Hemel Hempstead Swimming Club
{| class="infobox" style="width: 30em; text-align: left; font-size: 95%; padding:1em;"
|+ style="font-size: large;" | '''Hemel Hempstead Swimming Club'''
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| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |[[Image:HHSC Logo.gif]]
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{{!}}style="background: #2b72a9;" colspan="2" align=center{{!}}'''Club Information'''
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! Location
| [[Hemel Hempstead]], [[Hertfordshire]], [[England]]
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! Established
| 1913
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! Home Pools
| Sportspace, [[Hemel Hempstead]]
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!
| Sportspace, [[Berkhamsted]]
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! Team Colours
| [[Blue]], [[White]]
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{{!}}style="background: #2b72a9;" colspan="2" align=center{{!}}'''Swimming Information'''
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! Chairperson
| Joan Keevill
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! Head Coach
| Alan Doyle
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! Website
| [http://www.hhsc.org.uk]
|}
'''Hemel Hempstead Swimming Club''' is a [[Swimming (sport)|swimming]] club based in [[Hemel Hempstead]], [[Hertfordshire]], [[United Kingdom]] and was established in 1913. Hemel Hempstead Swimming Club (HHSC) ranks as one of Hertfordshire’s premier clubs. The Club has in excess of 220 members from age 5 to Masters Level and their swimmers compete regularly in a wide range of competitions from novice to national standard.
== Overview ==
Swimming is a superb way to build your [[Physical fitness|fitness]]<ref>http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/fitness-basics-swimming-is-for-everyone</ref> and stamina and will enhance any other sports you do, plus lead to a healthy life style; and lots of fun is to be had in competitive swimming. HHSC aims to help all swimmers fulfil their competitive potential and to retain their status as the best swimming club in the area.
HHSC regularly has swimmers representing the club at the [[Amateur Swimming Association]] <ref>[[Amateur Swimming Association]]</ref> National Age Group Championships in [[Sheffield]], the Eastern Regional Swimming Championships in [[Norwich]] and in the [[Hertfordshire]] County Age Group Championships, their aim is to increase the number of swimmers competing at County, Regional and National level. They can do this by offering swimmers up to 9.5 hours of pool training time per week.
== About The Club==
[[Image:Hemel main pool.jpg|left|thumb|Hemel Hempstead Sportspace 25m Swimming Pool]]
Hemel Hempstead Swimming Club (HHSC) can trace its history to 1840, when the village community used clay ‘puddling pits’ carved from the local canal. The Club was formally established in 1913 as a non-profit community-based entity providing training and skill development for all levels of swimmers, with a special emphasis on the youth from the [[Hemel Hempstead]] metropolitan area (population 89,000).<ref>http://www.hertsdirect.org/yrccouncil/hcc/env/factsfigs/population/census2001/cenresults/</ref> The Club’s base is in [[Hemel Hempstead]], one of the principal towns in Hertfordshire, with diverse demographics which mirror the National ratings.
Since its inception, the Club has evolved into an accredited, competitive and winning community-based Club. The Club is a member of the UK’s Amateur Swimming Association (ASA), is currently seeking reaccreditation within the ASA’s Swim 21 <ref>http://www.swimming.org/parents/what-is-swim21-accreditation</ref> scheme at ‘Skill Development’ level and has the distinction of being the first Club in Hertfordshire to win this accreditation.
The Club is highly visible and successful in County and Regional swimming activities. Its inclusive nature results in an impressive ‘strength-in-depth’ of swimmers enabling it to field multiple teams in multi-Division competitions - teams which compete successfully at all levels of these competitions.
The Club is operated by a team of parent volunteer-professionals in a caring and responsible manner. The team is headed by Joan Keevill, as Chair, with a strong team of Committee Officers behind her. Alan Doyle was appointed Head Coach in September 2010.
[[Image:HHSC scoreboard.jpg|Right|thumb|Hemel Hempstead Swimming Club Scoreboard]]The Club draws on the enthusiasm and commitment of many parents and guardians of its membership to provide a wide range of voluntary support including coaches, coaching support, event officials, stewards etc. Parents and guardians also provide the invaluable motivational and practical support throughout training as well as in competition. In October 2010 the swimming club purchased its own six lane digital [[Scoreboard]] from funds raised within the club.
