About Nottingham and Nova  Nottingham is an excellent student city with two large Universities and plenty to do. Nottingham University built an 8 lane 25m pool with a movable floor and electronic timing in 1996. This is now the primary training venue for Nova and is an excellent facility. If you want to go to Nottingham Uni, morning training will be right on your door step! The University Halls of Residence are mostly situated around the pool and there is a lot of resonably priced student accommodation in nearby Beeston.
Nova also use a few other pools around the city centre but the focus is on the University Pool, with all the quality work being done in the best facility. Weight Training and gym work is also available at both Universities and in the town centre. You can arrange to do the land work when it fits in best with your studies and get a stroke-specific set of workouts to do.
Both Nottingham University and Nottingham Trent University offer bursary schemes to their top athletes. These are usually awarded after the first semester so you have time to prove your worth! Both Universities compete regularly and take a large team to the Student National Championships held twice a year. Nova also offer a discount on fees to students and various grants are available during the year to help out with the cost of competing. If you are interested in combining your studies and swimming, Nottingham is a great place to do it with a lot of support coming from the County Council and a lot of facilities available in both the City and the County. You might also have a couple of spare nights during the year to take in the night life! To be considered for the Squad you should be committed to some hard work and be prepared to make the majority of the sessions. You should have reached at least National Age Group level and preferably have achieved Senior National Qualifying times. Our top squad is an elite training group and competition for places is tough! However, if you do join, you will be part of a highly successful and motivated squad where there are plenty of other students. Nova have had at least one student selected for the Great Britain Team for almost every World Student Games since the 1980's. We believe that swimmers can combine their training with studying if they are organised and motivated enough. For more information, contact Swimming Performance Director Bill Furniss on 0115 9772252 or e-mail bill.furniss@nottscc.gov.uk Student Profile: Catrin Davies
Nottingham University Law Student
and Welsh Senior International Swimmer "Chosing the most suitable university and course for yourself is difficult enough, without the additional consideration of your swimming career as well. Looking back, however, to 1997 when I was making my decision, I never really found it problematic. One institution stood out from the rest as it offered me everything I was looking for. I chose Nottingham University for it's academic qualities along with, of course, the opportunity to pursue my swimming career. NOVA CENTURION was ideal with it's wonderful reputation and it's own experienced National coach, Bill Furniss. With more than 50% of the training sessions held at the new university pool on campus I couldn't ask for more. I immediately settled in at the club with it's friendly atmosphere and felt very welcome. My first year at university saw a dramatic improvement in my swimming under Bill's close supervision, which enabled me to qualify for the 1998 Commonwealth Games. Although a tough training regime is followed at Nova, not once have I regretted my decision to join. Bill is an approachable and supportive coach, and the friends I have made along with the precious memories I have collected, quite often help when trying to get up at 5.15am. I am glad that because of my academic commitments I still have another two years to enjoy at Nova." Note: This was written in 1999. Catrin went on to get a first class degree in Law and competed for Wales in the 2002 Commonwealth Games. | 