Every Autumn, as the race calendar builds and we head towards Christmas, one question comes up again and again from parents: “How does County Qualification actually work?”

If your swimmer has started competing, you’ve probably heard the term “Licensed Meet.” You might even have seen codes like “Level 3 – LC” on a meet notice and wondered what it all means.

Swim England and Aquatics GB encourage a balanced approach to competition.Young swimmers should experience a range of strokes and distances, including 400 m, 800 m and 1500 m freestyle, to build a strong foundation for future success in the sport. Early distance exposure isn’t about specialising — it develops complete swimmers with the fitness, pacing control and resilience needed to progress confidently through the sport.