YOUR REASON FOR TRAINING
Establish the reason for your training. Are you looking to become an Olympic Swimmer or an Open Water swimmer or are you just swimming to stay healthy and have some fun?
Based on the above, how many times a week are you going to need to train?
FIND A POOL
Establish what swimming pools and clubs are in your area. Find out how big the pool is and how it is maintained. Work out the distance from home, work or school and find one that is convenient to reach.
FIND A CLUB
Note which clubs have similar workouts to what you are looking for. Some teams might have endurance or triathlon training programs, others might be competitive (training up to 10 times a week, you will have to be totally committed). Look up and to talk to coaches of swim teams to gauge their goals for their swimmers and the team as a whole. A child who is swimming competitively is going to spend a lot of time with their team and coach, find a coach that you would be happy to call their role model, someone who reflects good values. If you are less competitive you don’t want to be with a coach whose focus is on this top performing swimmers. Find out if the team is divided based on speed, age or a combination. Teams with different levels provide the most opportunity for improvement. Find out how many coaches there are per group as if you want help with stroke technique you will need adequate staff. For more competitive training, find out if there is dry land training programs too.
YOUR BUDGET
Find out prices and if it fits your budget.
FIND A TEAM MATE
Having friends on a team can motivate you to go to practice. Test a few teams if necessary and find a team that feels right for you.
