FAQ
How do I join the club?
A memberhship form is required, one for initial entry to the SNZ Database by Membership Officer & for Accounts Officer, (please ask your coach if you have not recieved them) and an annual fee is payable if you are Competitive or Club swimmer registered. The membership year starts from July 1st, which marks the beginning of the swimming year.
Pool Entry
All club members must pay pool entry at the front counter of the Aquatic Centre. Club members may purchase entry scan fobs which are then topped up by you so there is a fast entry into the pool.
Swim Rotorua Club Membership. There are three options available:
- Non-competitive Member
- Competitive Member
- Club Swimmer (competing at club meets, stepping it up towards becoming Competitive Member)
Why do we have to pay an annual club membership fee?
All swimming clubs have annual fees to pay. It is to cover admin, allows us to maintain and run the Clubroom, and assists with Race Nights, Club Champs, Junior Academy, awards etc.
What is the difference between being competitive / club and non-competitive?
If you are registered as a competitive swimmer you can race any events you qualify for at a swimming competition (some have qualifying times). If you are not competitive you can race 25 and 50 metre races only. However, ALL club members can race in our Race Nights. 25m events are only at club nights or club champs for our youngest swimmers in Junior Academy or siblings joining in.
Why is the competitive / club Membership fee more expensive?
Part of the competitive fee goes to Swimming Bay of Plenty and Swimming New Zealand. Unfortunately this fee cannot be offered on a pro rata basis if you join as a competitive member later in the season.
When is the membership fee due?
The swimming season runs from 01 July to 30 June each year. So at the beginning of the new season if you join as a competitive or club member now, you can attend competitions anytime through to the end of June next year.
Who should join as a competitive member?
All the Youth and Age Group athletes should be competitive members. Intermediate and Junior Olympian are encouraged to be competitive too.
Athletes in every other squad can be competitive or club registered if they choose. If swimmers are enjoying race nights, and have tried one or two of the smaller competitions or think they would like a new challenge, then they should consider enrolling as a club swimmer or competitive member for the season. Talk to Pauline, she will assist you in this.
- If you have just joined the Junior Academy Platinum You can make a start by having a go at the Club Race Nights. These are held every two to three months.
- Those who have been in Junior Diamond for more than a term might enjoy the extra challenges of attending some swimming competitions during the season, either as a competitive or non-competitive member. Again – give it a go! You will be amazed at how well you do!
- Junior Diamond who train in 50m pool athletes should definitely consider enrolling as a competitive member. You have been invited to join these squads because you are showing lots of ability, and a commitment to your swimming. However, there is no pressure to become competitive, but most people who have a go are really amazed at what they achieve.
- We encourage the Metro athletes to join as competitive members if this is compatible with your swimming goals. Traditionally swimmers in this squad have enjoyed competing and maintain fitness for Waterpolo.
If we don't want to be competitive now does that mean we can't do any racing?
Not at all. We will continue to provide everyone in the club with opportunities to race. We have our Race Nights, annual Club Champs (June) and our own swim meets (January & August) with some races designed specifically for those who are not competitive. In addition, we will be attending some small local competitions during the year with the junior athletes, but non-competitive members are restricted to racing 25 and 50m events only. However, there is a limit to the number you can attend doing the smaller distance’s.
So what is the advantage of being competitive?
You can race at a range of competitions and you can choose the events you like and which your coach thinks you will do well at. The regional body (Swimming BOP) publishes the Competitive Calendar (usually in July each year) which lists all the swim meets. Our head coach also has a Target Meet Calender which is sent to all squads including Junior Academy that is derived from this regional calender, but more specific for our club registered swimmers.
Swimming competitions encourage the athletes to challenge themselves, work towards beating their own personal best times (PBTs) and achieve goals that they or their coach set.
It is a great chance to make friends both in the club and from other clubs, and to work together as a team.
Most local club competitions do not have qualifying times and we attend a range of these during the year. Regional competitions do have qualifying times. Most athletes in Junior Olympian and Intermediate squads should aim to qualify for this level of meet. We attend Bay of Plenty Champs, Taranaki Champs and BOPJuniors every year. We take a bus of athletes to Taranaki Champs and stay together as a team. Occasionally this is changed to another location, to make new momeries. Parents are welcome to come if they wish and are often found pooldeck or helping to look after the team.
Some of our top swimmers qualify for National events. These are run by Swimming New Zealand. The National Junior Festival for athletes aged 12 years and under. Division 2 and National Age Group Champs (NAGS) are held in a 50m pool at the end of the season (March to May) for athletes 13 years and above. There is also the National Short Course (25m pool) Championships held in Auckland every September for athletes aged 13 years and older. NZ OPENs for our older athletes held in Auckland around May.
Is it true that once you become competitive you have to train far more?
No. Any swimmer in the club can enrol as a competitive member and continue training as many times a week as they currently do. All squads have minimum expectations for attendance, this is not based on whether or not you are competitive. Our top athletes do train 7 - 8 times a week. They are competing at a national level; making finals and winning medals.
Would we have to attend all the competitions the club goes to?
No, if you join competitively you do not need to attend every competition. Information is emailed to you for competitions coming up. You can look at the Swimming Bay of Plenty and Swimming New Zealand websites too. Talk to your coach whether they think this competition would be good for you, talk to the club recorder for events information coming up too. Some competitive members decide in advance they want to attend only a certain number of competitions in a year. We want to make swimming competitions accessible and fun - we understand that different families have different expectations and other commitments.
What other costs are involved in competing?
For each competition there are entry fees for each race - usually between $9 and $15. Some club competitions are in Taupo, Tauranga or Hamilton so there are some travel costs involved. We encourage car-pooling. The Regional competitions can involve overnight stays. We are very fortunate as many of the Bay of Plenty Championship swim meets are held in Rotorua which keeps our costs down. We would like you to purchase a club t-shirt so you feel part of the Team. There are also Club Hoodies and swim caps that you can buy.
Squad Fees
Fees are payable either monthly or by the term. The fee is dependent on the swim group you are in and the number of sessions you attend. Please contact accounts for more information.
Accounts
Accounts are produced monthly by our club treasurer. If you do not receive one within 5 weeks of joining please contact swimrotoruaaccounts@gmail.com
Race Nights
These sessions are an excellent place to have a go at racing and are open to all club members interested in having a go.
How do I enter a swim meet?
Discuss the meet with your coach and select the events you want to enter. Entries must be emailed to the club recorder swimrotoruarecorder@gmail.com and payment is made either online at time of entry or for Club Champs added to your swim account. If you have not raced an event before you must arrange for a time trial to be done with your coach and sent to the Recorder
To view the meet entry form Click Here
The closing date with our recorder will be one week prior to the date on the flyer (unless otherwise stated). The entries are checked by your coach and processed by our recorder and forwarded to the organising club.
To view the guide to a competitors first meet please check out resources tab under swimmers.
How Parents can help
The club is run by a commitee of volunteers, if you feel you have skills to offer in this area please contact the club administrator.
If your child is wanting to compete you are encouraged to train to become a Time keeper
Tutorials are held, followed by a brief theory and practical exam. You can start practicing with a stop watch at club nights. From there you can progress onto IOT (Inspector of Turns) Starter, Referee
The club is always looking for new coaches, if you are interested please talk to your childs coach. We are able to get our Senior Swimmers enrolled into Swim Teacher Certificates which earn NCEA Credits too!