New County ccompetitions

[NearlyaPB]

My daughter swims for a small club in London & she is quite good (but not good enough for the Surreys). Her coach told us that this was the last year of the surreys & next year they would be replaced & she might do well at the new county level.

A friend of mine has a daughter who swims for one of the much larger clubs in
the area tells me there was some talk on this but its all on hold now

Anyone know Whos right ?

[GettingFaster]

As far as I am aware it is all still under discussion. I think what you're referring to is the Regionalisation thing (don't know it's proper title). The idea is for there to be a Greater London area and then the outlying counties end up smaller and less significant as clubs that are in Greater London, e.g. Kingston, Croydon etc, would then become part of that big London pot. Some clubs are in favour, some are against, and I also heard a suggestion that the broader scope of the regionalisation work might go ahead with the exception that the championships could survive in their existing format, i.e. all clubs that have Surrey in their address. This was just a conversation and nothing in any way official. This sort of thing is discussed at the Surrey Executive Committee I believe, so they'll be the people in the know.

Can anyone point to a more detailed description of the regionalisation stuff, I wasn't sure where to look on the ASA site. Ta.

Oh, and welcome to the forums by the way. Do you swim as well or are you solely taxi-driver, financier and fan?

[matt]

are you solely taxi-driver, financier and fan?

http://www.freeadpower.org/~mrsmiles/contrib/ruinkai/rolleyea.gifhttp://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/contrib/ruinkai/icon7xx.gifhttp://mysmilies.ipbfree.com/s/contrib/blackeye/readingdarkorange.gifhttp://mysmilies.ipbfree.com/s/cwm/3dlil/uhh.gifhttp://mysmilies.ipbfree.com/s/contrib/Bizkit/ponder.gifhttp://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/contrib/lynx/greysick.gifhttp://mindscraps.com/s/contrib/sarge/Looking_anim.gifhttp://www.freeadpower.org/~mrsmiles/contrib/unknown/face12.gifhttp://smilies.jeeptalk.org/ups/sicdeth/headscratch.gif That's meant to show 'I am Confused' http://www.freeadpower.org/~mrsmiles/contrib/ruinkai/rolleyea.gifhttp://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/contrib/ruinkai/icon7xx.gifhttp://mysmilies.ipbfree.com/s/contrib/blackeye/readingdarkorange.gifhttp://mysmilies.ipbfree.com/s/cwm/3dlil/uhh.gifhttp://mysmilies.ipbfree.com/s/contrib/Bizkit/ponder.gifhttp://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/contrib/lynx/greysick.gifhttp://mindscraps.com/s/contrib/sarge/Looking_anim.gifhttp://www.freeadpower.org/~mrsmiles/contrib/unknown/face12.gifhttp://smilies.jeeptalk.org/ups/sicdeth/headscratch.gif

[GettingFaster]

That's meant to show 'I am Confused'
"Taxi-driver, financier and fan" = parent.

And those are cool smileys, matt, very impressive!

[NearlyaPB]

As far as I am aware it is all still under discussion. I think what you're referring to is the Regionalisation thing (don't know it's proper title). The idea is for there to be a Greater London area and then the outlying counties end up smaller and less significant as clubs that are in Greater London, e.g. Kingston, Croydon etc, would then become part of that big London pot. Some clubs are in favour, some are against, and I also heard a suggestion that the broader scope of the regionalisation work might go ahead with the exception that the championships could survive in their existing format, i.e. all clubs that have Surrey in their address. This was just a conversation and nothing in any way official. This sort of thing is discussed at the Surrey Executive Committee I believe, so they'll be the people in the know.

Can anyone point to a more detailed description of the regionalisation stuff, I wasn't sure where to look on the ASA site. Ta.

Oh, and welcome to the forums by the way. Do you swim as well or are you solely taxi-driver, financier and fan?


Hi getting faster - thanks for the reply. Thinking it through it makes sense that London should be represented as "London" in terms of the politics of the sport but in terms of competition - although it would benefit my daughter - a South West London competition would be a poor relation to the Surreys with Guildford Leatherhead & the half a dozen other strong clubs.

