Squads & Juniors

City of Brighton and Hove is one of the most successful
competitive clubs in the South East...

Of course we want our team to be successful, but more importantly, we want all our swimmers to love their sport, achieve their personal goals and stay involved in aquatics as they get older. As a team, we understand that if swimmers are enjoying what they do, team success will follow!
Our programme caters for swimmers age and 5 and up. Our academy helps our youngest swimmers improve their strokes and develop skills. As swimmers reach an age where they are able to compete, we offer three pathways enabling swimmers to be involved at the level that suits them.
The pathways are designed so that swimmers can move between them according to their goals and ambitions, and the training programme is planned so that different squads train alongside each other across the week, maintaining the important social element of swimming as part of a club.

We want our swimmers to enjoy what they do: many of our older swimmers joined at 7 or 8, and are still with us well into their teens and beyond.

CoBH Squad Structure
Click on the image for a larger view
Competitive swimming in the Arena and Sussex Leagues, open meets and our own Club competitions is an important part of what we do. But we also recognise that competing at a high level may not be for everyone – which is why our pathways support swimmers to explore water polo, artistic swimming and open water.

Academy

The Academy are our youngest swimmers who’ve learnt to swim a short distance, and want to continue to improve.

Aged from 5 and up, the Academy makes use of the smaller pools at Prince Regent and King Alfred as well as transitioning to the main pool

The emphasis is on developing confidence and improving strokes. Progress is measured using the club’s in-house scheme, building the skills in the Swim England aquatic awards. We also run specific events in the club championships to give our youngest swimmers the opportunity to race.

Academy swimmers are supported in the water and on poolside by our team of qualified teachers – a mixture of professionals of many years’ standing, and some of our older competitive swimmers. Everyone involved is properly qualified – with teaching qualifications, safeguarding and full DBS checks.

Of course, we hope some of them might want to move into competitive swimming  – or polo of synchro. But that’s not why we do it: our priority is to try and make sure they love being in the water!

Development Squad

The Development Squads are a swimmer’s first step into the squad structure.

Junior Development swimmers already have basic ability and are developing technique on all four strokes as well as technical skills.

As swimmers improve, they move in to Competitive Development where they’ll continue to develop their skills, and will begin to compete in galas and league competitions.

Competitive Pathway

Swimmers in these squads are competing regularly

Swimmers start in Competive Junior, and as their swimming improves and they get older, the move to Competitive Youth. The focus is on building strength and stamina.

There are no time criteria for being in this squad, however swimmers must be able to maintain the standard of training expected within the sessions.

If swimmers have a higher ambition, show commitment and achieve the required standard they may be able to move across into the performance at the discretion of the coaches.

Performance Pathway

The Performance Pathway is designed for swimmers working towards multiple county times, regionals and Nationals.

Within the pathway, the groups are essentially age-based – Bronze 11-13, Silver 13-15 and Gold 15+.

Around 40% of our swimmers achieve county times each year, with high numbers qualifying for regionals and nationals.

In 2024, for instance, we had more than 20 swimmers qualifying for the British and English summer competitions, with around half reaching finals, 2 English golds, and 2 British bronze medals.

Club Squad

The Club Squads are intended mainly for fitness and participation.

We recognise that not every swimmer wants to compete, some want to keep training for fitness and to support other sports and interests.

Club squad swimmers are looking to develop their swimming technique as a general life skill – and where appropriate are encouraged to participate in other aquatic disciplines.

Club swimmers can move into the Competitive pathway can move into the competitive pathway if they meet the required standards of those squads.

More information

E-mail: coach@brightonsc.co.uk
Fill out a membership application form

Latest Squad News

Tom Handley L3 Open Meet

| Featured News, Squads | No Comments
Entry details for the 2025 edition of the Tom Handley L3 Open meet are now available.

Good luck to our National qualifiers!

| News, Squads | No Comments
City of Brighton and Hove SC is making it's national debut this week in Sheffield. We're proud to have 15 swimmers competing in Nationals this year: the Aquatics GB Summer…
Brighton Shirts

Ken Deeley L3 Open Meet

| Featured News, Meets, Squads | No Comments
Saturday 16 September 2023 at the Prince Regent Swimming Complex - entry details now available on our Open Meets page BSC is pleased to announce that entry details for our…