GENERAL INFORMATION AND CLUB RULES
Club nights will be held on either Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday evenings at Benoni Northerns Pool in Northmead. The choice of venue or day of the gala is dependent on which swimming pool is open to the public.
Club nights will be held on a mini type gala basis. Swimmers will be expected to report to the club at 18h00 with the gala starting at 18h30. The duration of the gala will be about one hour. The reason for the 18h00 hour reporting time is so that important announcements can be made e.g. upcoming events, results, fundraising and team selections for Easterns Aquatics league. Club nights will commence in the first week of October (depending on water temperatures etc). Depending on EGA league commencement we may have to begin club night earlier than October, but until league dates have been determined by EGA a final decision cannot be made. Club nights are divided into two sections, namely: aggregate and championships. Club nights are a time for the swimmers to socialise and still compete against one another.
Swimmers compete in the following age groups. Under 8, 10, 12, 14, 17 and open. Age of swimmer is taken at 1st September. FINA rules will be applied to the swimmers as well as the officials. The decision of the gala referee is final. No discussion will be entered into on bath level. Parents and coaches may address a letter to the club committee if they wish to appeal any decision made by the gala referee. Such a request must be made within 15 minutes of the event being swum.
Swimmers in the Under 8 & 10 age groups will not be disqualified for minor offences (these swimmers are still in a development stage and we do not feel that to disqualify such a swimmer would be in the interests of the swimmer or the sport). However the swimmer must not gain an advantage for such an offence e.g. a swimmer cannot swim freestyle when they should be swimming breaststroke whereas a one handed breaststroke touch would not give the offending swimmer any advantage. The swimmer will be informed of any offence.
Children who are not members of the club may participate in one club night (to see if they enjoy the experience). The points they gain within the aggregate section for this "unofficial" swim will be given to the swimmer if he/she should join the club.
Any fully paid up member of the club may compete in the championship events. If for some reason a non-member should compete in our championships then this swimmer will not be eligible to receive any medals or trophies. The swim would thus be regarded as an unofficial swim.
All parents of any members are expected to help officiate at our club nights and at Easterns Aquatics events. Any swimmer winning a club trophy that leaves the club must return the trophy to the club before clearance will be given to that swimmer to join another club.
2. CLUB COMPETITIONS
The Club runs 3 competitions throughout the summer swimming season. The aggregate section is competed for over 5 or 10 weeks (depending on format used) where all the swimming strokes as well as individual medley is swum. The swimmer who gains the most points in his or her age group is declared the winner for that age group. Any swimmer may miss one aggregate section gala without it affecting his/her points. In other words, when calculating the winner the points scored at the worst club night will be deducted from the total number of points made.
Club championships are swum during the last part of the swimming season and are also competed in the four swimming strokes as well as individual medley. Any fully paid up member of the club may compete in our championships.
The iron man competition is swum at any time during the summer season. All the swimming strokes as well as individual medley are swum at the same club night/day. This competition may be combined with a fun activity/fund raiser.
Club competitions will take place in the following age groups and catagories.
Club Age Group events are aimed at the person who is new to swimming. It is important to note that this is where most of our swimmers begin their careers in swimming. If your child is swimming well it is advisable to enter him or her into National Age Group galas to ensure their times go into the Swim SA database. If a child has achieved 1 st , 2nd and 3rd at a NAG then the child may then not swim that stroke at the fun gala anymore. Some of the Club Age Group galas are swum in 33 1/3m pools as well as 50m pools depending on the venue. Please speak to your coach with regards to what gala your child should swim in as the rules change from year to year.
Once a swimmer has qualified at development age group galas the natural progression is to swim at National Age Group Galas.
· COST
To be able to swim at these galas a swimmer must be registered with Easterns Aquatics as well as with Swim SA. A swimmer must also be a member of a swimming club.
· ENTRY
Entry into these galas is done via your club. An events list is sent out timeously for each gala by Easterns Aquatics. Swimmers must enter these galas via their coach who in turn must send the entries to the club. Proof of payment must be sent to the club at the same time. All times swum at National Age Groups are recorded on the Easterns database and submitted to Swim SA.
These championships are open to all swimmers who have registered with Easterns Aquatics and Swim SA. The championships are swum during December and it is one of your last chances to qualify for year-end galas (more about this later).
· ENTRY
The same as for National Age Group.
· SWIM TIMES
Note! You will not be eligible to swim an event at EGA Champs unless you swam the event during the season.
Schools are a body by themselves and anyone may enter their galas. The only condition is that the school to which the swimmer belongs must be a member of the USSASA sporting body.
Entry forms should be obtained from the school to which the swimmer belongs.
PLEASE NOTE THE CLUB IS NOT RESPONSIBLE TO DISTRIBUTE THESE ENTRY FORMS.Entry forms are usually sent in via the school.
