AMATEUR SWIMMING ASSOCIATION Annual Report and Accounts 2003 “together we make a great team” Contents 2 President’s report 4 Corporate Review 6 Child Protection and Racial Equity 7 Commercial and Communications 8 Membership Services 9 Facilities 10 Institute of Swimming Teachers and Coaches 11 Education 13 Awards 14 Swimming Development and Partnerships 15 Swimming World Class Start and Potential 16 Technical Swimming Committee 17 Technical Swimming Officials 18 Events 20 Disability Swimming 22 Diving 24 Water Polo 25 Masters 26 Synchronised Swimming 27 Open Water 28 Alfred Turner & Harold Fern Awards 29 ASA Junior Achiever - Grace Callaghan 30 Amateur Swimming Association: Report and Financial Statements 36 Acknowledgments Aims and Objectives The Amateur Swimming Association is the governing body of swimming in England. It comprises five Districts through which we affiliate 1,570 clubs, who in turn have 45,000 registered swimmers, and more than 190,000 members. Swimming’s Mission Swimming is a sport for life To ensure everyone has an opportunity to learn to swim To ensure everyone can achieve his or her personal goals To ensure everyone has the opportunity to enjoy swimming as part of a healthy lifestyle To ensure that we achieve gold medal success 1 President’s Report A year of challenge and achievement Jeff Cook President I am now more than two thirds of the in some cases doing both on the same team were a credit, not just for their way through my year as President and day. Apart from those obvious duties, performances but also their commitment it’s certainly been interesting. I have I have attended the British Long and demeanour. On your behalf my been away from home for 140 days, Distance Swimming Association blue congratulations to the team staff and travelled 15,000 miles in the car, seen riband event at Lake Windermere, the all the athletes for being such a credit our elite athletes compete in all disci- Wheelchair Games and the Disabled to their country. plines, attended several county events Swimming Championships. In every and even some club championships. case, the sheer commitment, but more No less remarkable were the When to the point, the fun that everyone achievements of English swimmers at I accepted this high office I realised experiences, at every level, has been the European Junior Swimming and that the year would be busy and that a pleasure and a privilege to see and Diving Championships in Edinburgh it would give me a unique opportunity something I shall never forget. and Glasgow. Again, I saw great to see the sport in all aspects, but until individual performances but also two now I never really appreciated the Obviously the highlight of the year was professional teams with committed dedication and time that so many the World Championships and although athletes and dedicated staff. Their people give to our sport. attending primarily as a member of the achievements were as creditable as FINA Technical Diving Committee I was their senior counterparts. There have been many memorable able to stay after the diving and watch occasions and all for different rea- some of the swimming. To be just one The swimmers who take part in open sons – from witnessing our World of an audience of 15,000 at the water, the synchronised swimmers, Championship winners in Barcelona swimming and witness the Union Flag water polo players and indeed the to presenting the annual prizes at being raised was truly an emotional Masters swimmers are just as dedicated the Sevenoaks Swimming Club and experience and one that will live with and work just as hard as their watching the Masters synchronised me for many years to come. It would counterparts in speed swimming and swimmers. By the time my year is over be easy to concentrate on the successes, diving. Our challenge for the future I shall have visited every District and as worthy as they were, however all must be to invest in those other aspects attended every National Championship, our English swimmers within the British of the sport to ensure that they can 2 President’s Report Leon Taylor in action in Barcelona World champions Katy Sexton and James Gibson with their gold medals also compete with the best in the world. I mentioned that I had been able to attend several county and club events and there is no doubt that it is here where the future of our sport lies. To be present at three club events – in one case a novice gala – showed the wealth of talent coming through and, more to the point, the sheer enjoyment that so many children obtain from our sport. It also illustrated the immense amount of time that is given by par- ents, volunteer teachers and coaches and club officials which makes our sport such a privilege to be a part of. Certainly the sport faces many chal- lenges over the next few years and in a sense that is what makes it so enjoy- able. I know that with the huge num- ber of volunteers taking part we shall continue to grow both in strength and quality. Good luck to you all and many thanks from myself and Jean for such a memorable year. 3 Corporate Unique year of change and success This has been a unique year. We had New Key Team Members Schools Swimming good success at the world champion- The ASA Committee continues to The Association is constantly aware of ships in Barcelona. We can celebrate recognise that a key aspect in develop- the need to work closely with schools two English swimmers as world champi- ing the Association is the employment and this year has again been one of ons and, with just a few months to the of skilled personnel to work with them consolidating and developing an Olympic Games in Athens, look forward in this endeavour. This year we saw the excellent relationship with the with anticipation to what will surely be appointment of a new Finance Director, Department for Education and Skills an exciting competition with, we hope, Kiran Chauhan; and the first-ever as they develop a Charter for Schools’ English success. appointment of a Commercial Director, Swimming. During the year funding From Districts to Regions Katie Brazier. Both have brought a has been provided to assist in continuing new sense of direction and we look professional development for school After more than 100 years, ASA Council forward next year to the appointment teachers and swimming teachers in the decided to review the regional structure of the new post of Director of English delivery of National Curriculum of our sport in order to move from Programmes, a completely new swimming. It is hoped that next year five Districts to eight Regions. Now the position which will be created following more funding will be available from hard work begins in turning the vision the retirement of Di Bishop who, as our the PE School Club Links project, which into reality. There is still a great deal of Director of Development, has done so will enable this programme to expand. work to do but the progress thus far much to help move English swimming We have also received funding to is a credit to the work of the original forward and to progress our enable us to run two pilot courses in working party and the various project development programme with the Durham and Bristol on delivering groups. clubs, counties and Districts. We wish top-up swimming to those children Di well in her retirement but we also who have not achieved the National Modernisation hope that she will find time to help us Curriculum standard at Key Stage 2. To ensure that the professional support with one or two projects in the future. This was without doubt a success and structure continues to keep pace with shows that we can increase the number this regional development, our Funding supports new initiatives of children who achieve Key Stage 2 modernisation programme has Inevitably, if the sport is to develop, standard by a staggering 11 per cent if continued and much of the equipment funding is an issue. We continue to every local education authority offered for the new database is in place and develop our strong relationship with a similar top-up programme. We hope working. We are also updating our Sport England who themselves have that this ingredient will become an website and moving to a more stable had a year of turmoil and change. We important part of the new Schools’ website hosting solution. This will have seen new money enter the sport Swimming Charter. ensure that we can further improve our to support a new volunteer support communications with the membership strategy, together with a new and provide a better service on a more programme of school/club links cost effective basis as the sport develops. challenging us to work more closely with the school community. We are hopeful of more funding next year. James Gibson on his way to victory in the 50m breaststroke 4 Corporate Facilities Looking to the future The Association has also committed Fundamental to the success of our sport The sport cannot sit still. We now have during the year to working with the are good facilities and the Lottery has a vision, which was completed for the Government on its health agenda as provided a stimulus for a tremendous ASA Council in 2003, and it is important swimming can play an important part amount of new facilities to be built. that we deliver that vision. As we move in this work and whilst we have been Over 100 new pools have been planned, towards a one stop planning process, disappointed by the early up-take of are under construction or have been a more corporate style is coming to our Swimfit programme, there is still opened; nevertheless the drive for more our planning with clearer performance considerable interest in this from both 50m pools goes on unabated.