Join Hackney Anaconda
Hackney Anaconda is a fun, inclusive and competitive swimming community across Hackney, Islington and the City (Inner North East London), giving swimmers of all ages and abilities the opportunity to learn to swim, fitness training through to International-level competition - choose your pathway and book a trial here.
Joining the club is easy - and the first step is to book a trial with us. Our squads are grouped by class, which are based on the swimmers age and development level.
Youth Competitive & Fitness Squad Trials
Squad Overview
Academy
(7-9)
Academy Black & Academy Red | 7–9yrs. Competitive pathway introducing swimmers to early competitions and time trials. Develop technique and skills Develops starts, turns, kicking and underwater skills. Introduction to aerobic and speed work. Minimum 2 sessions per week. Progression to County requires meeting the squad criteria.
Club Swim
(10+)
Club Swim is part of the Swim for Life pathway and is designed for swimmers who want to enjoy swimming while developing their technique, fitness and wellbeing. 10-17yrs. There is no minimum attendance requirement and no expectation to compete. Requirement - hold 50m any stroke with accurate technique.
County
(8-12)
County Black & County Red | 8–12yrs. Competitive pathway and the first stage where a performance expectation is required for progression towards County Plus. Increased training volume and frequency. Regular competition. Developing aerobic capacity and advanced swimming skills. Progression to County Plus requires 3+ sessions per week and meeting the squad criteria. County Plus | 9–12yrs. Performance pathway for swimmers aiming to achieve County qualifying times across a range of strokes and events. Progression can be to Regional Plus, Regional Age or Regional Development.
Regional
(10-18)
Regional Plus | 10–14yrs. Performance pathway for fully committed swimmers working towards Regional and National qualification. Commitment to all training and competition requirements. Pre-pool before every session. Progression requires 5+ sessions per week. Regional Age | 12–16yrs. Performance pathway for swimmers with multiple County qualifying times working towards Regional qualification. Minimum 4 sessions per week. Regular competition. Regional Development | 12–18yrs. Competitive pathway for swimmers working towards County qualifying times. Progression to Regional Age requires 4+ sessions per week and County times in at least two strokes.
Performance
(14 +)
Performance Plus | 14yrs+ For swimmers competing at, or working towards, British or English Summer Nationals. Minimum 6 sessions per week, unless agreed otherwise. Pre-pool before every session and competition. High commitment and training intensity. Ability to manage schoolwork alongside training. Training can be up to 6,500m, Performance | 14+ For Regional qualifiers aiming for finals, and swimmers working towards Regional qualification with the long-term goal of Summer Nationals. Minimum 5 sessions per week. Regular competition. Pre-pool before every session and competition.
Masters (18+)
Our Masters squad welcomes strong swimmers aged 18+ with a wide range of goals, from national and open-water competitors to those training for fitness and enjoyment. Masters swimmers receive tailored support to achieve their personal performance or wellbeing objectives in a friendly environment.
Minimum level: competence in at least three strokes, typical set 2–2.5km
For detailed information about our offering, you can read our full Club Handbook here. This ives a good insight into how swimmers progress through the squads, training expectations, information about competitions and other useful advice.