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The Home of Alnwick Dolphins
Location & Facilities
Our Home is Willowburn Sports and Leisure Centre located in Alnwick, a vibrant and modern community hub, where we have access to a six lane 25m pool. Working with the brilliant Places Leisure team, our training sessions are set up with lane ropes, floor lifting or lowering, and dive blocks as needed by the coaching session. Training sessions are closed to the public, which enables good communication between the coaches and the swimmers. There is plenty of free parking and changing facilities at the centre. For members or parents who are Places Leisure members, there is a well-equipped gym as well as opportunities for racket sports or soft play in the sports hall.
The location of the centre is a 10 minute walk from the Duchess’s Community High School, which is ideal for older swimmers after morning swim sessions. They have time to change, ready themselves for the school day and walk across for the breakfast club at the start of the school day.
Willowburn Sports CentreAlnwick Dolphins Teams Structure
Squads
The structure of the Club has been developed to support the swimmer’s journey from new competitive swimmer all the way through to a swimmer competing at regional and national level.
There are three tiers in the club and each tier has a number of different squads to support the development journey through that tier.
Training TimetableThese are the squads where our new swimmers start their journey in the Athlete Development Pathway. Focus is on fun, skill development, technique and competing in their first galas, mainly through our home galas (held at Willowburn), or as part of our Junior League Team.
Flying Fish
Barracudas
Sailfish
Great White Sharks
There are four squads in this tier and swimmers progress formally through the squads Flying Fish, Barracudas, Great White Sharks and Sailfish. However, our program also allows swimmers to informally be moved between squads within the tier as swimmer capability and session plans enable those opportunities.
The tier age range is typically 8-11 years
As swimmers continue to develop their capabilities, technique and experience, they are invited to join the second tier (Upper Teaching). Here the focus remains on technique and skill development, and furthering their experience at a small selection of away galas, as well as those that the lower teaching squads attend. A level of fitness development and training language is also introduced as appropriate, readying swimmers for the final tier of the club.
Tiger Sharks
Piranhas
There are two squads in this tier - Tiger Sharks leading formally on to Piranhas. Although again coaches will seek opportunities to blend swimmers across squads where opportunities for experience, focused learning, or stretch training would benefit the swimmer.
This tier range is typically 8-12 years
Swimmers represent our club at galas both home and away, honing their gala skills and tactics, and searching for continued improvement in both outcomes, and more importantly race implementation across all swim race types and strokes.
Competition
Performance
In the Competition Squad, swimmers are training to train, again focusing on skills and technique, but also fitness development, the type of which is determined by the physical development of the swimmer.
Performance squad has a continued focus on skill, technique and fitness development, to enable gala success at county, regional and national level. Training continues to be multi stroke focused, but swimmers can specialise at galas, refining their approach, to positively impact their outcomes in targeted disciplines.
The age range here is typically 10-18yrs.
Enduro squad focuses less on gala success at county, regional and national level, but can represent the club at a broader number of swim based events. Targets are set at the season start (August) and can include open water events, team events, or specific gala disciplines.
Enduro
The club is also in the enviable position to be able to provide a squad for the development of para swimmers. This is an agile squad and the level it trains at is adjusted to the needs of the swimmers who form the make up of the club. Historically, this has been at both the new entrant level and at European level.
Blue Fins
The Core of the Club
Galas
The definitive difference between the learn to swim program and joining a competitive club is that in a club, the newly attained skills, technique, and fitness are then utilised in a competitive gala. Against the club, and within the rule framework of British Swimming, galas are held both at our Home in Willowburn and also away at our sister clubs in the region. Unlike football, galas are not held every week. The coaching team carefully targets specific galas for each tier to complement the training program and targets within that tier.
Coaches and Team Managers
Introducing the Team
Our experienced and dedicated volunteers
The coach’s role is to create the circumstances that enable the maximum potential for a swimmer to improve their performance in a pool. Coaches provide the structure in the form of a safe environment, a targeted training programme and gala schedule to navigate the season, delivering the best performance at the right gala.
A key role of a coach is to observe and give feedback to the swimmers, in order that they can learn and improve. This may be through 1:1 feedback, group alignment, or an adjustment to the training plan. Swimmer learning differs from person to person, so coaches need to be agile to the individual learning methods of each swimmer in the squad.
Coaches also need to be aware that many things influence performance in training and galas, so are also there to support swimmers through these factors.
Coaches
Katy Batley
Head Coach
Level 3 (Swim England)
katy.batley@alnwickdolphins.com
Paul Batley
Coach
Level 2 (Swim England)
paul.batley@alnwickdolphins.com
Amy Hately
Coach
Level 2 (Swim England)
amy.hately@alnwickdolphins.com
Mike Samuels
Coach
Level 2 (Swim England)
mike.samuels@alnwickdolphins.com
Helen McDonnell
Coach
Level 2 (Swim England)
helen.mcdonnell@alnwickdolphins.com
Ross Wilson
Coach
Level 2 (Swim England)
ross.wilson@alnwickdolphins.com
Joe Waugh
Strength & Conditioning Coach
joe.waugh@alnwickdolphins.com
Assistant Coaches
Helen Waugh
Assistant Coach
Level 1 (Swim England)
helen.waugh@alnwickdolphins.com
Andrew Duggan
Assistant Coach
Level 1 (Swim England)
andrew.duggan@alnwickdolphins.com
Audrey Stewart
Assistant Coach
Level 1 (Swim England)
audrey.stewart@alnwickdolphins.com
Lisa Brown
Assistant Coach
Level 1 (Swim England)
lisa.brown@alnwickdolphins.com
Nicola Duggan
Assistant Coach
Level 1 (Swim England)
nicola.duggan@alnwickdolphins.com
Poolside Assistants
Brett Ellis
Poolside Assistant
brett.ellis@alnwickdolphins.com
Jude Dennis
Poolside Assistant
jude.dennis@alnwickdolphins.com
Team Managers
Deborah Orr
Team Manager 1
deborah.orr@alnwickdolphins.com
Rebecca Wilson
Team Manager 1
rebecca.wilson@alnwickdolphins.com
Ruth Oldfield
Team Manager 2
ruth.oldfield@alnwickdolphins.com
Kane Orr
Team Manager 1
kane.orr@alnwickdolphins.com
Lesley-Ann Hall
Team Manager 1
lesley-ann.hall@alnwickdolphins.com
Mark Oldfield
Team Manager 1
mark.oldfield@alnwickdolphins.com
Iain Brown
Team Manager 1
iain.brown@alnwickdolphins.com
Andy Dennis
Team Manager 1
andy.dennis@alnwickdolphins.com
Clare Crossman
Team Manager 1
claire.crossman@alnwickdolphins.com
Want to get involved?
Are you a former teacher or just great with kids? Or maybe you have a swimmer at the club and want to feel useful? Regardless, see how you can help our swimmers realise their potential and help in the running of the club.
Get Involved
Willowburn Leisure Centre, Willowburn Avenue, Alnwick, Northumberland NE66 2JH
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For Mark Crossman