== Locations ==
Hemel Hempstead Swimming Club is based at the Sportspace Sports Centre in Park Road, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP1 1JS. Facilities at Hemel Hempstead include a 25m indoor pool, a 17m flexi pool and a 10m diving pit. The club notice board and trophy cabinet are in the main reception area of Sportspace and the Club Shop is also run from there. On Wednesdays they swim at Berkhamsted Sports Centre, Douglas Gardens, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire HP4 3PA.
== Competitions ==
HHSC swimmers have the opportunity to take part in a number of competitive swimming events both as individuals and as part of a team at local, county and regional level. Elite swimmers may also achieve national times and be eligible for those events
During the year a range of Open Galas will be promoted by the club.
The principle events are as follows:
=== Club Competitions ===
* '''Club Championships''' are typically held in January (middle distance) and June/July (sprint).
*'''HHSC Birthday Open''': this is an open meet held in October/November annually. All club swimmers who are eligible are expected to compete.
*'''Shark's Gala''' is a fun event for all members of the club from Aquabears to Masters. The timing of this event may vary year on year but is usually in December.
*'''Peanuts Trials''' - Prior to the start of the Peanuts League each year the club holds a trials gala to help with team selection, all swimmers in the qualifying age groups are expected to compete.
=== Hertfordshire County Swimming ===
HHSC swimmers compete at the annual Hertfordshire Youth (15-17yrs) and BAGCATs or British Age Group (9-14yrs) County Championships which are held in March each year. The Masters competition is held towards the end of June. Younger swimmers trying to qualify for their first County Championships also have the opportunity to compete in the Development Meet in November
=== Eastern Region Swimming ===
HHSC is affiliated to the East Region which includes Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk. Regional events include:
* '''The East Region ASA Championships''' which are held in June each year.
* '''The Chiltern League''': this is a junior club-based competition attracting teams from Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire and Bucks. This event has three Rounds each year for each of its two Divisions. HHSC enters one team.
=== National Swimming ===
Swimmers who achieve their National Qualification Times can swim in the National Championships for their age group, these usually take place in July/August.
The Masters team (swimmers over the age of 25) compete for the club each summer in the Herts, British, European and World Championships.
=== Herts Swimming League ===
Hertfordshire Swimming League operates the following county competitions:
*'''Herts Major League'''<ref>http://www.hsleague.org.uk/</ref>– the county’s premier competition, organised into three Divisions with 10 to 12 teams in each Division, and three Rounds each year. HHSC enters two teams each year.
*'''Peanuts League''' – aimed at younger swimmers, again organised into three Divisions with 10 to 12 teams in each Division, three Rounds each year. HHSC enters three teams each year, currently the only club in the County to do so.
=== National Swimming League ===
The National [[Arena (swimwear)|Arena]] Swimming League <ref>http://www.nationalswimmingleague.org.uk/</ref> (formerly known as The [[Speedo]] League) is a National League competition broken down into seven Regions and HHSC competes in the London Area and is currently in Division 1. The London Area is organised into two Divisions with over 40 Clubs spanning from Tring to Hove, Windsor to Norwich.
== Notable Swimmers ==
[[Richard Charlesworth (swimmer)|Richard Charlesworth]] swam for [[Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics]] in the 1500m freestyle swimming event.
== References ==
<!--- See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes on how to create references using <ref></ref> tags which will then appear here automatically -->
{{Reflist}}
== External links ==
* http://www.hhsc.org.uk/
* http://www.hertsasa.org.uk/
* http://www.eastswimming.org/
* http://www.swimming.org/
* http://www.hsleague.org.uk/
* http://www.nationalswimmingleague.org.uk/
<!--- Categories --->
[[Category:Swim teams]]
[[Category:Swimming in England]]
[[Category:Hertfordshire]]
[[Category:Watersports in London]]