Skills Academy: Information

The Swim Wales Skills Academy is designed to increase both the quality and quantity of swimmers entering the Performance Pathway across the country. By providing a comprehensive development programme for swimmers, coaches, and parents, the academy creates opportunities to nurture talent and support progression during the transition from Development to Performance.

Clubs will be notified of upcoming Skills Academy activity within their Hub Area.
Details will be provided to clubs on criteria and how to book spaces.

Click below to find out which County Hub your Club is in:

Don’t see your club listed? Please contact [email protected]

Check back here for updates

Can we only send swimmers?

No – if a club has swimmers booked on, at least coach must also book on. Coaches’ slots are available on the website.

The age criteria is 11-14, when is this from?

Age of swimmers will be taken as of 31^st December 2025. If you have para-swimmers that fit the criteria, please get in touch to discuss.

Is this open to Wales National Squad swimmers?

No – a swimmer on the National Squad Pathway is not eligible for Skills Academy.

When will we get more details of the day?

A full itinerary will be sent to clubs and coaches once confirmation of booking is complete across the County Hub.

How many times will Skills Academy be running in or area?

For 2025 Skills Academy will be delivered once in each of the 6 locations. We will look to increase the frequency in the future.

I have more than 5 swimmers that are in the criteria I would like to attend, what do we do?

Spaces are limited to 5 swimmers per club, due to total capacity. If spaces become available by other clubs, clubs will be notified, and these will be re-released for booking.

Can Performance clubs attend?

Yes – Skills Academy is open to all swimming clubs across Wales!

How do we book a place?

All clubs across Wales will have recieved information and a booking link. Club coaches are asked to identify the swimmers they would like to attend using the Skills Academy criteria, and send the booking link to the swimmer. There will be a £20 fee per swimmer. Coaches will need to book a space also (free of charge). Parents will not need to book but are encouraged to attend alongside their child.

Have another question? Contact [email protected]

Resources from the Skills Academy Activity Days will be available here after each event.

The below resources are available to aid all coaches across Wales in the delivery of technical programming within their home club environments.

Within this Resource Hub, Coaches can find Stroke Specific Drill Progression Frameworks for all four strokes, and the Dive Start Drill Progression Framework that has launched in 2025 through Skills Academy.

Accompanying each framework are land-based movements that support each drill progression. These resources aim to provide coaches and swimmers to develop an awareness during land-based work that can translate to the pool environment, leading to greater progressions for swimmers, a consistency of standards across Wales and the development pathway, and an understanding of how skill specific development can impact performance.

Questions regarding this information and Skills Academy, please contact [email protected]