All dam swims are self-entry events. Any information received for these open water swims will be distributed.
For more information visit www.swimsa.org
A number of the Club members go to the Midmar Dam swim every year. This is at your own arrangements and cost.
These championships are open to all swimmers who have registered with Easterns Aquatics and Swim SA. These championships are usually swum during the first week of July. This is a huge gala and is swum over a one-week period (during public school holidays). It is a well-run gala and a good way to measure how the swimmers winter training is going. The championship is always held in Sasolburg.
INTER PROVINCIAL
Easterns Aquatics select swimmers for these events. Selection is done by a panel of 5 selectors and they select times from the Easterns database. Remember times on the database only come from :
· National Age Group
· Easterns Champs
· Adrian Grafe Sprint Gala
· Easterns League
· CGA Premier League
· Previous Inter Provincials
· Winter Championships
NB NB NB! ONLY TIMES FROM THE CURRENT SEASON ARE USED FOR SELECTION PURPOSES. A NEW SEASON STARTS ON 1 MAY EVERY YEAR AND THE PREVIOUS SEASONS TIMES ARE TAKEN UP TO THE ADRIAN GRAFE GALA AND THEREAFTER ONLY TIMES FROM 1 MAY ARE USED. ANY PARENT NOT UNDERSTANDING THIS MUST PLEASE SPEAK TO YOUR CHILD’S COACH.
These are galas, which are held outside the Province.
PLEASE NOTE THAT A SWIMMER MUST HAVE EASTERNS PROVINCIAL CLEARANCE TO SWIM IN ANY GALA SWUM OUTSIDE THE PROVINCE. NO SWIMMER WILL BE GIVEN CLEARANCE TO SWIM OUTSIDE THE PROVINCE IF EASTERN’S AQUATICS IS HOSTING A GALA OF THEIR OWN ON THE SAME DAY. ALL ENTRIES TO ANY GALA ARE COMPLETED BY THE CLUB AND THEN SENT THROUGH TO THE EASTERNS GALA SECRETARY
Examples of these galas are : CGA Galas, Speedo Prestige etc.
LEVEL 1/2/3 SCROLLS– Will be handed out at the AGM for swimmers that participated in these galas. Note that a swimmer must compete at the level gala in order to qualify for a Level scroll.
All these events can only be entered if the swimmer has swum a qualifying time. These qualifying times are communicated to swimmers via the club. All entry forms are completed by the swimmer and sent to the club secretary who will then forward them to the parties concerned. CGA Premier League is the equivalent of our National Age Group but it has a qualifying time. Most swimmers train throughout the year in order for them to qualify for the “year end” galas namely :
· Level 1
· Level 2
· Level 3
· SA Nationals (Youth)
· SA Nationals (Elite Youth)
· SA Nationals Senior Open Champs
All above galas are dependent on times swum throughout the year.
Swimmers swimming for this club do so at their own free will. The club insists that all swimmers representing the club ie where the club does the entries for the swimmers wear the club cap and other attire as stipulated by the club.
In order for this club to function, the club will rely on every parent being prepared to time keep. This may be at club or EGA galas. We cannot impress strongly enough the help needed in this regard. All parents of registered swimmers must be prepared to officiate.
No parent may support/shout for their child and in doing so encroach to within 3 meters of the swimming pool. Should this happen, Provincial and National sporting bodies will inform the Club and the club will need to begin with disciplinary steps against the swimmer and or parent.
No parent has the right to question Eastern Gauteng Officials or Committee members. Should a parent feel that they need information/clarity on any decision made by Eastern Gauteng Aquatics Committee members or Officials then the parent must direct the question to SWIFT Aquatics who in turn will take the matter up on that parent’s behalf.
No payments may be made to Eastern Gauteng Aquatics directly. All payments must be made through SWIFT Aquatics.
The wearing of any strapping is against FINA rules. As a club we adhere to FINA rules and therefore the use of any strapping/bandages etc is not allowed at club or at EGA galas.
The wearing of jewellery is against FINA rules. The only jewellery that is permitted are earrings but no performance enhancing earings are permitted (magnetic type earrings).
19. GENERAL CLUB RULES & REGULATIONS
20. PARENTS CODE OF ETHICS
21. SWIMMERS CODE OF CONDUCT
22. PROCEDURE FOR CLUB CLEARANCE
In the event that a swimmer requests club clearance the following procedures are to be followed:
Once all 3 above portfolios are satisfied that all conditions to grant the transfer have been met only then will they send a notification to the club secretary and CC the Chairperson to confirm that clearance can be granted.
The club secretary can then confirm clearance in a letter to the swimmer and CC the Chairperson.
The above process can take up to 2 weeks from the club first receiving the transfer notification as all the above committee members are volunteers.