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This page contains a whole heap of competition related information including:
Since 2003 www.pcsc.org.uk has shown a result page for most, but not all galas attended by PCSC swimmers. These pages, and the corresponding page on Swimscotland, have been brought together for you by Eamon Rivers.
Gala Result Pages including links to Swimscotland
The results of the various league matches is also available, gonig back a number of years at League Results
One of the main reasons for joining a competitive swimming club like ours is to take part in competitions - but how do you start. Many of our swimmers begin competing when they are invited to join one of the two Perth teams which compete in the District Leagues. Swimmers are also encouraged to enter the various galas around Tayside and the rest of Scotland, depending upon their standard.
A gentle introduction to galas for younger swimmers are the Midland District Sprints in Sept. each year, with 50m races, and mainly local competition; and the PCSC Club Championships which are held annually toward the end of the year. All club swimmers are expected to enter the PCSC Club Championships as there are events from 25m freestyle for younger swimmers to 200m Individual Medley for the top swimmers.
Swimming in competitions is the main reason for training. It enables you to see how you are progressing and it is a great way of getting to know other swimmers from PCSC and other clubs. It is great fun to support each other, and to celebrate the new personal best times and medals.
The Scottish Amateur Swimming Association, in conjunction with the Amateur Swimming Federation of Great Britain are tightening up on their anti doping procedures. If you are going to swim at national events, and are taking any asthma or other prescription, or over the-counter medication then click here to make sure you do not get caught out.
ASA Anti-doping information is here. This includes the list of prohibited substances in effect from Jan 2004.
The District Leagues are for teams in the local area to compete against each other.
There are usually five clubs in each league, which means five galas a year, and we may travel as far away as Montrose to these events. We currently have two teams in Premier League having won both the Premier and First Divisions in 2006. PCSC won the Premier League for 4 years in a row from 2003-2006. The very strong Dundee City Acquatics team (recently combined from Dundee Arnhall and City of Dundee) will win the Premier League in 2007. The teams are made up of swimmers from different age groups, with the youngest group being ‘10 years and under.’ (The age group you fit into is decided by the age you will be on the last day of December—in other words you might be in the 11/12 age group while you are still only 10, if your birthday falls later on in the year.)
Selection of swimmers for these teams is dependent on several factors, with the times set in the Club Championships being the most important, but other things like regular attendance at training, and availability at weekends also come into consideration. For the sake of the rest of the team we need swimmers who will be able to commit themselves to swimming in all the galas in the league, and who won’t withdraw at the last minute. (We do try to have a reserve for each age group in case of illness, though). For more information on the Leagues click here.
If you need a beginners step-by-step guide to entering galas from checking the notice board to starting the race, click here.
There are a whole range of galas, aimed at swimmers of all standards. PCSC squad swimmers are expected to enter galas, which may be organised either by the district or national associations (Midland District Graded Championships, Midland Sprints, Scottish National Championships) or individual clubs. If you are unsure which events to enter, it's always worth discussing this with one of the coaches, who will suggest which strokes and distances to try.
There are graded events where you are only allowed to enter if you have never swum faster than the entry times, giving inexperienced swimmers the chance to compete and win medals. These restricted events are usually called 'Graded Meets'. If you see a gala that you want to enter, and are not sure whether you should, then have a chat to the coaches, or other parents, for some advice. Young swimmers may be nervous about their first gala, but they can be certain that the older swimmers, and parent helpers on poolside will take care of them:
Other events require that you have a fast qualifying time, and these times will be published when the gala advert is posted on the notice board or on the website. You can only enter these events if you have achieved the qualifying time, usually in another competition, but sometimes in a time trial arranged by the club coaches.
District and National qualifying times are published for different age groups so you can see how you are doing - you can find links to these through the Performance page.
Other galas are for swimmers selected to swim for Midland District Squad - such as the Christmas Gala at Inverness, and the National Age Group Championships at Tollcross.
It's also worth noting that not all entries to galas are accepted by the event organiser due a few factors.
Food is, of course, incredibly important during galas, which may last all day, or the whole weekend. Swimmers will need snacks, and plenty of drink which will help their performance. To check what sort of food is recommended by SASA click here.
Additional gala information can be found at the Swim Scotland web site.
The Club Championships are intended for all swimmers, of all ages, and all standards including the Friday Nighters. There are 25m races for the younger swimmers, with bronze, silver, gold medals for each event for each age group, and ribbons for all young swimmers who take part.
It is a good chance to see the top club swimmers in action - some of whom are on track to swim at National and International levels. The full list of events is available here as well as on the club notice board nearer to the time. The championships are normally held over two weeks - see the calendar of galas for details. There are about 30 different trophies presented at the championships, some of which are more than 80 years old!
Have a look at the event list and think about what you might like to swim. Remember, 25m is 1 length, 50m is 2 lengths, and 100m is 4 lengths. You can enter as many or as few events as you like. Pick your favourite stroke, or ask the coach who teaches your lane for advice. To enter, you need to write down your name, date of birth, SASA number if possible, and events you want to swim, and hand in with 50p per event to the Club table, or to your lane coach. There are special forms available on the notice board and here in MS Word format, but entries on plain paper are just as acceptable.
If you don’t want to enter the gala you can still come along and watch, because this will give you a chance to see our top club swimmers performing.
Parents please note: swimmers need your encouragement and support for this event - you may be amazed at how competitive they are and how much they want to do. Also, your help on poolside as timekeeper, juice provider, marshall will also be needed to make the gala run smoothly and efficiently. If you want to try timekeeping, this is a good event to try it as there are usually 3 people per lane, with lots of help and advice available.
All entries for competitions have to made well in advance of the gala, to the PCSC Events Secretary, so that the start lists can be organised. There is a lot of work for the events secretary to do in order to get entries and money to the competition organiser on time, so please don't wait until the last minute before you hand in your entries. Late entries will never be accepted. Unless you are expecting to improve your entry time in an event just before the closing date, there is no need to delay handing in the entry. A copy of the entry form in MS Word format is available here. You can email your form to events@pcsc.org.uk - and follow up with a cheque or cash for the entry fee.
If, for whatever reason (e.g. broken collar bone!) you have to withdraw from a gala, please let the Events Secretary know as soon as possible so that the gala convener can be notified, and a substitute may then be given the chance to swim.