Beckenham Swimming Club Masters
Beckenham Swimming Club Masters is a friendly and sociable group catering for adult swimmers of 18 years of age and over. Some members train for Masters Competitions, other simply to keep fit and maintain a good standard of swimming. We train at the Beckenham Spa on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 9.00 pm to 10.00pm. Please see our guidance for swimmers considering joining below.
For further information about Beckenham Swimming Club Masters contact:
Masters Secretary
Email: [email protected]
About Masters Swimming
“The vibrant Masters movement actively promotes fitness, friendship, understanding and competition through its five disciplines; swimming; diving; water polo; synchronised swimming and open water swimming.”
A Masters swimmer is anyone over the age of 18-years- old who swims regularly and is a member of Swim England. At the age of 18, you can start to swim in Masters competitions but you will be classed as a senior swimmer until you reach the age of 25-years-old. Although FINA rules define a Master swimmer as 25 years and above, in England we choose not to exclude swimmers between the age of 18 and 25, allowing them to compete in the senior age group category
Masters compete within age groups of five years, with a swimmer's age group in a certain year determined by his/her age on the last day of that year. Age Groups: 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, and so on at 5-year increments, the last group being for any age above 100 years.
The rules and distances are nearly the same as for competitive swimming. However, meet programs include 2 mixed (2 men/2 women) relay events in addition to the all men's and all women's relay events. Mixed relays are swum exclusively in masters' competition. The age groups for the relay events is determined by the sum of the ages of each team component, allowing for swimmers of very different ages to compete together in the same team. Age groups for relays are 100-119, 120-159, 160-199, and so on at 40-year increments.
Masters swimming began in the USA in the 1970s when some ex-élite swimmers organised a competition for adult swimmers. Since then the sport has spread all over the world but, although there are World Championships at the top end, the sport remains one in which all who want to compete at any level can do so. The broad objectives of better health, better fitness, and the friendship between swimmers are paramount - with no compulsion to compete.
Swim England is keen to encourage swimming as a fitness-improving pastime and recreation as well as a sport. It is currently in the process of developing initiatives for fitness swimmers and has a national Masters Committee whose remit is to promote masters swimming and to encourage new masters-based activities.
There are currently some 5,000 Masters registered with Swim England, and about 400 clubs either dedicated to masters swimming or are masters sections of larger clubs.
For further information on Masters swimming and competitions see also:
• Swim England Masters Website
• Australian Masters Swimming
• European Masters News
• FINA Masters
• London Swimming Masters website
• Masters Blogs
• Masters Rankings
• Nutrition advice
• Scottish Masters Swimming
• South East Region website
• USA Masters Swimming
The ASA Masters Handbook 2015 explains the basics of Masters swimming in England and how you can get involved.
Do the Beckenham SC Masters swim competitively?
Yes they do but this is not compulsory - some swimmers just train with the Masters. Everyone has his or her reason for swimming-health, general fitness, camaraderie, just for fun. How far you go is up to you. A major survey of British Masters swimmers showed that the majority of them rarely competed.
If you want to race competitions are held regionally, nationally and internationally. This blog post offers good reasons to get involved in competitions, but there is no compulsion to compete.
If you do want to race competitively you’ll need to be an ASA member. Find out about ASA Membership here.
