Vikings Swim Club
Training for Competition
Vikings Head Coach – George Long
Transitioning from the Kings Swim Programme, or for children ready to compete, joining the Vikings Junior or Senior Squad presents swimmers with an unparalleled opportunity to develop their skills and reach their competitive potential.
All squads are coached by Head Coach George Long, who brings:
- 3 years as Assistant Head Coach at Vikings
- 4 years as a full-time Assistant Head Coach at JASI
- Proven experience developing swimmers across junior through to high-performance squads
George’s coaching philosophy focuses on a well-rounded programme across all strokes, distances, and abilities, combining strong technical development with physical and mental skills. At Vikings, we aim to build not just great swimmers, but great people. Squads are carefully balanced so that every swimmer benefits from targeted coaching, allowing for individual growth while fostering team development.
Vikings coaches bring extensive experience. Todd Mason, who now works at Kings Swim School, continues to support George and the Vikings programme. Together, their combined expertise consistently helps swimmers reach regional, national, and international levels.
In 2023, Vikings swimmers competed at the Youth Commonwealth Games, World Junior Championships, and multiple Australian state championships. Former member Gaby Smith also represented New Zealand at the 2024 Paralympics.
At Vikings, we focus on more than winning—cultivating well-rounded swimmers within a close-knit community that values strength, camaraderie, competitiveness, and passion.
Vikings Programme
The Vikings comprehensive training programmes for our Junior to Senior Squads encompass various aspects of technique and skills to ensure their readiness for competitive high performance swimmers.
Swimmers begin with warm-up routines both on land and in the water, and are primed to optimise their performance. Dedicated sessions then focus on refining swim technique, honing each stroke to maximise efficiency and speed in the water.
Endurance training forms a crucial component of the programme, building the physical and mental resilience necessary to sustain prolonged efforts during the swim journey.
Swimmers are provided with opportunities to engage in various swim competitions at home, away or internationally, allowing them to apply their skills in a competitive environment and fine-tune their race strategies. Through this holistic approach, participants are equipped with the skills and conditioning required to excel in their swimming.
Our programme provides a clear pathway to competitive competitions, giving swimmers the support and experience they need to succeed at regional, national, and international levels.
At Vikings, we focus on more than winning—cultivating well-rounded swimmers within a close-knit community that values strength, camaraderie, competitiveness, and passion.
New Assistant Coach – Hannah Sutherland
We are beyond excited to welcome Hannah to the Vikings coaching team.
Hannah will be working alongside George to ensure Vikings has high-quality, experienced coaching at every squad level.
Hannah comes to the club with experience teaching swimmers of all levels, similar to George, and together they will work to ensure every swimmer receives high-quality, targeted coaching across all of our squad levels.
Hannah has been selected to coach the New Zealand Team at the Oceania Championships in Fiji and has also been awarded a full scholarship to complete the World Aquatics International Swimming Coaches’ Certification Course – Youth Coach. She is one of just 20 coaches worldwide chosen for this programme. Hannah will begin at Vikings on Monday 25 May following her return.
Our Vikings swimmers are in very good hands with such a dedicated coaching team, and we’re really grateful for the support and expertise Hannah and George bring to the club.
New Vikings Timetable & Squads
We are excited to announce our new squad training timetable and squad structure! Back to the old naming system for ease of understanding.
Squad 1 – now has a training on every single day which is just for them, giving seniors some much-needed space and attention for higher intensity, targeted training.
Squad 2 – will get a mix of trainings with the older and younger kids, allowing those in the squad choice between the ‘harder’ and ‘easier’ option based on their ability. Wednesday morning will be very valuable for a specifically targeted session. Once the assistant coach starts, squad 2 and 3 will be coached independently, but still simultaneous as per the current schedule.
Squad 3 – will get 2 morning options and 3 afternoon options, giving a good mix for those with busy schedules.
Squad 3
Where all new swimmers start, Squad 3 is the introduction and developmental area for those just starting out swimming as a competitive sport.
They will learn the advanced technical aspects of squad swimmers while improving their fitness and learning to enjoy the process of getting faster!
Squad 3 has 5 sessions available, with 2-4 per week being the standard.
Please note times can be subject to change. Some swimmers start with one or two training sessions per week when they first join the squad. You can choose how many sessions your child attends—no pressure.
When you officially join Vikings Swim Club, you will receive two FREE Vikings swim caps to start your club swimming journey.
Session Times:
See timetable above.
Squad 3 Gear:
Please see Squad gear requirements below.
To arrange a FREE trial session, simply email us at George.L@vikingsswimclub.co.nz, and we’ll be happy to set it up.
Squad 2
A squad for those qualifying and attending competitions within the Canterbury region and beyond. These swimmers are accomplished juniors or developing age groupers who are further developing their ability
They will learn how to properly work through harder sets with a strong focus on technical development in a well-rounded manner across all strokes and distances
Squad 2 swimmers have 6 sessions a week offered to them, within which they are expected to make no less than 3 per week to continue consistent improvement (4+ ideally).
