Have you got a potential Otter in your family? Oswestry Otters Swimming Club, based out of the Oswestry School swimming pool, is looking for new members aged 7+, and encourages you to bring along your child for a free trial!

There is evidence of organised swimming and bathing in Oswestry as far back as the early 1900’s, and the Oswestry Otters club history dates back to their formation in 1976.

During the pandemic, as with all sports clubs, things came to a halt and clubs across the country have suffered the after-effects of that. But the Otters never give up and are here to help us understand why swimming is such an important life-skill for kids. Coaching children across all age-groups, they want to help your child achieve swimming success through professional teaching and coaching.

If you learnt to swim as a child at a local swimming pool, you will no doubt have fond memories of how fun it was. It builds confidence, it gives children a sense of independence to learn something new and it also keeps them fit and makes them stronger. It’s also a skill that could save your life!

During lockdown, Nicola Bainbridge took over as Head Coach of the Otters, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience. In addition to her coaching role, Nicola works for Swim England, the Institute of Swimming and other ‘home nations’ swimming organisations.

Nicola said, “I currently lead the delivery of Level 1 & 2 qualifications for teaching and coaching (pool), open water coaching, swim coordinators and various CPD short courses across a range of aquatic disciplines in both domestic and international settings.”

Nicola is a Swim England Licensed tutor, Level 3 Senior Coach, Level 2 Open Water Coach and Level 2 Swim Teacher. With someone like this behind the club, you can’t argue that the quality of training available to the club swimmers and coaching staff is second to none.

During September this year, the club also announced the arrival of Erin Bainbridge on a temporary basis. Erin is a qualified Level 1 & 2 Swimming Teacher, Level 1 & 2 Swimming Coach, Level 2 Baby & Toddler and Level 2 Open Water Coach, and brings significant experience to the club. She joins the existing coaching team and with specific responsibility for the development of swimmers within the skills development group and the transition of swimmers to the skills progression groups that follow.

Your child is never too young to start their swimming journey; working through the different swimming stages and receiving their badges and certificates will give them an enormous sense of achievement. Stage 7 onwards is the ideal time to consider introducing them to a swimming club environment, to start improving their skill set further. With highly qualified and experienced teachers and coaches, Otters is the ideal club to ensure development.

If your child already loves swimming and has the basic skills, they may want to think about taking it to a competitive level. Oswestry Otters offer this opportunity too, with club swimmers racing regularly in competitions suitable for all ages and ability. For children who just like to swim and want to improve in a recreational way, the club would love to help with that too. It’s all about making children happy, healthy, and safe around water!

Oswestry Otters are currently offering potential new members up to 3 free trail sessions, enabling children and parents the opportunity to see what the club has to offer – experience some high-quality coaching before deciding whether to join. For more information, contact the club via their website https://oswestryotters.club or Facebook page.

As a registered charity, you can also donate to the club to support their sporting endeavours via a link on their website.