Fifty sprints at (Hogwarts) Prestonpans

I never sleep well before a gala and this was no exception having arrived in Hogwarts car park narrowly missing the crimson  Ford Angelia stuck up the tree in the corner of the cricket ground

Being a bit tired I picked up my bags and headed at a great rate of knots to the entrance to platform 9 3/4 only to bounce off the automatic doors. This was going to be a day to remember especially for the parents of the swimmers as the dementors had already encircled the balcony and cast a spell on the level of heat which was nearly unbearable. The paintings on the walls for the revolving staircase up to the balcony depicted people in swim suits and fanning themselves with one picture showing a fireman and water spouting out of the frame to cool people as they passed.

After the owls had delivered the programme for the day the sorting hat (start list) was issued and the quest for as many horcruxes (medals) began.

There were far too may excellent swims and personal bests to mention all the times mainly for fear of me missing a pupils pb out from  all of the four houses (Slythern, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff)

Alice, Ellie. Emma, Darcy Rachel and Kirsty all managed to hide underneath the invisible cloak and rocket up and down the pool without being seen by the opposition. Incidentally there is no truth in the rumour that our swimmers had eaten Gillyweed and grown gills before the gala started.

Horcruxes were in abundance and the winning theme continued all day with the pupils testing out the new firebolt broomstick much to the annoyance of other Quidditch teams in the afternoon warm up.

Thomas, Elliot, Aimee, Sam, Kara, Abby and Annabella all chased the snitch in the afternoon Quidditch game although alarm bells rang when the gala was nearly cancelled as the team pet mascot scabbers the rat could not be found. Later recovered from a locker but not before it had chewed its way through a brand new swimsuit lol. Well one way of destroying the opposition.

All the horcrux winners were summoned to the ministry of magic for going so fast and being unfairly accused of casting a Patronas spell in the presence of a muggle.

Elliot Furniss, too young to drive nevertheless drove too  fast in the crimson Ford Angelia on one of his swims and has now amassed 12 points on his license and his dad is now paying a 120 pound fine.

I think I am right in saying that despite other teams having Lord Voldemort on their side four club records have been broken details of these will follow.

I am now going to seek some medical help for turning insane and also going to lie down in a darkened room to recover.

Keep training hard and bringing these times down as there is no doubt at all that we are a force to be reckoned with against the dark side.

Records broken are as follows

8 years 25 fly Ellie Watt. 26.69
9 years 25 fly Alice Henderson 21.72
8 years 50 back Ellie Watt. 50.40
8 years 50 free Ellie Watt. 45.34
10years 50 fly. Rachel Todd. 43.57
12 years 5O back Elliot Furniss 38.90

Colin Galbraith
Head Coach Scorpion Swim Team

 

 

 

Lothian Leagues Round 1 -10th March 2018

This league meet was the first competitve swim for some of the younger ones in the club and for others it was a chance to compete on strokes which they are unaccustomed to.

Despite most of the team suffering slightly from the after effects of a bug which has been doing the rounds the swims were amazing. Many produced personal bests and as usual we had several relay teams competing which always produces excitement.

There were five new club records swam at the meet as follows :-

Darcy Curtis         50 back  in a time of 56.17

Ellie Watt              50 Free in a time of 45.00

Rachel Todd         50 Fly in a time of  45.68

Elliot Furniss       200 Free in a time of 2.42.19

Jasper Smith       200 IM in a time of 3.49.95

The website club records will be updated with this information in due course.

I am so pleased that all the swimmers are now achieving personal bests in most if not all their swims. This is down to a combination of harder training sets and also dedication by the swimmers themselves.  It is so true to say that you only get out of swimming what you put in and am therefore delighted at the effort everyone is putting in. A measure of the progress being made is when I have to constantly alter the training sets and target times for each swimmer as you get faster and faster.

Incidentally on the topic of training sets you will shortly be given target times in training which will be explained to you all and will hopefully also help to bring your times down .

So congratulations to all of you however the success we are having is only the start of the journey for the swim team. Please continue to listen to both Susan and myself and I am certain that your times will continue to come down.

Well done!

Colin Galbraith

Headcoach

Scorpion Swim Team