Club nights
Every Friday at the Samford Pool from Friday 9 October 2026, with a break over the Christmas school holidays. Everybody loves the relaxed community atmosphere and the spirit of mateship among the kids.
How the night runs
- 5.30 pmWarm-up for all swimmers
- 5.50 pmMarshalling starts
- 6.00 pmRacing starts, Stingray Pups first
- 8.00 pmApproximate finish
Children are arranged into heats by their best times, regardless of age or gender. A distance event, when scheduled, runs first. The Pups program usually finishes by about 6.20 pm, then the senior program runs from 25m up to the longer distances. We aim to finish the senior session by 8.30 pm at the latest.
Stingray Pups, from 6.00 pm
Age guide: 8 and under. Pups race 12.5m in all four strokes, plus 25m freestyle and alternating 25m backstroke or breaststroke to further develop their stroke.
- Nominate in the Pups Meet section of Swim Club Connect
- Swim any of the 12.5m events and the 25m events each week
- No club points apply to the Pups session, including 25m events
- The focus is stroke development and confidence in a fun environment, with no disqualifications
- Every Pup receives a trophy at the end-of-season Presentation Night
Moving up to the senior session depends on progression criteria, including meeting the progression times and a technique review by our referee or coach. At Club Championships, a Pups session opens the day with 12.5m in all strokes and 25m freestyle, in male and female races of mixed age, for swimmers aged 8 and under.
Senior Stingrays, from about 6.15 pm
No age restrictions, but swimmers should meet the qualifying times for all strokes. Age categories run from 9 and under to 17 and over.
- 25m and 50m in all strokes each club night, with Individual Medley and 100m events on rotation
- One distance per stroke per night. You cannot swim both the 50m and 100m of the same stroke on the same night
- When offered, the 100m or 200m Individual Medley can be swum on top of the four standard strokes
- Club points of 1 to 7 per swim, based on how your time compares to your personal best
- Moving from 25m to 50m depends on the club's progression times
- Distance championship events (200m and 400m) need a 100m trial at a club night, this season or a previous one
Rule tolerances apply to swimmers aged 8 and under, who will not be disqualified unless they swim an entirely different stroke. Swimmers aged 9 and over may be disqualified for fundamental stroke errors or false starts, usually after a warning. No tolerances apply to swimmers 9 and over at Club Championships.
Nominations
To run club nights smoothly we need to know which strokes and distances each child will swim each week. Nominations are made in the Swim Club Connect app, any time until 4 pm on the day of the club night.
| Program | Distance | Start |
|---|---|---|
| Pups | 12.5m, half the pool, swim to the rope | In the water, from the pool edge beside the blocks, or from the blocks |
| Pups and Seniors | 25m, one length | Dive from the pool edge beside the blocks, or from the blocks |
| Seniors | 50m, two lengths | Dive from the blocks |
| Seniors | 100m, four lengths | Dive from the blocks |
New members
New members swim a 25m time trial before nominating for 50m or 100m events, unless they have transferred from another club with proof of times. Younger or less experienced swimmers may start at 12.5m. If you are transferring and want to start at 50m, email racesecretary@samfordswimclub.com.au with proof that you meet the Samford progression times.
The Swim Club Connect app
Swim Club Connect is built by swim coaches and meet directors to manage and time races. You use it to nominate, see results in near real-time, and timekeep from your phone.
- Download the app for iPhone or Android.
- Create your profile and join Samford Stingrays Swim Club. Ask our Race Secretary for the membership code.
- Create a profile for each swimmer.
- When the Race Secretary opens nominations for the next club night, nominate in the app any time until 4 pm that day.
The app has a 30-day free trial, then costs $10.49 a year, charged by the app developer, not the club. The committee asks members to see it as a contribution to the hours of admin our volunteer parents save each week.
How to timekeep with Swim Club Connect (PDF) · swimclubconnect.com
Progression times
To swim 50m in a stroke, a swimmer must swim the 25m within the time below on more than two occasions, not counting a time trial. Pups moving from 12.5m to 25m also have their stroke reviewed by the referee.
| Stroke | 12.5m to 25m (guide only) | 25m to 50m (mandatory) |
|---|---|---|
| Freestyle | 20 sec | 25 sec |
| Backstroke | 22 sec | 28 sec |
| Breaststroke | 26 sec | 30 sec |
| Butterfly | 24 sec | 27 sec |
Points championship
Swimmers earn points for every swim in the Senior Stingrays session by comparing their time with their previous personal best. It rewards regular attendance, consistency and improvement, and decides the age group points champions and the overall male and female Club Champions.
| Time compared with personal best | Points |
|---|---|
| More than 2.51s slower | 1 |
| 1.51 to 2.5s slower | 2 |
| 0.51 to 1.5s slower | 3 |
| Within 0.5s either way | 4 |
| 0.5 to 1.5s faster | 5 |
| 1.5 to 2.5s faster | 6 |
| More than 2.5s faster | 7 |
| Successful time trial | 4 |
| No swim (NS) or disqualification (DQ) | 0 |
No points are earned for Pups events, distance championship events, Club Championships or external carnivals. Full details are in the Club Handbook.
Club Championships
Held at the end of the season, Club Championships let swimmers show off everything they have worked on. Swimmers race others of the same age and gender, with medals for 1st, 2nd and 3rd.
- Pups compete in 12.5m events and a 25m freestyle
- Seniors compete in 25m and 50m championship events, earning points across all four strokes toward the age champion title
- Swimmers must be nominated and must have swum at least 20 events during the season
- Only full members can compete, not second swimmers or come-and-try swimmers
- Age champion eligibility needs all four strokes at 25m (9 and under) or 50m (10 and over). There is no option to swim up or down a distance
