Overview
The ASA Competitive Swimming Performance Awards are time based awards. The times for the awards are consistent with the ASA Graded Swimming Times, and the Gold Standards approximate to average county age group qualifying times for 12 year old boys. When this level is reached there is a good chance that these swimmers would qualify at county level. It is important however that swimmers also acquire good skills in strokes and starts, turns and finishes of the strokes.
Flash awards are given for achieving a time standard on each individual stroke and for individual medley. There are four different levels, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Sprint, Middle and Distance badges are awarded when the required level has been achieved in all strokes and the individual medley. The time standards are fixed and do not vary with age or gender.
Swimmers will be able to use times achieved at Gala’s throughout the year, starting at the January 2011 City of Leeds Development Gala, to achieve the time standards required to gain an award. If a time standard is achieved then a copy of the results for that event, with the swimmers name and time highlighted, should be presented at the City of Leeds club shop on a Monday night or at a City of Leeds Gala where the stroke flashes will be available to purchase. When all the stroke flashes in a level have been collected, swimmers will qualify for the badge and certificate for that level, which will also be available at the club shop.
Results are available to buy at some Gala’s and are usually available to download from the hosting clubs website shortly after the Gala. It is the swimmers responsibility to get a copy of their times to present for an award.
FAQs
How does my child achieve an award?
- When your child swims make a note of their time from the scoreboard.
- Check the time against the Time Standards.
- If the time is faster than one of the stated times for the stroke and distance your child has swum, go to the Speed Awards desk at the entrance to the balcony and give the child’s name, event and time.
- The staff at the desk will check the official results and you will be able to purchase a flash if the required standard has been achieved.
Example
- Jimmy swims in the 50m backstroke and gets a time of 0:52.10.
- On the table in the backstroke section find the line for 50m.
- The time is faster than the bronze level time but slower than the silver level time so Jimmy has achieved the bronze backstroke sprint award.
Where can my child achieve a time?
Times can be achieved at any meet in the City of Leeds Competition Planner. Just buy or download a copy of the results from the meet, highlight the times you think qualify for an award and bring to the Denison suite at Club Night on a Monday or the awards desk at a Development Meet.
How can I collect my child’s award?
Download a copy of the results from the meet, highlight the times you think qualify for an award and bring to the Denison suite at Club Night on a Monday or the awards desk at a Development Meet.
How do I know if the time is SC (Short Course) or LC (Long Course)?
If the Gala is held in a 25m pool, like the development Meet, then you should be looking at the SC times. The length of the pool used will usually be stated on the programme and the results. This is only relevant for middle distance (200m and 400m) and distance (400m, 800m and 1500m) events.
Are there different times for boys and girls?
No, the time standards are the same for both boys and girls.
How do I get a badge and certificate?
- The Speed Awards are split into 3 different categories, Sprint, Middles Distance and Distance.
- Within these categories there a four levels, bronze, silver, gold and platinum.
- For the sprint and middles distance categories swimmers need to achieve 5 time standards (in butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle and individual medley) to complete each level. Once all 5 are achieved then the swimmer for the level award
- For the distance award only 2 time standards need to be achieved (freestyle and individual medley).
Example
Jessica achieves a 50m bronze time standard in each of the four strokes and the 100m individual medley bronze standard. She has therefore achieved the bronze sprint award and can collect the badge and certificate for that level.
For the sprint award do I need to get all the 50m times?
No. For the sprint award times can be achieved in any of the stated distances in any combination.
Example
Bradley achieves bronze time standards for 25m butterfly, 50m backstroke and breaststroke and 100m freestyle and individual medley. He has therefore achieved the bronze sprint award and can collect the badge and certificate for that level.