JOIN US
Join the Black Lion Pride
To find out more about the Club, our squads and to arrange a swimming trial, please complete the enquiry form by clicking on the link to the relevant squad below.
We will arrange for you to come along to the Club for an informal chat and swimming trial, you will be given a specific time and location to attend which is usually at the same time as one of our training sessions.
The swimming trial is an opportunity for us to assess how good your swimming skills and abilities are across the four strokes (Front Crawl, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Butterfly) as well as starts and turns. This helps us to identify which of our squads is best suited to your abilities, needs and swimming goals, to ensure we are supporting your continued development and help you reach your full potential. In our competitive squads we are particularly looking for swimmers with an aptitude for competitive swimming, places in these squads are limited, but we endeavour to invite new eligible members to join as soon as possible.
It is customary for the Club to assess all new swimmers asking to join either the swimming academy or one of our competitive squads, regardless of how experienced or confident a swimmer is. By taking a personal approach to our assessments, talking to you and your family and seeing you swim, our Coach can match your abilities and needs to the most appropriate squad for you. This is also a great opportunity for you and your family to ask any questions about us as a club, our training programmes and coaching methods.
+ What happens after my trial?
After the swimming trial, you will be informed by the Coach whether we believe joining our Club is right for your needs and swimming goals, if it is, you will be told which squad we believe is most appropriate for your current swimming abilities and will best support your continued development. If you would like to join the Club, we will provide you with Membership pack which includes; all the information you to help you sign up, an outline of the different costs including, Membership, Club and Coaching fees, as well as a recommended kit list and other useful information.
You will be required to fill in a short application form with your personal details, and how to contact you. This is usually completed for both the swimmer(s) and their parent/guardian. The details you provide on this form are retained by the Club’s Membership Secretary and treated in accordance with Data Protection legislation.
If you are already a member of another Club, please let the coaching staff there know that you are in discussions with us, this can help make the transition between clubs a lot smoother and easier for everyone involved.
+ Joining Policy
At our core The Black Lion Swimming Club is known for its competitive ethos, supporting swimmers at all levels including national. We aim to offer club swimming for a range of abilities and ages, providing appropriate environments for our swimmers from those learning to swim in our Academy to our competitive squads supporting swimmers up to national level and into Masters.
There are times when we have a higher demand for places than the Club is able to accommodate. If you have been assessed during a swim trial as eligible for joining the club we do hold a waiting list and will invite swimmers to join the appropriate squad as soon as a place is available.
The Club is not obliged to extend membership to any potential swimmer and we conform to the ASA policy in this respect. If, at a swim trial the Coaches/Teachers have assessed a swimmer and they do not meet the minimum criteria required at that time, then BLSC is not obliged to offer a place. For any swimmer that is not deemed eligible to join the club at this time, the coaches.teachers will endeavour to provide feedback, and may be able to suggest alternative pathways or organisations.