) usually receive an award e.g. a medal. The age groups are often single year age groups (especially for the younger swimmers), and sometimes double e.g. 10-11 years. Heats are seeded and swum according to entry time, irrespective of age.
Entry Procedure
The procedure for entry is the same for all meets.
- Check the information on the website/notice board to ensure that the meet is suitable and that you do not have any other commitments on the relevant day(s).
- Decide which events you would like to enter. Bear in mind that entering too many events will be very tiring and may mean you do not swim at your best. If in doubt, ask your coach who will be happy to advise you. Open Meets often have early starts and mean long days.
- Got to Swim Manager - Carlisle Aquatics and click on the meet advertised before the closing deadline. Meet fees are not refundable (with the exception of scratched entries)
- Entries will not be processed unless the fees are paid in advance.
- We then collate all the entries and send the information to the host club.
Closing Dates
The Carlisle Aquatics closing date is always earlier than the organisers’ closing date, and is set to enable us to process all the information and return it to the meet organisers in time; if entries are late then the date may be missed and all club entries would be rejected.
Some meets operate on a first come, first served entry basis, and in these cases entries need to be in well in advance of the organisers’ stated closing date to try and ensure our entries are accepted.
Club Championships (Level 4 Meet)
These are “closed competitions” as only members of our club can enter them. The main club championships are held at the beginning of the season in late October/November. Everyone in the club can enter and you don't need a licensed time, but you will get one if you swim and aren't disqualified. The championships are a great way of getting swim times for other club galas and for competing with the whole of the club who you might not normally meet. It’s also a place that your child knows and feels secure in. Even the masters squad is encouraged to enter. You should enter your child in as many races as they want to swim.
The Intra Club Championships are held in March. June and September of each year.
We would expect the majority of our swimmers to enter these galas. Don’t be surprised if your child gets disqualified, it happens to all swimmers at some point. Mistakes like incorrect turns, incorrect leg kick or just falling in at the start of the race are an experience they are unlikely to repeat. If this happens, always follow it up with the coaching team who will explain what has happened and how to correct the mistake next time.
On the day of the championships, it is ‘all hands on deck’ and parents are encouraged to volunteer even if it’s marshalling children or serving drinks. We are always appreciative of any offers of help so please do not be shy.