Bo’ness ASC is a competitive swimming club and all swimmers are encouraged to take part in competitions.

Once committed to a competition, swimmers should only be withdrawn in exceptional circumstances, and the Competition Secretary and Head Coach advised immediately.

The procedure for entries is as follows:

Forth Valley Junior League (FVJL)
The FVJL galas provide an early introduction to competitive swimming, and the entry procedures are different to those for all other competitions. See Policy 15 – FVJL for more information. There are no entry fees for FVJL galas.

Other Competitions
As swimmers progress through the Club’s squad structure, they will participate in higher level competitions than FVJL. The Head Coach selects competitions appropriate for each squad and posts a Competition Calendar on the Club’s website. All eligible swimmers are automatically entered unless the Competition Secretary hears otherwise from a swimmer’s parents.

Normally 4 to 6 weeks before each competition the Head Coach selects swimmers who will be entered for that meet. An ‘entry report’ showing the selected swimmers and their events, together with details of the meet, are posted on the Competitions section of the Club’s website, and an email sent to parents requesting withdrawals by a particular date. If a swimmer is unable to take part then it is important to notify the Competition Secretary before this withdrawal deadline. After this deadline all swimmers who have not been withdrawn are entered for the competition and, because the Club is required to pay in full at the time of entry, parents become liable for payment of entry fees.

Usually 2 to 3 weeks before each competition a ‘draft programme’ is received from the meet organisers, and posted on the Competitions section of the Club’s website. This will show confirmed, reserve (alternative or ‘alt’) and unsuccessful (scratched or ‘scr’) swims. If the meet is oversubscribed, swimmers may not get to compete in all the events they were entered for. The Competition Secretary will advise parents of confirmed swims and request payment at this stage. Parents will also be notified of any reserve swims which are confirmed before the meet, and be reminded of payment for these.

Competition Entry Fees

Competition fees for each swim are initially paid by the Club when the entry is submitted. The organisers will refund fees where the meet is oversubscribed and children do not get all their swims, but for no other reason. It is therefore important not to miss the withdrawal deadline as parents become liable for payment of fees after this date.
Policy Statement issued by the Management Committee on behalf of

All entry fees for confirmed swims must be paid before the meet, and payment for any reserve swims received on the day of the competition must be received within one week.

Competitions are an important part of a swimmer’s development, but the Club does recognise the potentially significant cost involved. Therefore, it currently pays the full cost of relays and subsidises competition entry fees for individual events as follows:

• Up to and including £6.00 per swim: £1.00 subsidy
• Over £6.00 per swim: £2.00 subsidy

N.B. FIRST Competition Fees are only subsidised for swimmers who were members of BASC for 2 years or more prior to moving to FIRST.

Only events a swimmer competes in will be subsidised. If a swimmer is withdrawn after the deadline, or does not take part in a scheduled swim for whatever reason, then the full unsubsidised cost of entry fees must be met by the parent.

How to Pay
The preferred method of payment is by bank transfer to the Bo’ness ASC Competition Account. The payment should be referenced with the swimmer’s name, and the Competition Secretary advised when done. Alternatively, payment can be made by cheque. The Competition Secretary will provide payment information, along with entry fee details, once swims are confirmed.

The following rules apply in relation to payment of entry fees:

• Parents become liable for payment if a swimmer is not withdrawn by the withdrawal deadline.
• Subsidised amount due for confirmed swims must be paid before the competition.
• Subsidised amount due for any successful 'alternative' swims must be paid within one week of the competition.
• Withdrawals after the withdrawal deadline, or 'no shows', will result in parents being liable for the full cost of confirmed swims, which must be paid by the day of the competition.
• Swimmers will not be eligible for entry into future competitions when fees are outstanding from previous meets.
• The Executive Committee may take such further action as it deems appropriate where fees remain unpaid for one calendar month.
• The Executive Committee may disapply, or apply in modified form, any of the above rules should it consider appropriate to do so in particular circumstances.