Competitions
HHSC is a competitive swimming club. Members are encouraged to take part in a number of competitive swimming events both as individuals and as part of the club team at local, county, regional and national level. The club’s extensive competition schedule is designed to give all members of whatever age and experience an opportunity to maximise their capabilities.
HHSC attends a range of open meets hosted by other clubs throughout the year. Full details of the event schedule are available on the club calendar. Entry information and deadlines will be emailed to the relevant squads, HHSC will collate all entries and liaise directly with the host club.
A key part of the calendar is the annual Hertfordshire County Championships, where we have an increasing number of swimmers meeting the consideration & qualifying times, and in 2023 saw good success in achieving finals. We also have a number of swimmers achieving regional and, in a few cases national entry times.
The club competes in The Hertfordshire Swim League, Herts Major Division 1 and the Hertfordshire Peanuts League.
HHSC has a very active Masters section. Members compete in some of the league competitions alongside their junior counterparts as well as entering Masters competitions at county, regional, national and international events.
Finally, we run a number of internal competitions, giving swimmers of all ages a chance to put their skills into practice.
Team Galas
Selection for team galas is made by the Head Coach or coach. Your attendance at these galas is expected if selected. Selection for one round does not ensure selection in future rounds; current training attitude and behaviour, competitive performance and illness/injuries can affect selection criteria.
PEANUTS
Peanuts is part of the Herts Swimming League along with Herts Major. It is an inter club competition for Hertfordshire clubs, for swimmers aged 9 to 12. It is run over three galas in May, June and July, each having the same mix of individual and relay events.
HERTS MAJOR LEAGUE
Herts Major League is part of the Herts Swimming League along with Peanuts. It is an inter club competition for Hertfordshire clubs, for swimmers aged 9 up in four age bands; 11 and under, 12-13, 14-15, Open. It is run over three galas in January, February and March, each having the same mix of individual and relay events.
NATIONAL ARENA LEAGUE
The Arena League is the national inter-club competition, currently split into 6 area Leagues. Hemel currently compete in the London League in division 2. Swimmers compete in four age groups from age 9 upwards; 9-11, 12-13, 14-15, Open. The winning teams from each League are go on to compete in the National final.
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Club Championships
Club Championships are the opportunity for the entire club to compete against each other. The shorter distance (50m, 100m and 200m) events are HHSC internal club events, with the meets taking place during normal training times. These meets are licensed at Level 4 (which we can reasonably manage as a single club based on the number of available officials in the club), and are usually held in June.
The mid (400m) and long (800m/1500m) events are held jointly with Watford SC later in the year. This allows for a much better level of competition between the swimmers, and by combining resources also allows the meets to be licensed at Level 3 allowing results to be used for Regional qualification.