At around age 12 or 13, swimmers with particular talent will
need more intensive training if they are to reach their potential.
The nine Performance Clubs located around Wales provide these
opportunities and set young swimmers on the elite path.
From September 2012, improvements are being made to the swimming
pathway for young swimmers. Each Performance Club will be fed by
the Swimming Clubs located in that area. Four times a year Swim
Wales' National Performance Director will meet with the Head Coach
of each Performance Club and the Head Coaches of its linked
Swimming Clubs to review the top swimmers in the Swimming Clubs.
Swimmers with unrealised potential will be invited to move from
their Swimming Club to their local Performance Club. In some
circumstances it may be appropriate for the swimmer to join a
different Performance Club, for example, if s/he lives closer to
that Performance Club or if s/he requires a coach who specialises
in a particular stroke.
The young swimmer will then have a trial period training at the
Performance Club, to see if he/she enjoys the new environment with
professional coaches. Once the trial period has ended, the swimmer
may commit to the Performance Club or return to his/her original
Swimming Club.
North Wales Region
South East Wales Region
- Bridgend
- Cardiff
- Newport
- Torfaen
West Wales region
- Carmarthenshire
- Pembrokeshire
- Swansea
Benefits of performance clubs
- Professional coaches
- Dedicated pool time
- Train with swimmers of a similar standard
- Maximise potential by being in a competitive environment