Solihull Swimming Club

Better Late than Never 🎉🎉

Congratulations to AlexSolihull Water Polo

We're thrilled to announce that Alex has been awarded Young Player of the Year. His hard work, dedication, and skill development have truly shone through this season. Whether playing as a center forward or contributing to our U18 junior teams, Alex has proven to be an invaluable asset.

Despite his occasional forgetfulness, 😂😂 his commitment to giving it his all every game makes him a great member of our team

Congratulations, Alex! We can't wait to see how you continue to grow and develop!

Congratulations to Audrey on her Gold winning performance at the Swim England National Summer Meet. Audrey took Gold in 100Fly and bronze in 50 Fly . Well done to her coaching team City of Birmingham Swimming Club 👏🏻👏🏻

Our next award goes to a player who has had an absolutely outstanding year — Josh Gardner, winner of our Most Improved Junior Water Polo Player Solihull Water Polo

Josh loves water polo, and that passion shows every time he gets in the pool. He puts huge effort into every session, always keen to learn more, always ready to play, and always bringing great energy to the team.

Josh has also done some volunteering coaching with our mini and development teams. He learnt so much from coaching — and what’s impressive is how he has applied that learning to his own development as a player. His improvement since joining polo has been remarkable.

This year, Josh made the exciting decision to specialise as a goalkeeper, and it has proved to be a fantastic move. He earned his place at the West Midlands Talent Centre, competed at the Talent Games, and proudly represented the region at the InterRegional Competition.

When asked to step into goal recently, he delivered saves that were, in his coach’s words, “years ahead of him,” and he even received Man of the Match.

Josh’s cheeky personality, positive attitude, and commitment make him an absolute pleasure to coach. He gives his all in competitions, he works hard in every session, and he has been rewarded with incredible progress this season.

Josh, congratulations on winning our Most Improved Award.

We can’t wait to see what you achieve over the next year.

At our recent presentation night , we also awarded our Annual Water Polo Awards , lots of our players were actually competing that weekend so we have only just be able to present them with their awards Solihull Water Polo

Huge congratulations to Darcy Miller for being named the Most Improved Water Polo Player of the Year! 🏆 This recognition is so well-deserved. Darcy embodies what it means to be a truly great player—not just through her skills, but also with her incredible attitude in every training session.

Her willingness to learn and embrace feedback has truly set her apart. It's inspiring to see how her hard work is paying off, and she continues to make remarkable progress. 🌟

Darcy’s passion and enthusiasm light up the pool, making her an invaluable team player. Not only is she excelling in her age group, but she’s also stepping up to compete in women’s polo. Plus, her representation at the regional level, the England Talent Centre, and the Wales youth development squad showcases her dedication and talent.

Congratulations, Darcy! The future is bright, and we can’t wait to see what you achieve next! 💪

What a week Ellie has had at the British Nationals at Ponds Forge with City of Birmingham Swimming

Ellie came back with 6 medals in total including Gold and title of British National Champion for the 15 years 200m backstroke, retaining her top spot in the UK rankings. Ellie also broke her own Warwickshire junior record in the 200m freestyle claiming a silver medal. Warwickshire Amateur Swimming Association

Ellie received another silver medal in the 100m Backstroke and bronze medals in the 1500m as well as the 400m and a team bronze in the 14/16 4x200m Relay. If you didn’t watch that relay go and watch it Ellie’s leg was UNBELIEVABLE Congratulations to her and her team mates .

Ellie has loved her week of competition with her COB team mates and coaches and is looking forward to a well deserved rest over the summer now.

Huge congratulations to Ellie, her family and coaches at CoB

SENIOR SWIMMER OF THE YEAR
FIN SLATER
Fin’s journey this season has been remarkable.
For the last few years, Fin has been in training in Senior Squad, since leaving competitive swimming during that time he would self coach to improve his swimming. He turned up, pushed himself, and held himself accountable. Achieving county times whilst in Senior Squad in 2026 , His persistence and steady improvement were impossible to miss — and because of that, he earned his move into Performance Squad, a step he absolutely deserved.
Fin is a brilliant role model on poolside. He is friendly, respectful, and supportive to coaches and swimmers alike.
He brings a positive energy to every session, and he’s the kind of person who lifts the atmosphere simply by being there.
Since moving to Performance, he has shown outstanding commitment. He pushes himself hard, he embraces the challenge of topsquad sessions, and he competes at a high level. His hard work has paid off: he’s had a fantastic season, producing numerous PBs and performing strongly at meets and Ben Stanford spotting it and moved him to his squad.
But Fin’s contribution doesn’t stop at his own swimming. He has stepped up as a coach for our senior squad on Tuesdays, and he is always willing to help with younger squads whenever asked. He brings fun, energy, and encouragement to every group he works with.
Fin, your dedication, your positivity, and your willingness to give back to the club make you stand out. You’ve worked incredibly hard, you’ve grown enormously, and you’ve become a role model both in and out of the water.
Congratulations

SENIOR SWIMMER MOST IMPROVED
JACK BARBER

Jack Barber’s journey with our club is something truly special. He joined Solihull in November 2024, aged 13, having done no competitive swimming at all. He began in our junior squad, and it wasn’t long before Geoff Hinton spotted his potential. Geoff took Jack under his wing, coaching him on Fridays, helping him build confidence, technique, and belief. With Geoff’s dedication — and Jack’s determination — he progressed into our competitive squads and, through pure hard work, has now earned his place in Performance Squad.

