British Swimming Coaches Association

The British Swimming Coaches Association (BSCA) is the national association for swimming coaches in the United Kingdom.

History
The organisation was formed in September 1965, at the ASA championship in Blackpool. It held its first annual conference at Bedford College, London, in January 1966. Talks were given by Deryk Snelling and Bill Juba.

The association was for elite swimming, as it often discussed how to win medals at a national level.

Many swimming coaches in the UK have qualified through the ASA (Amateur Swimming Association, now Swim England), via the Coach Education Certification Course. Other parts of the UK are represented by Scottish Swimming, Swim Wales and Swim Ireland. The BSCA was incorporated as a company in January 2010.

Awards
From 1 May 1968 had sprint awards, with levels of Gold, Silver and Bronze, to encourage speed swimming, with set times over sixty six and two-thirds yards, for four disciplines.

The ASA had their parallel proficiency awards.

Function
It represents swimming coaches in the UK. It holds an annual 2-day BSCA Conference each year in late September. It holds the annual BSCA Awards. It works with British Swimming (former Great Britain Swimming Federation), who govern the sport in Great Britain.

Annual conferences

 * January 1966, London; it discussed the American hard-nosed results-led technique, and realised that unless the British took some leaves out of the American book, the Americans would win everything
 * September 1966, Blackpool; the organisation now had 110, the ASA had decided to limit the national championships to British entrants only, from 1967; previously swimmers from Canada would compete in the ASA championships; whether to train at altitude for the 1968 Mexico Olympics, or not
 * 1968, Bedford College, London; a heart consultant gave advice, and altitude training for the 1968 Summer Olympics; Mexico City was at 2,200 metres altitude
 * 1974, University of Nottingham, with sessions at Bramcote swimming pool
 * 5-6 January 1980, De Vere Hotel, Coventry; guest speaker was Frank Kiefe of the American Swimming Coaches Association
 * 1986, Blackpool
 * 1987, Leicester
 * 1988, Holiday Inn and Adrian Boult Hall, Birmingham
 * 1993, Cardiff
 * 1996, Haydock

Coach of the Year
From 1979, each year at the conference, it awarded the Coach of the Year
 * 1979 Terry Dennison
 * 1980 Keith Bewley
 * 1981 Terry Dennison
 * 1982 Terry Dennison
 * 1986 Mike Higgs, of Southend
 * 1988 Terry Dennison
 * 1989 Terry Dennison
 * 1992 Barry Prime, of City of Birmingham
 * 1993 Barry Prime
 * 1996 Dave Calleja

British Male Swimmer of the Year

 * 1986 Andy Jameson, aged 20
 * 1992 Nick Gillingham, aged 24
 * 1993 Nick Gillingham
 * 1996 Paul Palmer (swimmer), of Lincoln Pentaqua

British Female Swimmer of the Year

 * 1985 Sarah Hardcastle
 * 1986 Sarah Hardcastle
 * 1988 Suki Brownsdon, aged 22
 * 1989 Margaret Hohmann, aged 32
 * 1991 Joanne Deakins, aged 18, in the sixth form of Evesham High School
 * 1992 Joanne Deakins
 * 1999 Sue Rolph

Publications

 * Swimming Coach

Structure
The organisation is headquartered in Worcestershire. It is represented on the International Council for Coaching Excellence and the World Swimming Coaches Association.

Presidents

 * 1971 Harry Braund, of Birmingham
 * 1972 Harry Braund
 * 1977 Alan Hime
 * 1985 Laurie Dormer