Skills4Podium Frequently Asked Questions
Swimming Master Classes & 1:1 Private Coaching FAQs
What age groups and swimming abilities are the Master Classes designed for?
Our swimming master classes are tailored specifically for competitive club swimmers aged 9 to 16 years old. These clinics are designed for athletes currently tracking toward or competing at Club, County, Regional and National levels. They focus on stroke optimisation, biomechanics, starts, and turns rather than basic learn-to-swim instruction.
Each master class features a Technical Classroom Workshop to break down swimming biomechanics (e.g. streamlining, body alignment, and core engagement) followed by a Pool Session focused on key fundamental principles of effective and efficient stroke technique, starts and turns with appropriate drills and practices.
Do you offer coaching for adult swimmers, Master swimmers, triathletes or open water competitors?
Yes. While our holiday master classes target youth club swimmers, our 1:1 Private Coaching sessions are completely bespoke and open to Masters swimmers, Open Water swimmers and Triathletes. These private 1:1 clinics provide a detailed, technical look at your swimming technique and stroke efficiency to help you break through performance plateaus.
Where are your swim clinics held and what facilities do you use?
We run our scheduled sessions during weekends and school holidays at regional facilities. Our primary venues include Moreton Hall School in Oswestry, Shropshire, and Ellesmere College in Ellesmere, Shropshire. Both venues offer excellent pool environments ideal for high-performance swim clinics.
What is the coach-to-swimmer ratio during a Master Class?
To guarantee that every swimmer receives individual technical feedback and actionable advice. We maintain a strictly capped, low coach-to-swimmer ratio of 1:10. This ensures international coach Paul Remmonds can personally review and correct each athlete's body alignment and stroke mechanics.
Can parents stay and watch the session?
Parents are more than welcome to watch the pool sessions from the designated spectator area. Please note that classroom sessions are for coaches and swimmers only.
What equipment should my child bring to a Skills4Podium clinic?
Swimmers should bring their standard training gear including a comfortable swimsuit, goggles and a swim cap. We highly recommend bringing a water bottle for poolside hydration. Any specialised technical training kit requirements (such as fins, kickboards or pull buoys) will be explicitly detailed in your pre-clinic confirmation email.
What happens if a clinic or 1:1 session is full?
Our 1:1 private coaching and school holiday master classes fill up very quickly. If a date is marked FULL on our calendar, please contact us directly to be placed on our reserve waiting list.