Session Times:
See timetable above.
Please note times can be subject to change.
When you officially join Vikings Swim Club, you will receive two FREE Vikings swim caps to start your club swimming journey.
Squad 2 Gear:
Please see Squad gear requirements below.
To arrange a FREE trial session, simply email us at George.L@vikingsswimclub.co.nz, and we’ll be happy to set it up.
Squad 1
Our top squad at Vikings, this group is actively aiming towards qualifying, competing, and achieving at various national meets. A tight-knit group of exceptional athletes developing life-long skills of comradery and self management through hard work and dedication to a common goal.
Allowance into Squad 1 is at the sole discretion of the head coach based on training ethic, competition results, and value as a team mate for other members.
Squad 1 have 8 trainings available to them, with the expectation of 6+ sessions being the goal. There will also be a dry-land strength and conditioning program developed within the coming months targeting these athletes.
Senior Squad Gear:
Please see Senior Squad gear requirements below.
Changing Clubs:
If you are looking to change clubs and would like to join Vikings Swim Club, come along and try Vikings Swim Club with a FREE one-week trial – see if it’s the right fit for you!
Session Times:
Please email Head Coach George.L@vikingsswimclub.co.nz to find out the most suitable time and session to attend.
Training Camps & Summer Training
At Vikings we are not in the Kings pool all year round – we also take the squads outdoors (Jellie Park & Parakiore) for long course, fitness training and swim camps in Christchurch & away from home.
In January 2025 Vikings summer training camp was held in Timaru giving everyone a great chance to bond as a team, work out on Caroline Bay beach and train in the pool.
Fees & Uniform
Squad Fees
Squad 3: $160 per month (up to 3 trainings)
Squad 2: $200 per month (up to 5 trainings)
Squad 1: $230 per month (up to 8 lessons a week)
Non – Competitive Annual Membership Fee – $120
This fee is paid to Vikings Swim Club for Vikings Swim Club membership.
Annual fees run from July to July. Pro-rata options are available – for example, if you join in November, your fee will be adjusted to cover the period until July of the following year. Most new squad members come in as non-competitive and move over to competitive when they are ready.
Squad 3 – Non-Competitive Fee:
$160 per month (up to 3 months) + Annual Membership fee
or
Competitive Annual Membership Fee – $258
(Fees split between – SwimmingNZ, Swim Canterbury West Coast and Vikings Swim Club – fee paid direct to Swimming New Zealand)
Annual Fee from: July to July (no pro-rata option).
Uniform order:
All swimmers representing Vikings Swim Club will require a uniform.
Second Hand Uniform
Please contact Anj by email if you would like to purchase second hand uniform, most of the second hand uniforms on hand is in pretty good condition.
Please place your order by clicking order now below.
Make sure to register and create an account in the top right before ordering. If you skip this step, the Add to Cart button won’t appear.
Any questions please contact our Uniform Co-ordinator, Anj by email – uniforms@vikingsswimclub.co.nz
Training Gear Requirements
Squad 2 or 3 : Mesh bag, long fins, pull buoy, ankle band, medium-sized kickboard (e.g., Vorgee kickboard), and snorkel.
Squad 1: Mesh bag, short fins, pull buoy, ankle band, medium-sized kickboard (e.g., Vorgee kickboard), and snorkel.
Gear Bags:
These bags and items should all be named and can be kept at Kings Swim School, hooked onto the gear bag with a stainless steel carabiner/snap hook.
Helpful Equipment websites:
Teamline: www.teamline.co.nz
Aqualine: www.aqualineswim.co.nz
Zoggs: www.zoggs.com
Funkita: www.funkita.co.nz
T3 Swim: www.swimt3.co.nz
Swimhub: www.swimhub.nz
Arena: www.arenasport.com
Vikings Swim Club – Private Facility Training
Vikings Swim Club is lucky to call Kings Swim School its home, where our pool is designed to stand apart from typical swimming facilities, featuring a central daylight strip for natural light, acoustic control to reduce noise, and full climate regulation for comfort year-round.
Swimmers enjoy a vastly different environment compared to public pools, with highly durable sprung structures and pool tanks, and water systems engineered for superior quality with low chlorine levels thanks to advanced UV filtration.
Key Features:
- New Zealand’s first sprung structure for swimming facilities
- Full HVAC climate control for year-round comfort
- 25m x 13.5m lap pool
- 25m x 4m learn-to-swim pool, heated to 33.5°C
- Lower chlorine levels with UV filtration
- Change cubicles and separate change spaces
- Wheelchair ramp access into the main pool
- Acoustic baffles for a calmer, quieter environment.
- New blocks for drive and swim training have been installed
