The Provincial Towns League (PTL)

Enniskillen Lakelanders compete in the Provincial Towns League. This is a swimming competition between clubs affiliated to Swim Ulster. The PTL runs in a league format.  Each gala is made up of both team and individual events with all scoring adding to the team total (There are no prizes for individual events) . There are 56 races at each gala and it normally last around two hours. Individual races are 50 metres (100 metres for IM) for all individual events and relay events are 50 metres (except the youngest group – A – 25 metres).

Medley Relays order is Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, Frontcrawl.

Individual Medley order is Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Frontcrawl.

2018/19 PTL Schedule (Dates, Times and Venues to be confirmed)

Sat 22^nd Sep – Strule v Enniskillen (away - Omagh)

Sat 6^th Oct – Enniskillen v Limavady (home) 6pm WU

Sat 1st Dec – Enniskillen v Olympia (home) 6pm WU

Sat 26^th Jan – Ballymoney v Enniskillen (away)

Sat 9^th Feb – Lurgan v Enniskillen (away)

(IT IS EXPECTED THE SWIMMERS IN THE PTL TEAM WILL COMMIT TO ALL THESE DATES)

PTL Area Heats – Sat 2^nd Mar

PTL Final – Sat 23^rd Mar

Lakelander’s home galas will (as far as possible) be held in the Fermanagh Lakeland Forum. Start times etc will be announced via Teamer. Team transport may be organised for away galas.

FAQs

Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about the PTL and attending galas.

What age do you have to be to swim in the PTL gala?
The PTL gala events are divided into 4 age groups. For this year, swimmers must be 9 years on the 31^st December 2018 to compete. There are Girls events and Boys events but NO mixed events.

Group A – 9/10           2008/9 (2009 swimmers in relays only)

Group B – 11/12         2006/7

Group C – 13/14         2004/5

Group D – 15+            2003 and earlier

How do swimmers get selected for the team?
Coaches select the two fastest swimmers in each age group in each event along with usually the next fastest depending on the squad make up to try and give as many possible swimmers at least 2 swims. Additional swimmers may be used for non-scoring relays to give them experience.

Prior to the galas, we try to run time trials. We notify about the time trials via email. If you think your son or daughter would be in the PTL gala team, then please contact coach the Coach or Terry McCartney and they’ll let you know when the next time trial is being held.

How do I know if my son/daughter is swimming in the gala?
We communicate about all our galas and club events using an application called Teamer.
If you are a member of the club and haven’t yet joined teamer, please click on this link and follow the instructions.

If your son or daughter is selected to swim at a gala, you will receive an invite from Teamer, asking if he/she can attend. The notification will include times, locations and any other necessary information. It is very important that you reply promptly to the invitation so our gala coaches and committee can build the team list!

Likewise, if you’ve said your swimmer can attend and circumstances change, please update your status via teamer.
When a swimmer signs up to swim at a gala but does not show up on the night, the loss of points to the club can be enormous. Without a full team, we can’t swim the relays and will most likely lose the gala.

At times it may be necessary for younger swimmers to ‘swim up’ for example a Group A swimmer into Group B or C to help accumulate points. These swimmers may only swim up in Relays to win points or to give additional swims.

What is meant by “home” and “away”?
A home gala is when we are the hosts and organise the gala. This season our home galas will be held at the Fermanagh Lakeland Forum. The host team provides the supper after the gala.  All swimmers are asked to bring along either sandwiches (boys) or tray bakes/buns (girls).

How do we get to an away gala?
The club may provide a bus and will ask for a financial contribution of £tbc per person.  Sometimes we will travel independently with families.  Parents are encouraged to travel to away galas as we’re always in need of a helping hand. You can come on the bus too...

What do the swimmers need to bring?
Two towels, a t-shirt (preferably a Lakelander club shirt if you have one) and a club swimming cap. A pair of flip flops are also handy to have pool-side. Don’t forget sandwiches (boys) and tray bakes/buns (girls) if the gala is at home. And £money per swimmer for the bus if the gala is away.

What division is Enniskillen Lakelanders in?
There are 5 divisions within the PTL league. Leander is currently in Division 5.

How do we move up into a higher division?
In order to move up to Division 4, Lakelanders needs to be the top scoring team in their current division at the end of the season.

How does the scoring work?
For individual events the points are awarded as follows:
1^st place           7 points
2^nd place          5 points
3^rd place          4 points
4^th place          3 points

For relay events, the winning team is awarded 14 points and the 2^nd team is awarded 10 points. Teams have 2 scoring swimmers for each individual events and 1 scoring team in each relay.

Who coordinates the galas?
Our PTL secretary is Terry McCartney. Terry will issue information in advance of each gala. Each club is responsible for providing timekeepers, finish judges, recorders etc.  It takes approximately 20 volunteers from the club to run a gala successfully so any help from parents, friends and relatives is always very welcome!

How do I volunteer to help?
Please contact Terry or coach if you’d like to help out. You don’t need any training or experience. One of the seasoned volunteers will show you how to use the stop watches, record times etc.

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PTL, Swim Ulster PTL, PTL Enniskillen Lakelanders