For reference I used to compete competitively against my daughters (until they got to about 5 !!!) since then its been cheap rate taxi, chief accountant & Director of psychology - usually known as dad !! Now that Ive found this discussion board by accident, I'll keep up to speed. Interesting looking at the posts to see that there appears to be a mix of parent types,coachy types & actual swimmy types contributing. I'll try to think of some questions to fill my knowledge gaps !!

[GettingFaster]

Hi getting faster - thanks for the reply. Thinking it through it makes sense that London should be represented as "London" in terms of the politics of the sport but in terms of competition - although it would benefit my daughter - a South West London competition would be a poor relation to the Surreys with Guildford Leatherhead & the half a dozen other strong clubs.

For reference I used to compete competitively against my daughters (until they got to about 5 !!!) since then its been cheap rate taxi, chief accountant & Director of psychology - usually known as dad !! Now that Ive found this discussion board by accident, I'll keep up to speed. Interesting looking at the posts to see that there appears to be a mix of parent types,coachy types & actual swimmy types contributing. I'll try to think of some questions to fill my knowledge gaps !!

They got to five before they beat you - hmm, not bad! You should take it up again. There's always room in Masters swimming for new 'talent' (in my case I use the term very, very loosely) so instead of just watching the little cherubs ploughing up and down, find out what your club does for its wrinklies and get in there too. There are plenty of other masters on the board who I am sure would agree with me.

[bobby]

From what I can gather, Surrey is gaining only Staines into its fold. It is losing several clubs as you mentioned, including Kingston, Leander, Wandsworth, Croydon. If this does go ahead, Surrey will have 3 clubs making up most of the competitions - Leatherhead, Guildford City and Haslemere which in my opinion with weaken the county. I don't really understand the point of changing the boundaries although I am sure there must be a good reason. :idea:

[GettingFaster]

Can anyone point towards something on the regionalisation work that's going on. I've looked on the ASA website but can't see anything either obvious or hidden. I know county boundaries are affected but I can't remember how.

[crawler]

I know what you mean - the silence is deafening.
The only thing I found was an April 2002 thread started by Julia here which gave a few initial findings.
I'm tired so can only point you to it by suggesting you search forums for "Regionalisation" - there must be an easier way to link it if anyone can help.
That was quite some time ago but that whole question of rejigging funding is no doubt taxing their collective minds.

[GettingFaster]

I'm tired so...
... go to bed then!
:cool: (and that's an eye shade for sleeping, not a pair of sunglasses.)

[taxi service]

This is from the Wey Valley site last year but it gives some details.
http://www.wvsc.co.uk/New/region.html

[ruthcp]

From what I can gather, Surrey is gaining only Staines into its fold. It is losing several clubs as you mentioned, including Kingston, Leander, Wandsworth, Croydon. If this does go ahead, Surrey will have 3 clubs making up most of the competitions - Leatherhead, Guildford City and Haslemere which in my opinion with weaken the county. I don't really understand the point of changing the boundaries although I am sure there must be a good reason. :idea:

This is the crucial question, though I've yet to meet many who are in favour. Apparently there is one particular Surrey club who is not only keen but pushing for this to go ahead.
This would then point to some (for the rest of us unknown) reasons, other than the usual 'let's change it because it's there' type of reason. :rolleyes:

When I asked questions, at a meeting designed to 'allay the fears' of the non-converted, the replies varied between money (as in we'll get more of it if we have less clubs?????), and when that didn't stop my questions, moved onto 'why not be quiet, you are only a female anyway' sort of answer.

In other words, no clues to the reasons! ;) ;)

As previously mentioned, if this is an ASA led idea, they are strangely silent about it.

[Phil Tanner]

As previously mentioned, if this is an ASA led idea, they are strangely silent about it.

I'm sure it is ASA-led, the idea being to bring the district structure more (or maybe fully?) into line with the structure of Sport England and thus make funds easier to access.

[GettingFaster]

I'm sure it is ASA-led, the idea being to bring the district structure more (or maybe fully?) into line with the structure of Sport England and thus make funds easier to access.
So why can't anyone find anything about it on the ASA website? With other strategic stuff like CDC they've been very open so it's odd not to have even a passing mention of it on the ASA site.

