Squads & Competitions
Junior | Development | Performance | Adult
Ballarat Swimming Club caters for all ability levels and exists to ensure members enjoy the sport of swimming.
Our various training squads below are tailored to encourage members develop the essential skills to progress in the sport of swimming.
Junior Squad
Suited to swimmers interested in squad swimming and potentially competing. Must have mastered the basics of all 4 strokes. This squad will focus on further technique development–developing basic skills such as starts, turns, finishes, reading the clock and knowledge of racing.
Age: 7-11 years
Training Recommendations – 2 to 3 sessions per week
Sessions available: 5 per week
Coach assessment prior to starting with Junior squad.
Intermediate Squad
Suited to swimmers moving up from junior swimming looking to focus on competitive swimming. Must have mastered the basics of all 4 strokes. This squad will focus on further technique development, delivering sessions that is more in line with their abilities in slightly smaller groups.
Age: 7-11 years
Training Recommendations – 3-4 sessions per week
Sessions available: 5 per week
Development Squad
Suited to swimmers moving from a Junior/Intermediate level and looking to focus on competitive swimming, still with a strong focus on technique. May be qualified for Country Championship or All Juniors or even junior state times (or working towards).
Age: 10 years +
Training Recommendations – 3 + sessions (at least 1 morning session)
Sessions Available: 6 swim sessions per week. Swimmers will do 15 minutes dry land activation before sessions commence
Also encompasses older swimmers 12+ who don’t wish to compete at a high level but wish to keep swimming for Fitness/Club purposes (no minimum training requirement for these swimmers)
Performance Squad
Suited to swimmers focusing on competitive swimming. May have current country, state or National times. These sessions will also cater for athletes competing at State or National Levels, in Open Water swimming and Triathlons
Age: 13 years +
Training Recommendations: 5+ pool sessions, assessed on individual basis. 1 x S&C session – as discussed with Senior Coach.
Sessions Available: 9 swims sessions per week, and 1 Gym/S&C sessions per week. All swimmers to arrive 15 minutes prior to swimming commencing for dry land activation.
Adult/Recreation Squad
Suited to adult swimmers looking to undertake squad training for recreational or fitness purposes. You may be a been a competitive swimmer in past, training for open water event or triathlon or looking for a low impact way to get fit – this group of for you. Sessions run for 60 minutes and focus on basic technique and swimming efficiency, as well as fitness and endurance for recreational events.
Age: 18 + Years
Sessions available: 4 swim sessions per week.
Competitions & Training Camps
Ballarat Swimming Club is proud of our unique Top 5 Swim Series that is generously supported by Ballarat Skoda (from 2020) as naming supporter.
The Ballarat Skoda Top 5 Series runs between May and November each year, comprising two short course and two long course meets. Annually attracting competitors from over 50 different swimming clubs, the scheduling provides participants with excellent qualifying opportunities for Victorian Country and State championships.
The Ballarat Skoda Top 5 Swim Series generates income to support the delivery of the BSC Members Support Fund.
Ballarat Swimming Club is a member of The Midlands District Amateur Swimming Association (MDASA), District 21. We encourage our swimmers to enter and compete in the range of MDASA events (Link).
Ballarat Swimming Club is proud of all member achievements and recognises the commitment and dedication needed to excel at high standard. To this end, BSC supports our members to compete at Country, State and National Championship level providing reimbursement of event entry fees to members whom qualify for such events via the Ballarat Swimming Club Members Support Fund.
Each year Ballarat Swimming Club aims to provide members with a training camp opportunity to broaden their swimming experience supporting them to…be your best!
In 2019 it was a trip to Canberra to attend the Toledo Swim Championships staying at the Australian Institute of Sport. Ballarat Swimming Club had 12 members compete with all expressing how exciting and challenging it was to be in a distant location, with the opportunity to be independent and competition focused.