More than 70 of the nation’s brightest young swimming talents have been introduced to a pioneering Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) programme designed to provide athletes with the necessary skills to become champions while continuing their education.

AASE athletes Rachael Lefley, Petra Chomiz, Rachel George and Jemma Lowe

The Amateur Swimming Association - one of the first sports governing bodies to sign up for the scheme - will welcome 170 aquatic athletes, across all disciplines, onto Government-funded AASE schemes throughout the next couple of months. The AASE Programme will be overseen by Michelle Kiff the National Education Officer.

And a group of 73 swimmers were the first to be inducted onto the inaugural course today in Sheffield where they were given an overview of the eight units that make up the NVQ Level 3 qualification.

As part of the programme, athletes will learn about such key subjects as time management, career planning, nutrition and training, and communications. This valuable experience will go towards preparing them for international competition.

Swimmers gathered for the induction following the conclusion of an impressive ASA National County Team Championships in Sheffield where many of them proved their obvious talent in the competition pool.

The new AASE programme will work towards enhancing that talent by offering a valuable insight, at an early age, as to what is required to succeed on the international stage.

Developed by SkillsActive, in association with industry experts and sports governing bodies, AASE is funded in England by the Learning and Skills Council and aims to meet the needs of young people to achieve excellence in their sport as their main career goal while continuing with their education.

The AASE scheme forms a major part of the new England Talent and Development Programme, launched by the ASA earlier this year, and will be overseen by Talent and Development Manager Nick Sellwood together with a team of regional coaches.

Sellwood and Kiff, who introduced the athletes to AASE earlier today, are looking forward to developing the talent that has been identified and selected.

“I was very pleased and impressed with the efforts of swimmers and staff,” said Sellwood. “The athletes conducted themselves in an extremely professional manner and showed they already possess many of the characteristics to perform at international level.

“The next stage for the swimmers will involve England’s Regional Talent and Development Coaches who will work with the athlete’s home programme and coach to help with their development.

“They will come together again at a Spring camp next year where they will be assessed again to monitor their progress.”

Sellwood and his team are already in the process of defining the stringent criteria the next generation of AASE athletes will be expected to meet.

“Early next year the England Talent and Development Programme will begin the process once again to determine a list of inductees for 2007 and competition for places will be very fierce,” explained Sellwood.

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Faye	Barnard	Hatfield SC
Petra	Chomicz	Kings Lynn Warriors
Rachael	George	Hatfield SC
Jonathan	Quinn	Hatfield SC
Mark	Stevens	Deben SC
Katie	Ambridge	Hatfield SC
Koyji	Urata	Hatfield SC
Benjamin	Sleet	Chelmsford SC/Borough of Waltham Forest
Andrew	Curtin	Hatfield SC
Rebecca	Adlington	Nova Centurion SC
Rebecca	Harrison	City of Derby SC
Rachel	Lefley	Nova Centurion SC
Claire	Sands	Hinckley SC / City of Leicester
Kirsty	Forbes	Killerwhales SC
Chloe	Ross	Beckenham SC
Edward	Walsh	Camden Swiss Cottage SC
Jessica	Dickons	BOSSS
Michael	Goggs	Co.Bradford SC
Lydon	Harriman	BOSSS
Amy	Jessett	Co.Newcastle
Nadine	Karolewski	Alnwick Dolphins
Jemma	Lowe	BOSSS
Peter	Thompson	Middlesbrough
Joseph	Potts	Richmond Dales
Robert	Bale	Carnforth & Dist Otters
Paul	Ellard	Stockport Metro SC
Bethany	Kington	Bolton Metro SC / Preston SC
Luke	Marriner	Pioneer 79 Swimming Club / Gallica
James	Radcliffe	Gallica / Preston SC
Daniel	Sliwinski	Preston SC / Manchester Aquatics
Tara	Walsh	Stockport Metro SC
Andrew	Corley	Wirral Metro
Jeremy	Osborne	Beau Sejour Barracuda SC
Christopher	Ashton	Leatherhead SC
Joshua	Clinch	Basingstoke Bluefins Swimming Club
Garry	Dixon	Reading SC
Anna	Jemielity	Wycombe District SC
Rosy	Murray	Portsmouth Northsea SC
Sarah	Owen	Portsmouth Northsea SC
Juliette	Rampley	Maxwell SC
Holly	Tanner	Reading SC
Howard	Birtwell	Guildford City
Christopher	Rowley	Bracknell SC
Frankie	Murphy	Portsmouth Northsea SC
Charlotte	Slater	Southampton Swimming Club
Gareth	Keating	Kelly College
Jennifer	Oldham	Kelly College
Matthew	Henry	Kelly College
Adam	Taylor	Kelly College
Steven	Beckerleg	Plymouth Leander SC
Victoria	Rayson	Taunton Deane SC
Erin	Jeffery	University of Bath / Keynsham SC
Stacey	Tadd	University of Bath
Robert	Holderness	Millfield School
Shane	Traill	Millfield School
James	Houston	Millfield School
Charlotte	Graham	City of Birmingham SC
Rikki	Morris	City of Coventry
Mark	Strachan	City of Coventry
Richard	Tullett	City of Birmingham SC
Natasha	Turner	Shrewsbury SC
Kate	Weaver	Haden Hill
Emma	White	Stratford Sharks ASC
Matthew	Wolstenholme	City of Coventry
Katie	Raybould	City of Birmingham SC
Kate	Hutchinson	Co. Leeds SC
Rachel	Jack	Co. Leeds SC
Paul	Morren	Co. Leeds SC
Max	Partridge	Co. Sheffield  SC
Philip	Short	Co. Leeds SC
Joseph	Sowden	Co. Leeds SC
Amy	Spencer	Co. Sheffield SC
Jenny	Starling	Co. Sheffield SC

For further details contact Dave Richards, British Swimming Media Manager, on 01509 632237, 0778 992 6136 or email dave.richards@swimming.org

British Swimming is the National Governing Body for Swimming, Diving, Synchronised Swimming, Water Polo and Open Water in Great Britain.  It is responsible internationally for the high performance representation of the sport. The members of British Swimming are the three Home Countries national governing bodies of England (Amateur Swimming Association), Scotland (Scottish Amateur Swimming Association) and Wales. (Welsh Amateur Swimming Association)  British Swimming seeks to enable its athletes to achieve gold medal success at the Olympics, Paralympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games.

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