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Walsall Swimming & Water Polo Club
Annual General Meeting - 4^th December 2007
Annual Swimming Report
2007 was always going to be a difficult year from the point of view of maintaining the excellent performance of
the last few years whilst striving to achieve excellence. The first competition of the year to measure the clubs performance was the Staffordshire County Championships the results achieved were proof that the club
was continuing to maintain the high level of performance of the previous years. This level of performance was
also reflected in the SADCAT and BAGCAT awards in which there were 17 and 13 swimmers respectively gaining
top eight places.
A special mention should be given to:
Tamara O’Sullivan, Rebecca Allmark, Chelsea Craddock, Rianne Soleil, Claire Nixon, Katie Brown, Stephanie Gibbons, Claire Hill, Mitchell Page, Kieran Smith, Liam Soleil, Rory Seager, Jamie O’Sullivan, Luke Griffiths, Tom Steen, Huw Owens, Aiden Mason, Tom Burchell, and Matthew Cope.
This performance resulted in the club winning 2 of the four trophies on offer the F Lawrence Trophy for the
Men’s Championship, and the John Laing Trophy for the Boys Age Group’s. In the remaining two categories the
Lynn Matthews Trophy - Girls Age Group’s and the Gwen Riley - Ladies Championship the club
finished 2^nd and 5^th respectively.
The winning theme continued through into the County Relays where the Club finished 1^st in both the male and female categories and winning both the John Noden and Bob Pardoe trophies.
In the skins events top three places were achieved by:
Kieran Smith 2^nd in both the Male 11yrs Freestyle and Medley events.
Rebecca Allmark2^nd and 3^rd in the Female 11yrs Freestyle and Medley events respectively.
Tom Steen 1^st and 2^nd in the Male 12-14yrs Freestyle and Medley events respectively.
Tom Burchell2^nd in the Male 15yrs and over Freestyle event.
Matthew Cope2^nd in the Male 15yrs and over Medley event.

During the year a total of 20 swimmers have been chosen to represent Staffordshire at various levels they are:
Tamara O’Sullivan, Rebecca Allmark, Chelsea Craddock, Rianne Soleil, Louisa Taylor, Claire Nixon,
Stephanie Parker, Katie Brown.
Kieran Smith ,Lewis Craddock, Rory Seager, Luke Griffiths, Josh Gibson, Jamie O’Sullivan, Thomas Steen,
Huw Owens, Aiden Mason, Grant Cooper, Matthew Cope, Adam Taylor

Matthew Cope was also honoured by Staffordshire by being named as Boys Captain.
At Midland District Level this year once again we had swimmers competing at all three Championships the Age Groups, the Youth, and the Short Course with the number of swimmers qualifying once again increasing. This year we had 27 qualifiers these were:-
Age Groups:
Chelsea Craddock, Rianne Soleil, Louisa Taylor, Claire Nixon, Stephanie Parker
Kieran Smith, Rory Seager, Luke Griffiths, Jamie O’Sullivan, Huw Owens
Youth:
Katie Brown, Stephanie Gibbons.
Tom Steen, Matthew Cope. Tom Burchell
Short Course:
Chelsea Craddock, Rianne Soleil, Claire Nixon, Louisa Taylor, Katie Brown, Stephanie Gibbons
Huw Owens, Tom Steen, Grant Cooper, Aiden Mason, Matthew Cope, Tom Burchell
Youth Championships:
Katie Brown -Silver - Women’s 16/17yrs 800m Freestyle
Matthew Cope -Gold Men’s 15/16yrs 100m Breaststroke
Gold Men’s 15/16yrs 200m Breaststroke
Gold Men’s 15/16yrs 200m IM
Gold Men’s 15/16yrs 400m IM
Bronze Men’s 15/16yrs 100m Butterfly
Bronze Men’s 15/16yrs 200m Butterfly
Short course Championships:
Tom Steen - Bronze Junior Men’s 100m Backstroke
Silver Junior Men’s 200m Backstroke
Gold Junior Men’s 100m IM
Matthew Cope -Gold Senior Men’s 400m IM
Bronze Senior Men’s 200m IM
Silver Senior Men’s 100m IM

