Dear SWA Members,
I am writing to you in regards to the participation of eight-year-olds in sanctioned competition. Over a number of months, SWA Members have expressed their concern about eight-year-olds being ineligible to compete in sanctioned competition. SWA Management took this feedback seriously and after developing an approach designed to be in the best interests of our swimmers, wrote to the SWA Board in September to seek support for the recommendation below.
Background Information
In 2017, on the recommendation of Senior Management, a decision was made by the Swimming WA Board, to implement the removal of seven-year-olds from competition and the phasing out of eight-year-olds from 1 October 2018. This recommendation was based on research into the maturation of swimmers and Swimming Australia’s Junior Sport Policy.
Considerable research has been undertaken by the AIS and Swimming Australia into the maturation of junior swimmers, which has been presented in Swimming Australia’s Australian Swimming Framework, Junior Sport Policy and Swimming Australia’s draft Competition Guidelines.
Eight-year-olds are currently eligible to participate in:
• Junior Dolphins Carnivals
• SunSmart Splash & Dash Carnivals
• Westpac Summer League (8/9 years relays)
• Learn to Race Clinics
• Club and Inter-Club Competition (official times accepted, excluding sanctioned Meets)
Eight-year-old swimmers are able to record official times at Club competitions through Recognition of Results, which allows them to qualify for Meets for which a qualifying time is required when they turn nine.
Recommendation
SWA Management recommends that the rules regarding eight-year-old participation in competition be amended to allow structured participation within pre-determined guidelines. Those guidelines include:
• All eight-year-old races be completed within a three (3) hour window, to minimise the expectation on young swimmers to be in attendance at a Meet for an extended period of time and ensure focus is on enjoyment of the experience of competing
• Eight-year-olds be eligible to participate in the following races only:
- 25m Freestyle
- 25m Backstroke
- 25m Breaststroke
- 50m Freestyle
- 50m Backstroke
- 50m Breaststroke
• Eight-year-olds be eligible to record official times for the 50m events, to enable them to qualify for Meets for which a qualifying time is required when they turn nine (9) years of age.
• These amended rules to apply to Club Sanctioned Meets only, thereby extending the access to competition from unsanctioned Club and Inter-Club Meets only to include Club Sanctioned Meets. This does not include Zone, Regional or SWA Sanctioned Meets*.
*Exception to SWA Sanctioned Meets is that 8-year-olds are eligible to compete and record official times at Club Premierships and Country Pennants in the 9-year-old age category and participate in relays. The 8-year-olds will not have their own age category.
• The 8-year-old Membership fee to remain unchanged at $55.
I am pleased to report to the Membership that the SWA Board accepted Management’s recommendation and these changes will be implemented from 1 October 2019 Clubs are requested to update and resubmit their Summer Almanac templates to Competition and Records Coordinator, Brighton Pass by email brighton.pass@wa.swimming.org.au by no later than Wednesday 9 October 2019.
To update the event entry process, please contact Chris McMillan at My Swim Results. I believe that the information above will be a welcome addition for Members to the 2019/2020 competition season.
Wishing you all the best for the upcoming Membership year and beyond.
