How to enter Galas
We communicate all galas by email which always provides a link to Team Unify, which is our swimming management system.
Click here for Team Unify registration instructions.
On each Team Unify event page there is information about the gala and tabs for you to 'declare' the swimmer's intention to attend and then a 'commitment' tab to enter each event. It is likely that you will only be able to enter for events which your swimmer has relevant times for.
Team Unify has a lot of useful information on its Help section.
Check if NT (No Time) Entries are allowed. If they are not allowed, the swimmer must have a licensed time. Occasionally galas will allow you to enter with No Time or NT’s. Host clubs will do checks against the Swim England database and will scratch you if you enter without a licensed time. This is the reason it is so important to swim in as many races as possible at the Club Championships to get licensed times so that your child is eligble to swim in competitive, licensed galas.
In some circumstances you may need to work out if your child’s time is eligible. Usually this is straight forward and involves comparing your child’s time to the time range given in the promoter's conditions using the Swim England best time site. If there is a lower qualifying time – the swimmer must have a time faster than this qualifying time. If there is an upper qualifying time – the swimmer cannot have a time faster than this qualifying time.
You will also need to note the age stipulations (we usually mention this in the information provided). Most Level 3 galas specify that the child’s age is “Age on the Day” e.g. if it is age on 20th March and you turn 11 on 19th March, your age for the gala is 11. For all galas county and above, your swimming age is your age at the end of December. So if you go to Counties and you are 11 in December 2016 you are counted as an 11 year old even if Counties is in February 2016. Again, it is likely that Team Unify will only allow you to enter events for which your swimmer is the correct age.
The other complication may be if the gala is Long course (50m) and requests the times in LC but your times are SC (which are usually faster than the same distance LC due to the turns). There is a website called Pullbuoy which allows you to do this http://www.pullbuoy.co.uk/times. You can also use the OnDeck app, under the Cool tools section, you find a Time Converter.
If in any doubt whether your child is eligible to swim please contact [email protected] or your swimmer's coach.
You need to read everything very carefully and once you decide you want to enter your swimmer, you need to complete your details. We will take payment from the credit or debit card you have setup in Team Unify.
It is essential that you stick to the club deadline or we will not be able to enter you. Many of these galas fill up very quickly and we have to submit our entries in time to ensure we can compete at the gala.
Before entering, please check that you have an up-to-date credit/debit card registered under the payment section of Team Unify. Once your entries have been accepted, the treasurer will arrange payment of the fees.
Once an entry has been submitted, the competitions secretary processes the entries with the coaches and submits them to the host club. You can check your account at any time to see the status of your swimmer's entries.
Once a deadline has closed and entries are submitted to the gala organiser, the host club will advise the competition secretary of accepted / rejected entries as soon as possible. Confirmed entries will be notified via Team Unify. If a competitor has been ‘scratched’, the club will refund the gala entry fees. However, if you withdraw after the closing date, you will not be entitled to a refund, unless it's for medical reasons.
All information about the gala will be posted on the event page in Team Unify, to advise of warm up/session times and other important information.
It is, however, important to take responsibility for checking the website and the Gala Host’s website for that particular gala to avoid missing any last minute information.
Click here for Team Unify registration instructions.
On each Team Unify event page there is information about the gala and tabs for you to 'declare' the swimmer's intention to attend and then a 'commitment' tab to enter each event. It is likely that you will only be able to enter for events which your swimmer has relevant times for.
Team Unify has a lot of useful information on its Help section.
Check if NT (No Time) Entries are allowed. If they are not allowed, the swimmer must have a licensed time. Occasionally galas will allow you to enter with No Time or NT’s. Host clubs will do checks against the Swim England database and will scratch you if you enter without a licensed time. This is the reason it is so important to swim in as many races as possible at the Club Championships to get licensed times so that your child is eligble to swim in competitive, licensed galas.
In some circumstances you may need to work out if your child’s time is eligible. Usually this is straight forward and involves comparing your child’s time to the time range given in the promoter's conditions using the Swim England best time site. If there is a lower qualifying time – the swimmer must have a time faster than this qualifying time. If there is an upper qualifying time – the swimmer cannot have a time faster than this qualifying time.
You will also need to note the age stipulations (we usually mention this in the information provided). Most Level 3 galas specify that the child’s age is “Age on the Day” e.g. if it is age on 20th March and you turn 11 on 19th March, your age for the gala is 11. For all galas county and above, your swimming age is your age at the end of December. So if you go to Counties and you are 11 in December 2016 you are counted as an 11 year old even if Counties is in February 2016. Again, it is likely that Team Unify will only allow you to enter events for which your swimmer is the correct age.
The other complication may be if the gala is Long course (50m) and requests the times in LC but your times are SC (which are usually faster than the same distance LC due to the turns). There is a website called Pullbuoy which allows you to do this http://www.pullbuoy.co.uk/times. You can also use the OnDeck app, under the Cool tools section, you find a Time Converter.
If in any doubt whether your child is eligible to swim please contact [email protected] or your swimmer's coach.
You need to read everything very carefully and once you decide you want to enter your swimmer, you need to complete your details. We will take payment from the credit or debit card you have setup in Team Unify.
It is essential that you stick to the club deadline or we will not be able to enter you. Many of these galas fill up very quickly and we have to submit our entries in time to ensure we can compete at the gala.
Before entering, please check that you have an up-to-date credit/debit card registered under the payment section of Team Unify. Once your entries have been accepted, the treasurer will arrange payment of the fees.
Once an entry has been submitted, the competitions secretary processes the entries with the coaches and submits them to the host club. You can check your account at any time to see the status of your swimmer's entries.
Once a deadline has closed and entries are submitted to the gala organiser, the host club will advise the competition secretary of accepted / rejected entries as soon as possible. Confirmed entries will be notified via Team Unify. If a competitor has been ‘scratched’, the club will refund the gala entry fees. However, if you withdraw after the closing date, you will not be entitled to a refund, unless it's for medical reasons.
All information about the gala will be posted on the event page in Team Unify, to advise of warm up/session times and other important information.
It is, however, important to take responsibility for checking the website and the Gala Host’s website for that particular gala to avoid missing any last minute information.