The club also competed in relays at the Age Group and Youth Championships:
Men’s 11/14 Years 400m Freestyle and Medley Team Events finishing 9^th and 10^th respectively.
Women’s 11/13 Years 400m Freestyle and Medley Team Events finishing 9^th and 8^th respectively.
Men’s Open 400m Freestyle and Medley Team Events finishing 8^th and 6^th respectively.

At the National Youth Championships at Ponds Forge in Sheffield the club was represented by Tom Steen,
and Matthew Cope both putting in creditable performances but Matthew in particular reaching three finals
out of four swims:
9^th in the final of Men’s 15/16 Yrs 100m Breaststroke
7^th in the final of Men’s 15/16 Yrs 200m IM
6^th in the final of Men’s 15/16 Yrs 400m IM
Matthew Cope, Tom Steen, and Katie Brown were all selected to represent Division 6 of ESSA (English Schools Swimming Association) at the recent Inter - Divisional Championships held in Manchester.
On the league front the club competed in 3 leagues instead of the normal four with the Mercian being postponed
for this year.

Results achieved in the other leagues were:
Junior League in which the club finished in 16^th place after three very difficult draws.
Staffs League in which we entered two teams.
The B team performed excellently beating a number of A teams along the way reached the consolation 2
final finishing in 3^rd place.
The A team once again reached the premier final but could not repeat last years result and finished a
creditable 2^nd to Newcastle.

West Midlands League in which we are again competing in division 1 with the regions elite clubs. Last year saw
the club finishing in 9^th position an excellent result for our first year back in the top flight. This year we were
aiming to do even better but after two very difficult draws in the first two rounds we are lying in 13^th place
going into the last gala.

Congratulations must be given to Rianne Soleil, Chelsea Craddock and Tom Steen whose performances have
seen them selected to attend Midlands Development camps. Congratulations also to Matthew Cope for his
selection to the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence programme and to Adam Taylor for his
progression to the second year of this programme.

Two of our swimmers Matthew Cope and Tom Steen where chosen to represent England’s Midland Region at
this years UK School Games in Coventry. This was Matthew’s second successive year representing England’s
Midland Region and this year he went one better than last year by achieving silver in both the Men’s Open
200m Breaststroke and IM events.

Tom Steen also represented Great Britain at this year’s World Catholic School’s games in Hungary where he achieved:
Gold in 4x100 medley relay
Silver in 4x200 freestyle relay
Silver in 100m Backstroke
Silver in100m Freestyle
Silver 200m Freestyle
Silver in 50m Freestyle
Overall the Great Britain team won Silver medal

This year for the first time the club honoured two swimmers for their contribution to the club over the years by naming them as Boys and Girls Club Captains they were Matthew Cope and Claire Hill. The club wishes to thank them for their efforts over the past year.

Congratulations to Matthew Cope and Katie Brown for being named as Boys and Girls Club Captains for 2008.

To summarise 2007 was a year in which we have seen an expected levelling out of performance but it was also
a year in which again we have seen much success, not only team success but an increasing level of individual
success and recognition for our swimmers. It has been a year in which we have had analyse our processes and
ask ourselves questions, what are we doing well, what are we doing badly, what don’t we do that we need to do?
All questions we needed to ask ourselves to move the club forward to the next level. An example of this is the
re-introduction of morning training which means the senior squad now has 15hrs of available pool time. This
process of analysis and reanalysis is one that never stops it is continual and a must for the continuous
improvement of the club but for it to succeed it needs the involvement of everyone at the club, the swimmers, coaches, helpers, parents and committee members - everyone!

Congratulations, and well done to everyone in the club and a big thank you for all your hard work and dedication.

Terry Brindley
Terry Brindley
Swimming Secretary