[ruthcp]

I'm sure it is ASA-led, the idea being to bring the district structure more (or maybe fully?) into line with the structure of Sport England and thus make funds easier to access.

The operative word here might be 'easier'!
It means just that, so the likelihood of actually getting any funds is just a little bit less remote, that's all!!

As GF says, why the silence if it's this crucial? :confused:

[chris_lamb]

So why can't anyone find anything about it on the ASA website? With other strategic stuff like CDC they've been very open so it's odd not to have even a passing mention of it on the ASA site.

It is being mainly done through the Districts. TBH, the affect on individuals really is going to be negligible. There is no reason that County championships cannot be held in exactly the same way as now. The changes are almost purely administrative and transparent to most people.

[chris_lamb]

The operative word here might be 'easier'!
It means just that, so the likelihood of actually getting any funds is just a little bit less remote, that's all!!

The changes will make it much easier to develop strategic plans for facilities in conjunction with Sport England. The regions will be able to work much more closely with the main source of funding to work on an overall plan for the region rather than just reacting to local plans.

There is also very little to be said at the moment. Regionalisation has been agreed - now it is up to the Districts to implement it (with help from the ASA). The changes that will be needed will vary from region to region, so there is little the ASA can say. Once details of the changes have been worked out I'm sure these will be made public.

[chris_lamb]

So why can't anyone find anything about it on the ASA website? With other strategic stuff like CDC they've been very open so it's odd not to have even a passing mention of it on the ASA site.

Incidentally, there is quite alot of information around if you look. E.g.:

http://www.sportcentric.com/vsite/vfile/page/fileurl/0,11040,4716-145901-163117-51460-0-file,00.pdf

[GettingFaster]

Incidentally, there is quite alot of information around if you look. E.g.:

http://www.sportcentric.com/vsite/vfile/page/fileurl/0,11040,4716-145901-163117-51460-0-file,00.pdf

THAT's what I was after, thanks Chris.

[ruthcp]

The changes will make it much easier to develop strategic plans for facilities in conjunction with Sport England. The regions will be able to work much more closely with the main source of funding to work on an overall plan for the region rather than just reacting to local plans.


Please don't take this the wrong way, but to me it is as clear as mud. What and where is this funding going to come from?
What exactly constitutes a region? Is it a County, or is it as vast as 'the South of England'?

I have the document you linked in a previous posting, and it doesn't make it any clearer.

[chris_lamb]

Please don't take this the wrong way, but to me it is as clear as mud. What and where is this funding going to come from?
What exactly constitutes a region? Is it a County, or is it as vast as 'the South of England'?


A region is the same sort of size as an existing District. The new "Southern Region" will be SCASA, minus London and the counties to the north of london, minus south bucks, plus oxfordshire (or something similar). The only really noticable difference will be slightly different people at regional championships.

It will probably be pretty much the same people running the new regions as currently run the Districts. Information will still get sent to clubs in the same way it does now. Very few people will actually be affected in any really noticable way.

I have the document you linked in a previous posting, and it doesn't make it any clearer.

To be fair, that document was a report to the ASA Council, which consists of people who already know about regionalisation.

[ruthcp]

A region is the same sort of size as an existing District. The new "Southern Region" will be SCASA, minus London and the counties to the north of london, minus south bucks, plus oxfordshire (or something similar). The only really noticable difference will be slightly different people at regional championships.

Thanks Chris, that's more detail than I have encountered before!

[NearlyaPB]

I'm sure it is ASA-led, the idea being to bring the district structure more (or maybe fully?) into line with the structure of Sport England and thus make funds easier to access.

Im Sure this probably was the reason for the plan,leading to logic like Hi Mr Blair, We are London ASA representing 50 clubs with 20000 swimmers including several hoping to win medals at the olympics & guess what our training facilities are crap, give us some dosh at the right moment & we can build a 50m pool somewhere & it will be a great boost for the olympic bid & put London ahead of Mars on the provision of 50M pools per head of population (well possibly).