Hemel Hempstead Swimming Club

Hemel Hempstead Swimming Club is a swimming club based in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom and was established in 1913. Hemel Hempstead Swimming Club (HHSC) ranks as one of Hertfordshire's premier clubs. The Club has about 200 members from age 5 to Masters Level and their swimmers compete regularly in a wide range of competitions.

Hemel Hempstead Swimming Club
Club Information
  Location   Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England
  Established   1913
  Home Pools   Sportspace, Hemel Hempstead
     Sportspace, Berkhamsted
  Team Colours   Blue, White
Swimming Information
  Chairperson   Janet Davies
  Head Coach   Jack Donoghue
  Website   hhsc.org.uk

Overview

HHSC aims to help all swimmers fulfil their competitive potential and to be considered the best swimming club in the area.

HHSC regularly has swimmers representing the club at the Amateur Swimming Association Eastern Regional Swimming Championships in Norwich and in the Hertfordshire County Age Group Championships. Their aim is to increase the number of swimmers competing at the County and Regional level. They do this by offering swimmers up to 11.5 hours of pool training time per week along with land training sessions for most squads.

About The Club
Hemel Hempstead Sportspace 25m Swimming Pool

Hemel Hempstead Swimming Club (HHSC) can trace its history to 1840, when the village community used clay 'puddling pits' carved from the local canal. The Club was formally established in 1913 as a non-profit community-based entity providing training and skill development for all levels of swimmers, with a special emphasis on the youth from the Hemel Hempstead metropolitan area (population 89,000).[1] The Club's base is in Hemel Hempstead, one of the principal towns in Hertfordshire, with diverse demographics which mirror the National ratings.

Since its inception, the Club has evolved into an accredited, competitive community-based Club. The Club is a member of Swim England, is accredited within itsASA's SwimMark [2] scheme at 'Skill Development' and 'Master Swimming' levels, it has the distinction of being the first Club in Hertfordshire to win this accreditation.

Locations

Hemel Hempstead Swimming Club is based at Hemel Hempstead Sports Centre in Park Road, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP1 1JS.

Facilities at Hemel Hempstead include a 25m indoor pool, a 17m flexi pool and a 10m diving pit. On Wednesdays, they swim at Berkhamsted Sports Centre, Douglas Gardens, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire HP4 3PA. In September 2012 Hemel Hempstead Swimming Club started to train at Inspire Luton Sports Village in the new 50m Pool.

HHSC work to ensure that their swimmers have access to the best facilities and equipment, with adjustable starting blocks, back strokes ledges and their own AOE.

Competitions

HHSC swimmers have the opportunity to take part in a number of competitive swimming events both as individuals and as part of a team at local, county and regional level. Elite swimmers may also achieve national times and be eligible for those events

During the year a range of Open Galas will be promoted by the club.

The principle events are as follows:

Club Competitions
  • Club Championships are typically held in January (middle distance) and June/July (sprint).
  • HHSC Birthday Open: this is an open meet held in October/November annually. All club swimmers who are eligible are expected to compete.
  • Shark's Gala is a fun event for all members of the club from Aquabears to Masters. The timing of this event may vary year on year but is usually in December.
  • Peanuts Trials - Prior to the start of the Peanuts League each year the club holds a trials gala to help with team selection, all swimmers in the qualifying age groups are expected to compete.

Hertfordshire County Swimming

HHSC swimmers compete at the annual Hertfordshire Youth (15-17yrs) and BAGCATs or British Age Group (9-14yrs) County Championships which are held in January/February each year. The Masters competition is held towards the end of June. Younger swimmers trying to qualify for their first County Championships also have the opportunity to compete in the Development Meet in November

Eastern Region Swimming

HHSC is affiliated to the East Region which includes Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk. Regional events include:

  • The East Region ASA Championships which are held in May each year.
  • The Chiltern League: this is a junior club-based competition attracting teams from Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire and Bucks. This event has three Rounds each year for each of its two Divisions. HHSC enters one team.

National Swimming

Swimmers are selected for the National Championships by being ranked in the top 24 of their age group, these usually take place in July/August.

The Masters team (swimmers over the age of 25) compete for the club each summer in the Herts, British, European and World Championships.

Herts Swimming League

Hertfordshire Swimming League operates the following county competitions:

  • Herts Major League[3]– the county’s premier competition, organised into three Divisions with 10 to 12 teams in each Division, and three Rounds each year. HHSC enters two teams each year.
  • Peanuts League – aimed at younger swimmers, again organised into three Divisions with 10 to 12 teams in each Division, three Rounds each year. HHSC enters three teams each year, currently the only club in the County to do so.

National Swimming League

The National Arena Swimming League [4] (formerly known as The Speedo League) is a National League competition broken down into seven Regions and HHSC competes in the London Area and is currently in Division 2. The London Area is organised into three Divisions with over 40 Clubs spanning from Tring to Hove, Windsor to Norwich.

Notable Swimmers

Richard Charlesworth swam for Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 1500m freestyle swimming event.

References
  1. "2001 Census results on". Hertsdirect.org. Archived from the original on 2011-01-20. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
  2. "All about swim21 accreditation | Your guarantee of quality swimming instruction | Go Swimming". Swimming.org. Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
  3. "Hertfordshire Swimming League". Hsleague.org.uk. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
  4. "The National Arena Swimming League". Nationalswimmingleague.org.uk. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
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