Hemel Hempstead Swimming Club
Encyclopedia
| Location | Hemel Hempstead Hemel Hempstead Hemel Hempstead is a town in Hertfordshire in the East of England, to the north west of London and part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2001 Census was 81,143 .... , Hertfordshire Hertfordshire Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
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| Established | 1913 |
| Home Pools | Sportspace, Hemel Hempstead Hemel Hempstead Hemel Hempstead is a town in Hertfordshire in the East of England, to the north west of London and part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2001 Census was 81,143 .... |
| Sportspace, Berkhamsted Berkhamsted -Climate:Berkhamsted experiences an oceanic climate similar to almost all of the United Kingdom.-Castle:... |
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| Team Colours | Blue Blue Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal... , White White White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be... |
| Chairperson | Joan Keevill |
| Head Coach | Alan Doyle |
| Website | http://www.hhsc.org.uk |
Hemel Hempstead Swimming Club is a swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
club based in Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead is a town in Hertfordshire in the East of England, to the north west of London and part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2001 Census was 81,143 ....
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and was established in 1913. Hemel Hempstead Swimming Club (HHSC) ranks as one of Hertfordshire’s premier clubs. The Club has in excess of 220 members from age 5 to Masters Level and their swimmers compete regularly in a wide range of competitions from novice to national standard.
Overview
Swimming is a superb way to build your fitnessPhysical fitness
Physical fitness comprises two related concepts: general fitness , and specific fitness...
and stamina and will enhance any other sports you do, plus lead to a healthy life style; and lots of fun is to be had in competitive swimming. HHSC aims to help all swimmers fulfil their competitive potential and to retain their status as the best swimming club in the area.
HHSC regularly has swimmers representing the club at the Amateur Swimming Association
Amateur Swimming Association
-History:It was the first Governing Body of swimming to be established in the world and today remains the English national governing body for swimming, diving, water polo, open water, and synchronised swimming....
National Age Group Championships in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, the Eastern Regional Swimming Championships in Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
and in the Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
County Age Group Championships, their aim is to increase the number of swimmers competing at County, Regional and National level. They can do this by offering swimmers up to 9.5 hours of pool training time per week.
About The Club
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 HempsteadHemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead is a town in Hertfordshire in the East of England, to the north west of London and part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2001 Census was 81,143 ....
metropolitan area (population 89,000). The Club’s base is in Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead is a town in Hertfordshire in the East of England, to the north west of London and part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2001 Census was 81,143 ....
, 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 and winning community-based Club. The Club is a member of the UK’s Amateur Swimming Association (ASA), is currently seeking reaccreditation within the ASA’s Swim 21 scheme at ‘Skill Development’ level and has the distinction of being the first Club in Hertfordshire to win this accreditation.
The Club is highly visible and successful in County and Regional swimming activities. Its inclusive nature results in an impressive ‘strength-in-depth’ of swimmers enabling it to field multiple teams in multi-Division competitions - teams which compete successfully at all levels of these competitions.
The Club is operated by a team of parent volunteer-professionals in a caring and responsible manner. The team is headed by Joan Keevill, as Chair, with a strong team of Committee Officers behind her. Alan Doyle was appointed Head Coach in September 2010.
The Club draws on the enthusiasm and commitment of many parents and guardians of its membership to provide a wide range of voluntary support including coaches, coaching support, event officials, stewards etc. Parents and guardians also provide the invaluable motivational and practical support throughout training as well as in competition. In October 2010 the swimming club purchased its own six lane digital Scoreboard
Scoreboard
A scoreboard is a large board for publicly displaying the score in a game or match. Most levels of sport from high school and above use at least one scoreboard for keeping score, measuring time, and displaying statistics. Scoreboards in the past used a mechanical clock and numeral cards to...
from funds raised within the club.
Locations
Hemel Hempstead Swimming Club is based at the Sportspace 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. The club notice board and trophy cabinet are in the main reception area of Sportspace and the Club Shop is also run from there. On Wednesdays they swim at Berkhamsted Sports Centre, Douglas Gardens, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire HP4 3PA.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 eventsDuring 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 March 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 NovemberEastern 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 June 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 who achieve their National Qualification Times can swim in the National Championships for 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– 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 ArenaArena (swimwear)
Arena is a brand of competitive swimwear created in 1973 at Adidas France, by its president Horst Dassler. Sold by Adidas in 1990, the brand now represents two unrelated product lines....
Swimming League (formerly known as The Speedo
Speedo
Speedo International Ltd. is a manufacturer and distributor of swimwear and swim-related accessories. Founded in Australia in 1914, the industry leading company is now a subsidiary of Pentland Group Plc. Today, the Speedo brand can be found on products ranging from swimsuits and goggles to wrist...
League) is a National League competition broken down into seven Regions and HHSC competes in the London Area and is currently in Division 1. The London Area is organised into two Divisions with over 40 Clubs spanning from Tring to Hove, Windsor to Norwich.
Notable Swimmers
Richard CharlesworthRichard Charlesworth (swimmer)
Richard James Charlesworth is an English freestyle swimmer. He first started swimming with Hemel Hempstead Swimming Club and currently represents Hatfield Swimming Club...
swam for Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Great Britain competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. The United Kingdom was represented by the British Olympic Association , and the team of selected athletes was officially known as Team GB. Britain is one of only five NOCs to have competed in every Summer Olympic Games since 1896...
in the 1500m freestyle swimming event.
External links
- http://www.hhsc.org.uk/
- http://www.hertsasa.org.uk/
- http://www.eastswimming.org/
- http://www.swimming.org/
- http://www.hsleague.org.uk/
- http://www.nationalswimmingleague.org.uk/