His attitude and commitment to swimming are exemplary. He turns up ready to work hard, he listens carefully, and he applies feedback immediately. As coaches, Jack is a privilege to work with. He is incredibly coachable, always focused, always receptive, and always striving to improve his technique across all strokes.
Jack’s progress this year is no surprise. His outstanding attendance, his willingness to learn, He has made huge strides at swim meets, setting new PBs on a regular basis, and this year he achieved his very first county time. He is already on track for county times in 2027.
Jack sets a fantastic example. He shows exactly what can be achieved through consistency, positivity, and a mindset focused on improvement. His journey — from a complete beginner to a Performance Squad swimmer — is a testament to his character.
Jack, your hard work, and dedication make the whole club proud. Congratulations on an incredible season.

Ellie starts her campaign today aquatics_gb Next Gen National championships. Her first race is 1500m. Ellie will be swimming for , huge congratulations to her coaches whom Ellie trains with, we are just proud to stand as her home club 💛🖤💛

She’s qualified for 13 individual events at British Nationals (but she won’t be able to do them all!) plus the 3 relays. Ellie starts racing on 16th July and races everyday till 22nd July .

You can watch Ellie live on the Gb aquatics You tube channel

https://youtube.com/?si=N99c64i5ho2MIcFg

The individual events Ellie has qualified for are:

Free
50
100
200
400
800
1,500

Back
50
100
200

Fly
50
100

IM
200
400

What an achievement 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

JUNIOR SWIMMER MOST IMPROVED
NOAH PFEIFFER

Our next recognition goes to a swimmer who has been nothing short of outstanding this season — Noah Pfeiffer
Noah is one of the most popular and positive swimmers in the squad. He turns up to every session ready to work, gives 100% every single time, and somehow still manages to keep a smile on his face. That attitude alone makes him a joy to coach and a brilliant teammate.
This year, Noah has shown fantastic progress in both his technique and his confidence. He listens carefully, applies feedback straight away, and never gives up — even when the training gets challenging. The results speak for themselves: he has smashed PBs left, right, and centre, proving just how much dedication and resilience he brings to the sport.
Noah’s achievements this season have been remarkable. He was one of the youngest qualifiers at Counties, not only making the finals a year underage, but also earning a podium finish in backstroke. On top of that, he became the 10yearold Club Champion in all strokes. Noah also representing Solihull Prep School at the ESSA Championships coming 3RD in the medley Relay and at the IAPS Nationals held at the iconic London Aquatics centre, Noah took an outstanding 4th in his individual event against swimmers from 140 schools.
But what truly sets Noah apart is the way he supports others. He is always a positive presence on poolside, always encouraging teammates, and always lifting the squad with his enthusiasm. He trains hard, he races hard, and he cheers hard — the complete package of a committed young athlete.
Noah, we are incredibly proud of how much you’ve improved this season. Your dedication, your resilience, your love of swimming, and your brilliant attitude make you a hugely deserving recipient of this award.

JUNIOR SWIMMER OF THE YEAR
NOAH GARDNER​​

Our next swimmer is someone who has had a cracking season — and has probably eaten his goggles once or twice along the way — Noah Gardner.

Noah is the definition of gets on with it. Training? He just cracks on. Competition? He just cracks on. Goggle disaster? He just cracks on. Even when he’s taken a knock-on poolside, he bounces back like nothing happened and still manages to swim brilliantly.

Noah’s highlights this season have been huge. Strong swims at Counties He qualified for Regionals for the first time this year in three different strokes. He raced brilliantly in both the Arena League and Junior League, helping the team top the Junior League table, a testament to how consistently hard he trains. Noah was also selected for the Junior County Development Programme 2026.
Through all of this, Noah has shown fantastic progress in his technique, confidence, and race ex*****on. He’s smashed PBs all over the place and shown dedication, resilience, and a genuine love for the sport.
He’s also one of the friendliest, most supportive teammates you could ask for – Meaning he was the Obvious choice for Captain of our Junior League — always smiling, always encouraging, always lifting the squad. And always hoping… always hoping… that today might be the day we only do relays in training. If Noah ever gets hold of the whiteboard pen, you can guarantee the session will mysteriously turn into “Relay Day”. So, we’ve learned to guard that pen with our lives.

Noah, you’ve had a brilliant season. You’re hardworking, supportive, and a proper team player — and you make the squad better just by being in it.