The Performance squad.

Young boy in a blue swim cap and black swim trunks preparing to dive off a starting block at a swimming pool, with other children and a coach in the background.

The performance squad

Formed in 2024, The Performance Squad was created to bridge the gap for swimmers reaching the end of the Swim England stages, providing a clear pathway to continue swimming and developing within the sport.

Our aim is simple: to ensure that swimmers who want to train, progress, and challenge themselves in a competitive environment are given the opportunity to do so. The Performance Squad supports motivated athletes by offering structured, high-quality training that encourages long-term development, commitment, and performance both in and out of the pool.

Whether swimmers are looking to compete, improve their technique, or take the next step in their swimming development, The Performance Squad provides an environment where ambition is supported and potential is developed.

A young swimmer dives into a pool from a starting block while three other children in swimsuits and swimming caps watch on the pool deck.

What do sessions look like?

Training takes place across three sessions each week, with each session planned in line with the coach’s seasonal programme for the swimmers. While attendance at all sessions is not mandatory, swimmers who are able to spend more time in the pool will progress at a faster rate.

Sessions focus on developing race skills, building aerobic fitness, and refining technique across all four competitive strokes. This structured approach ensures swimmers are consistently challenged and supported as they develop throughout the season.

What Sets Us Apart

Focus on the Individual

Everything we do is built around understanding each swimmer’s needs and supporting them in achieving their goals. We treat every swimmer as an individual, planning sessions that are tailored to their development and designed to help them maximise their potential.

Fostering Long-Term Relationships

When we set up the squad, one of our key aims was to ensure swimmers had a place to continue swimming with us long term. Many of our swimmers have progressed all the way through our Learn to Swim programme, with some joining as early as four years old. This long-term approach allows us to build strong relationships, understand each swimmer’s development over time, and support them consistently as they grow within the sport.

Community

We believe swimmers thrive best in an environment built on fun, positivity, and community. Too often, athletes leave the sport due to a lack of enjoyment or connection, so we make it a priority to balance skill development with a supportive and engaging atmosphere. Over the past two years, our swimmers have grown not only as athletes, but also as individuals, building confidence, resilience, and lasting friendships.

Group of young squad swimmers in swimsuits and jackets, wearing gold medals, standing on a tiled poolside, smiling after a swim meet.
A group of young swim team swimmers and their coach posing together at an indoor pool. The children have green paint on their faces and are wearing swim caps and goggles. One boy in front is shirtless and holding up his hands with fingers spread.
Group of young girls in swimsuits and goggles standing by an indoor swimming pool with a woman, who is likely their coach, smiling in the back. Colorful triangular bunting hangs from the ceiling.
Children preparing for swimming at an indoor pool, standing on swimming starting blocks, wearing goggles and swim caps, with a coach nearby.
Two young female swimmers sitting on the edge of an indoor swimming pool, wearing swim caps and goggles, smiling and relaxing after swimming practice.